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International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Putin for war crimes because of his alleged involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine.
  • The ICC announced an arrest warrant for Russian President Putin on the war crime accusation of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.
  • It is alleged that more than 16,000 Ukrainian children have been deported to Russia since the February 24, 2022 invasion.
  • Moscow dismissed the orders as void.
  • Russia is not a party to the ICC so it was unclear if or how Mr. Putin could ever end up in the dock.

What is the International Criminal Court (ICC)?

  • It is a permanent court to prosecute serious international crimes committed by individuals.
  • It tries crimes such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression.
  • The court was established to fight global impunity and bring to justice criminals under international law, regardless of their rank or stature. It is different from the United Nations’ International Court of Justice, also at The Hague.
  • HQ - The Hague, The Netherlands
  • Statute - Before the ICC became functional in 2002, its founding treaty was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1998 in Rome, Italy, thereby making it the Rome Statute.
  • Membership — 
  • To become a member of the ICC or State party to the Rome Statute, countries have to sign the statute and ratify it under their respective legislatures.
  • 123 countries are currently members of the ICC, with African countries making up the largest bloc.
  • Notably, countries including India, China, Iraq, North Korea and Turkey never signed the Rome Statute.
  • Others including the US, Russia, Israel and Syria signed, but never ratified it.
How does the ICC function?
 Judges & Prosecutors —
  • The court carries out its investigations through the Office of the Prosecutor and has 18 judges.
  • Both the judges and prosecutors hold non-renewable nine-year terms.
Process —
  • There are pre-trial, trial, and appellate benches in the ICC.
  • The prosecutor conducts a preliminary examination in a matter, before seeking permission from pre-trial judges to open a full investigation.
  • The initial examination must conclude that the crimes in question are of sufficient gravity.
Ways to open investigations —
  • The prosecutor can open an investigation in three ways —
  • When a case is referred by a member country in its own territory;
  • When a case is referred by the UN Security Council; and
  • When the prosecutor takes up a case on his own (proprio motu).
Non-member states can also be investigated in three ways —
  • If alleged crimes were perpetrated by non-members in member states,
  • If the non-members accept the court’s jurisdiction, or
  • When the Security Council authorises it.
Criticisms of the ICC -
Pace of investigation and judgements —
  • After 19 years of being active, the court has convicted 10 persons accused in a small number of cases and acquitted four individuals.
  • Hence, some experts question whether the time, efforts and financial resources invested in the court by member countries is worth the outcome.
  • Afraid to take actions against Western powers — This was pointed out first, when the court denied permission to start an investigation into Afghanistan in 2019, and second, when the current prosecutor wanted to restart the investigation after the Taliban takeover.
Bias against African countries —
  • Barring recent years, the court, since its formation, largely took up investigations into alleged crimes committed in African countries.
  • All of the nearly 30 cases currently in the trial stage before the court are from African countries.
  • The African Union in 2016 had endorsed a proposal led by Kenya for a mass withdrawal from the Rome Statute.
  • The vote on this proposal, however, was symbolic.

PM MITRA

The Centre has selected sites in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, MP and UP to set up new textile parks, a year and a half after the PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) scheme was announced. 

  • The textile industry has been unorganised in the country and increased wastage and logistical costs impacts the competitiveness of the country's textile sector.
  • This cluster-based approach will solve several problems of the sector and will function as centres of opportunity to create an integrated textiles value chain.
  • The parks in the seven selected States would provide state-of-the-art infrastructure for the textiles sector, attract an investment of nearly ₹70,000 crore into these parks, with employment generation for about 20 lakh people.
  • The Ministry of Textiles will provide financial support in the form of Development Capital Support upto ₹500 crore per park to the Park SPV.
  • A Competitive Incentive Support (CIS) upto ₹300 crore per park to the units in PM MITRA Park shall also be provided to incentivise speedy implementation.
  • Convergence with other Government of India schemes shall also be facilitated in order to ensure additional incentives to the Master Developer and investor units.

What is the PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) Scheme?

  • The Ministry of Textiles has launched (2021) the scheme to strengthen the Indian textile industry by way of —
  •     Enabling scale of operations,
  •     Reducing logistics cost by housing entire value chain at one location,
  •     Attracting investment,
  •     Generating employment and augment export potential.
  • The Scheme has a budget outlay of 4445 Crore including administrative expenses of Rs 30 crore over 7-year period up to 2027-28.
  • The scheme will develop an integrated large scale and modern industrial infrastructure facility (parks) for total value-chain (spinning, weaving, processing, printing, etc) of the textile industry.
  • These parks are envisaged to be located at sites which have inherent strengths for the textile industry to flourish and have necessary linkages to succeed.
  • The scheme envisages to leverage the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for fast paced implementation in a time-bound manner.
  • PM MITRA mega textile parks will boost the textiles sector in line with 5F (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign) vision.

How will these Parks be set up under the PM MITRA Scheme? 

