Current Affairs 18-DEC-2023 (The Hindu)

Three-Stage Nuclear Program

(D => Pg-12)

India’s Three-Stage Nuclear Program

1st Stage - “Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors”

• Uses Natural Uranium: 99.3% Uranium-238 and 0.7% Uranium-235 as a fission material to produce energy.
• Plutonium as a by-product.
• No need for Enrichment: Natural uranium is used.
• Location: Kakrapar Atomic Power Station, Gujarat.

2nd Stage – “Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR)”

• Uses a mixture of Plutonium & reprocessed ‘spent Uranium’ from the first stage as fuel.
• Produces Electricity & more Plutonium as a product.
• Reason: Uranium will get converted into Plutonium.
• FBR does not use moderators.
• Uranium-233 as the Final product - used as a fuel in the third stage of our nuclear program.
• India’s Prototype FBR: Madras Atomic Power Station at Kalpakkam near Chennai.

3rd Stage - “Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR)”

• Thorium-232 mixed with U233 produced in the second stage - used as fuel.
• Overall design: Utilize large amounts of thorium reserves found in India in the form of monazite sand.
• India aims to be self-sufficient in nuclear energy through these stages.

Practice Question – Prelims

Consider the following statements about India’s Nuclear Program:

1. In the Pressurized Heavy water stage, Natural Uranium is used as a fuel.

2. In the Fast Breeder Reactor, the usage of Moderator is Paramount, as it will slow down the Neutrons.

3. It is often envisioned that the Third stage reactor will ensure India’s Energy security are met locally.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) Only one

b) Only two

c) All three

d) None

Indian Elections

(D => Pg-7)

Practice Question – Mains GS – II

Can the vote value of the electors in a liberal democracy like India be diluted? What are the constitutional safeguards available in India to prevent the dilution of vote value? (250 words, 15 marks)

Dilution of Vote in Indian Elections

Introduction

• The vote value of Indian voters can be diluted either quantitatively or qualitatively.
• How? - by redrawing the boundaries of the constituency.

Dilution of Vote

It happens when an election system or any other policies deny voters an equal opportunity to elect candidates.

Qualitative Dilution of Votes

• It happens when the chance of voters to elect a representative of their choice is reduced due to gerrymandering.
• Gerrymandering - redrawing of boundaries to favour a candidate/party.

Quantitative Dilution

It happens when voters receive unequal weightage due to huge deviations in the population among the constituencies.

Constitutional Safeguards against Dilution of Vote

The Constitution Of India 1949

Article 81 - Composition of the House of the People

• There shall be allotted to each State a number of seats in the House of the People in such a manner that the ratio between that number and the population of the State is, so far as practicable, the same for all States.

Article 170 - Composition of the Legislative Assemblies

• Each State shall be divided into territorial constituencies in such a manner that the ratio between the population of each constituency and the number of seats allotted to it shall, so far as practicable, be the same throughout the State.

Article 327 - Power of Parliament to make provision with respect to elections to Legislatures

Subject to the provisions of this constitution, Parliament may from time to time by law made provision with respect to all matters relating to, or in connection with, elections to either House of Parliament or to the House or either House of the Legislature of a State including the preparation of electoral rolls, the delimitation of constituencies and all other matters necessary for securing the due constitution of such House or Houses.

Article 330 - Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the House of the People

• Seats shall be reserved in the House of the People for a) the Scheduled Castes; b) the Scheduled Tribes except the Scheduled Tribes in the autonomous districts of Assam.

Article 332 - Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Legislative Assemblies of the States

• Seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, except the Scheduled Tribes in the tribal areas of Assam, in Nagaland and in Meghalaya, in the Legislative Assembly of every State.

Article 82 - Readjustment after each census

Upon the completion of each census, the allocation of seats in the House of the People to the States and the division of each State into territorial constituencies shall be readjusted by such authority and in such manner as Parliament may by law determine.

Conclusion

Issues to be addressed:

• The ruling party may nominate favourable persons to the delimitation commission.
• Result - redrawing of boundaries favouring the ruling party.
• A delay in the delimitation process.
• Reason - delay in conducting census.
• Actual deadline for census - 2021.
• Result - affects the voting rights of the people.