Aug 5, 2022 Baba’s Explainer

Baba’s Explainer – Carbon Markets

 ARCHIVES Syllabus GS-3: Environmental Conservation Context: In order to facilitate the achievement of more ambitious climate change targets and ensure a faster transition to a low-carbon economy, the government is seeking to strengthen a 20-year law, called the Energy Conservation Act of 2001. The Bill to amend the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 has two main objectives. First, it seeks to make it compulsory for a select group of industrial, commercial and even residential consumers to use green energy. A prescribed minimum proportion of the energy they use must come from renewable or non-fossil fuel sources. Second, it seeks to establish a domestic carbon market and facilitate trade in carbon credits. What are carbon markets? The creation of a domestic carbon market is one of the most significant provisions of the proposed amendment Bill. Carbon markets allow the trade of carbon credits with the overall objective of bringing down emissions. These markets create incentives to reduce emissions or improve energy efficiency. For example, an industrial unit which outperforms the emission standards stands to gain credits. Another unit which is struggling to attain the prescribed standards can buy these credits and show compliance to these standards. The unit that did better on the standards earns money by selling credits, while the buying unit is able to fulfill its operating obligations. Under the Kyoto Protocol, the predecessor to the Paris Agreement, carbon markets have worked at the international level as well. The Kyoto Protocol had prescribed emission reduction targets for a group of developed countries. Other countries did not have such targets, but if they did reduce their emissions, they could earn carbon credits. These carbon credits could then be sold off to those developed countries which had an obligation to reduce emissions but were unable to. This system functioned well for a few years. But the market collapsed because of the lack of demand for carbon credits. A similar carbon market is envisaged to work under the successor Paris Agreement, but its details are still being worked out. Domestic or regional carbon markets are already functioning in several places, most notably in Europe, where an emission trading scheme (ETS) works on similar principles. Industrial units in Europe have prescribed emission standards to adhere to, and they buy and sell credits based on their performance. China, too, has a domestic carbon market. A similar scheme for incentivising energy efficiency has been running in India for over a decade now. This BEE scheme, called PAT, (or perform, achieve and trade) allows units to earn efficiency certificates if they outperform the prescribed efficiency standards However, the new carbon market that is proposed to be created through this amendment to the Energy Conservation Act, would be much wider in scope. Although the details of this carbon market are not yet known. What are the other ways of pricing carbon? A smart approach is pricing carbon which can be done in following ways: Emission Trading One way to price carbon is through emission trading, i.e., setting a maximum amount of allowable effluents from industries, and permitting those with low emissions to sell their extra space. It is a market-based approach to controlling pollution by providing economic incentives for reducing the emissions of pollutants. This is in contrast to command-and-control environmental regulations imposed by governments Carbon Tax Another way is to put a carbon tax on economic activities — for example, on the use of fossil fuels like coal, as done in Canada and Sweden. A carbon tax is a fee on the carbon content of fossil fuels It is a powerful monetary disincentive that motivates transition to clean energy across the economy, simply by making it more economically rewarding to move to non-carbon fuels and energy efficiency. Example: Canada imposed a carbon tax at $20 per tonne of CO2 emissions in 2019, eventually rising to $50 per tonne. This is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by between 80 and 90 million tonnes by 2022. The fiscal gains from pricing carbon can be sizeable. A carbon tax at $35 per tonne of CO2 emissions in India is estimated to be capable of generating some 2% of GDP through 2030. Carbon Tariff on Imports Big economies like India should also use their global monopsony, or the power of a large buyer in international trade, to impose a carbon tariff as envisaged by the EU Focusing on trade is vital because reducing the domestic carbon content of production alone would not avert the harm if imports remain carbon-intensive Why Carbon Markets in significant for India? Developing countries, particularly India, China and Brazil, gained significantly from the carbon market under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol.  India registered 1,703 projects under the CDM which is the second highest in the world. Total carbon credits known as Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) issued for these projects are around 255 million amounting to S.$2.55 billion. Therefore, logically, India has a lot to gain from a thriving carbon market. However, with the ratification of the Paris Agreement, the rules of the game have changed. Unlike the Kyoto Protocol, now even developing countries are required to have mitigation targets. Developing countries are faced with a dilemma of either selling their carbon credits in return for lucrative foreign investment flows or use these credits to achieve their own mitigation targets. This has made Article 6 a highly sensitive issue that requires careful balancing of interests and expectations. While over 50% of the countries have communicated their intention of using market mechanisms to achieve NDC targets, India is not one of them as it aims to rely on domestic mitigation efforts to meet its NDC goals. It is the developed countries that would rely more on market mechanisms for achieving their climate targets as they would be comparatively low-cost options. Mains Practice Question – What are carbon markets? What role does carbon markets play in achieving India’s climate targets? Note: Write answers to this question in the comment section.