  • These parks will be set up on the basis of proposals received from State Governments having ready availability of contiguous and encumbrance-free land parcels of minimum 1000 acres.
  • The State Government will transfer land to the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which will be a legal entity (with 51% equity shareholding of State and 49% of Central Government).
  • The selection of PM MITRA Park sites will be done in a two stage (Selection of Sites, Development of the Park) selection process on Challenge Method.
  • The "Challenge Method" is a type of selection process that is often used in competitions and challenges to determine the best candidate or solution.
  • In the context of the PM MITRA Park sites, the challenge method involves a two-stage process.
  • Interested parties first submit their proposals for the development of the park sites.
  • Then a select number of proposals are chosen to move on to the second stage.
  • During the second stage, the selected proposals may be given specific challenges or tasks to complete in order to further demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of their proposal.
  • At the end of the challenge method process, the proposal that best meets the criteria and objectives of the PM MITRA Park sites project will be selected for implementation.
Textile Ministry issues notification for setting up seven PM MITRA Parks

Magellan Aircraft

Recently, NASA Magellan spacecraft captured images of Venus’ surface from different orbits. A few locations, including those suspected to have volcanic activity, were observed two or three times over two years.
About Venus -
  • Venus the second planet from the sun, is the hottest and brightest planet in the solar system. 
  • Venus is highly visible from Earth due to its reflective clouds. 
  • Venus and Earth are often called twins because they are similar in size, mass, density, composition and gravity.
  • With respect to other planets, Venus and Uranus spin backwards which means for these two planets, the sun rises in the west and sets in the east.

What are the findings of the Magellan spacecraft?

  • A 2.2 square kilometre volcanic vent on Venus changed shape in eight months, indicating volcanic activity.
  • It showed signs of drained lava, hinting at activity and eight months later, radar images indicated that the same vent had doubled in size and the lava lake seemed to have reached the rim.
  • The vent is associated with Maat Mons, Venus’s second-highest volcano.
  • It sits in the Atla Regio, a vast highland region near Venus’ equator. These changes were likely due to lava flow escaping the vent, hinting at a possible volcanic activity.

About the Magellan spacecraft -
  • It was one of the most successful deep space missions of NASA..
  • It was the first spacecraft to image the entire surface of Venus and made several discoveries about the planet. 


Jhamarkotra and Zawar

Recently, the Society of Earth Scientists (SES), a group of independent researchers bridging the gap between earth science and society gathered to scout a fossil park at Jhamarkotra and the metallurgical remains at Zawar, around 20 km southeast of Udaipur, Rajasthan.

About Jhamarkotra -

  • A fossil park at Jhamarkotra located in the state of Rajasthan hosts stromatolites dating back 1.8 billion years, exhibiting a variety of textures and sizes.
  • A stromatolite is a layered sedimentary rock created by microorganisms.
  • Stromatolites are sometimes called ‘crocodile-skin rock’ due to their unusual textures. 
  • As such, stromatolite fossils preserve records of cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae – the earliest life on the planet.
  • These organisms developed the ability to photosynthesise and make their food. By doing so, they pumped large quantities of oxygen into the atmosphere of primaeval earth, allowing most other life to evolve and flourish.
  • Jhamarkotra’s fossils are phosphate-rich because the trapped sediments were mainly phosphate minerals.
About Zawar -

  • It is an interesting geo-heritage site that lies some 40 km south of Udaipur which is the world’s oldest known zinc-smelting site.
  • The discovery here of earthen retorts – brinjal-shaped, long-necked vessels – is particularly significant: their presence here suggests Zawar had a unique zinc-smelting legacy.
  • Zawar’s zinc-smelting operations date back 2,000 years.



Daily MCQ Question's and Answer's

Question 1. Samudrayaan’ is the -
A. Frigate of Indian Navy launched at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad    
B. Long-Range Bomb made for India Navy by DRDO
C. India’s First Manned Ocean Mission
D. None of the above

Explanation -
Answer - C   Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launched India’s First Manned Ocean Mission Samudrayan at Chennai. With the launch of this Unique Ocean Mission, India joins the the elite club of nations such as USA, Russia, Japan, France and China to have such underwater vehicles for carrying out subsea activities. This niche technology shall facilitate Ministry of Earth Sciences, MoES in carrying out deep ocean exploration of the non-living resources such as polymetallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates, hydro-thermal sulphides and cobalt crusts, located at a depth between 1000 and 5500 meters. The preliminary design of the manned submersible MATSYA 6000 is completed and realisation of vehicle is started with various organisation including ISRO, IITM and DRDO roped-in to support the development. Sea trials of 500 metre rated shallow water version of the manned submersible are expected to take place in the last quarter of 2022 and the MATSYA 6000, the deep water manned submersible will be ready for trials by the second quarter of 2024.

Question 2. The ‘PM-MITRA’ scheme is related to -
A. Banking sector                                        B. Drinking Water and Supply
C. Cleaning of Ganga                                   D. None of the above

Explanation -
Answer - D  The Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of 7 PM MITRA parks as announced in Union Budget for 2021-22. PM MITRA is inspired by the 5F vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister. The '5F' Formula encompasses - Farm to fibre; fibre to factory; factory to fashion; fashion to foreign. This integrated vision will help furthering the growth of textile sector in the economy. The 7 Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel Parks (PM MITRA) will be setup at Greenfield / Brownfield sites located in different willing States. Proposals of State Governments having ready availability of contiguous and encumbrance-free land parcel of 1,000+ acres along with other textiles related facilities and ecosystem are welcome.

Question 3. Which of the following statement(s) is/are not correct about the ‘PM-MITRA’ scheme?
1. The scheme aims to set up integrated textile regions (or parks) in selected greenfield areas. only for development of related infrastructural facilities and ecosystem.
2. One half of the funding will be shared between central and state governments and the other half will come as a soft loan from the World Bank.
Select the correct codes from below -
A. 1 only                                            B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2                                  D. Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation -
Answer - C  The Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of 7 PM MITRA parks as announced in Union Budget for 2021-22. PM MITRA is inspired by the 5F vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister. The '5F' Formula encompasses - Farm to fibre; fibre to factory; factory to fashion; fashion to foreign. This integrated vision will help furthering the growth of textile sector in the economy. The 7 Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel Parks (PM MITRA) will be setup at Greenfield / Brownfield sites located in different willing States.
Proposals of State Governments having ready availability of contiguous and encumbrance-free land parcel of 1,000+ acres along with other textiles related facilities and ecosystem are welcome. Maximum Development Capital Support (DCS) of ₹500 crore to all Greenfield PM MITRA and a maximum of ₹ 200 Crore to Brownfield PM MITRA will be provided for development of Common Infrastructure (@30% of the Project Cost). PM MITRA park will be developed by a Special Purpose Vehicle which will be owned by State Government and Government of India in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Mode.

Question 4. Consider the following statements -
1. In Lok Sabha, the Speaker can suspend the the member of the house for unruly behaviour. However, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha has no such power to suspend the member of his/ her house.
2. The suspension of a member of house in Lok Sabha is mentioned in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business rules, however, no such rulebook exists for the Rajya Sabha.
Select the correct codes from below -
A. 1 only                                        B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2                             D. Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation -
Answer - A   To deal with more recalcitrant Members, the Speaker make take recourse to Rules 374 and 374A. Rule 374A was incorporated in the Rule Book on December 5, 2001. The  intention was to skirt around the necessity of moving and adopting a motion for suspension. Like the Speaker in Lok Sabha, the Chairman of Rajya Sabha is empowered under Rule Number 255 of its Rule Book to 'direct any Member whose conduct is in his opinion grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately” from the House. Unlike the Speaker, however, the Rajya Sabha Chairman does not have the power to suspend a Member. The House may, by another motion, terminate the suspension. The Chairman may 'name a Member who disregards the authority of the Chair or abuses the rules of the Council by persistently and wilfully obstructing” business. In such a situation, the House may adopt a motion suspending the Member from the service of the House for a period not exceeding the remainder of the session.

Question 5. Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
1. The planet Venus spins backwards around its axis which means that the Sun rises in the west and sets in the East on the planet.
2. It is the hottest planet of the solar system.
3. DAVINCI+ and VERITAS are the two proposed missions to study the thick atmosphere of the planet Venus.
Select the correct codes from below -
A. 1 and 2 only                                    B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only                                    D. All of the above

Explanation -
Answer - A   For those on Earth, Venus is the second-brightest object in the sky after the moon. It appears bright because of its thick cloud cover that reflects and scatters light. But while Venus, which is the second closest planet to the Sun, is called the Earth’s twin because of their similar sizes, the two planets have significant differences between them. For one, the planet’s thick atmosphere traps heat and is the reason that it is the hottest planet in the solar system, despite coming after Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun. Surface temperatures on Venus can go up to 471 degrees Celsius, which is hot enough to melt lead. Further, Venus moves forward on its orbit around the Sun but spins backwards around its axis slowly. This means on Venus the Sun rises in the west and sets in the East. One day on Venus is equivalent to 243 Earth days because of its backward spinning, opposite to that of the Earth’s an most other planets. Venus also does not have a moon and no rings. DAVINCI+ is short for ‘Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging’ and is the first US-led mission to the planet’s atmosphere since 1978. It will try to understand Venus’ composition to see how the planet formed and evolved. This mission also consists of a descent sphere that will pass through the planet’s thick atmosphere and make observations and take measurements of noble gases and other elements. Significantly, this mission will also try to return the first high resolution photographs of a geological feature that is unique to Venus. This feature, which is called “tesserae” may be comparable to Earth’s continents. The presence of tesseraes may suggest that Venus has tectonic plates like Earth. The second mission called VERITAS is short for ‘Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy’ and will map the planet’s surface to determine its geologic history and understand the reasons why it developed so differently from Earth. VERITAS will orbit Venus with a radar that will help to create a three dimensional reconstruction of its topography which might be able to tell scientists if processes such as plate tectonics and volcanism are still active there. This mission will also map the emissions from Venus’s surface that may help in determining the type of rocks that exist on Venus–a piece of information that is not exactly known yet. It will also determine if active volcanoes are releasing water vapour into the atmosphere.