Aug 5, 2022 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2022 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 5th August 2022

For Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE The Current Affairs questions are based on sources like ‘The Hindu’, ‘Indian Express’ and ‘PIB’, which are very important sources for UPSC Prelims Exam. The questions are focused on both the concepts and facts. The topics covered here are generally different from what is being covered under ‘Daily Current Affairs/Daily News Analysis (DNA) and Daily Static Quiz’ to avoid duplication. The questions would be published from Monday to Saturday before 2 PM. One should not spend more than 10 minutes on this initiative. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” Important Note: Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)After completing the 5 questions, click on 'View Questions' to check your score, time taken, and solutions. To take the Test - Click Here

Aug 5, 2022 TLP Mains Answer Writing

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – General Studies 4 Questions [5th August, 2022] – Day 41

Hello Students  TLP has been an integral ingredient of success for many toppers and is no secret. In the ‘must do’ list for the civil services exam, TLP is by far the most popular initiative. The popularity stems from the unparalleled quality of questions and synopsis posted in TLP. We strive hard to ensure that you get the real feel of UPSC standards before you write the Mains. You already know the features of TLP. Just to reiterate briefly, in the TLP initiative, we post 5 questions daily for a certain number of weeks (11 for this one). We follow a micro plan that is designed to give you daily targets. The questions are from the day’s syllabus and also from current affairs and you are expected to write the answers and post them on the portal. This year onwards TLP will have a Dedicated Portal for Focused Preparation (tlpmains.iasbaba.com). There will be a separate dedicated portal similar to (The RaRe Series) which students loved and appreciated. The Portal will help you stay focused and keep your preparation streamlined. The Registration link for the dedicated portal is given at the end of the post. We are charging a token amount of 10/- for registration to the dedicated portal. We are doing it because we want to create a community of sincere aspirants who are focused and motivated till the Mains Examination. Please don’t take it otherwise. It is our honest effort to give you the best and at the same time expect students to come with the same energy and dedication to the dedicated platform specially designed for YOU! Join our bandwagon, you won’t regret it. UPSC 2023 Aspirants are encouraged to participate as well. Register Here – CLICK HERE  To Know More About TLP 2022 (Phase 2) – CLICK HERE To Access Day 41 Questions – CLICK HERE  P.S: The review from IASbaba will happen from the time the question is posted till 10 pm every day. We would also encourage peer reviews. So friends get actively involved and start reviewing each other’s answers. This will keep the entire community motivated. All the Best 

Aug 4, 2022 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 4th August 2022

Archives (PRELIMS & MAINS Focus) Linking Textile with Tourism programme Open in new window Syllabus GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Context: Under the initiative, major tourist places are being linked with the handicrafts clusters. Selected Places: Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Vadaj (Gujarat), Naini (Uttar Pradesh), Anegundi (Karnataka), Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), Taj Ganj (Uttar Pradesh), Amer (Rajasthan) and Raghurajpur (For ancient Pattachitra art, a cloth-based scroll painting; Puri district of Odisha). These craft villages will develop handicrafts as a sustainable and remunerative livelihood option for artisans in the clusters and thus protecting the rich artisanal history and heritage of the country. Source: The Print India’s trade deficit Open in new window Syllabus GS-3: Indian Economy In News: India’s trade deficit has widened to a record $31.02 billion in July. Owing to contracting merchandise exports and a rise in imports This is a three-times increase from the $10.63 billion trade deficit reported in July last year. What is trade deficit? Trade deficit or negative balance of trade (BOT) is the gap between exports and imports. When money spent on imports exceeds that spent on exports in a country, trade deficit occurs. It can be calculated for different goods and services and also for international transactions. The opposite of trade deficit is trade surplus. Factors that lead to it: Some goods not being produced domestically. In that case, they have to be imported. This leads to an imbalance in their trade. More imports than exports impact the jobs market and lead to an increase in unemployment. A weak currency can also be a cause as it makes trade expensive. If trade deficit increases, a country’s GDP decreases. A higher trade deficit can decrease the local currency’s value. Source: The Indian Express Earth is Spinning Faster Open in new window Syllabus GS 3: Space and Technology Context: Earth completed its spin in 1.59 milliseconds less than 24 hours on June 29 this year. This confirms speculations by scientists that the Earth’s rotation is picking up pace. The minute change was detected by the atomic clock that is used to measure the rotational speed of the planet to the minutest detail. The new trend in Earth’s rotational speed is being attributed to the Chandler wobble The reason behind the speeding – Chandler wobble: Chandler Wobble, according to Nasa, is a motion exhibited by Earth as it rotates on its axis. Scientists in 2000 solved this mystery and said that the principal cause of the Chandler wobble is fluctuating pressure on the bottom of the ocean, caused by temperature and salinity changes and wind-driven changes in the circulation of the oceans. While two-thirds of the Chandler wobble is caused by ocean-bottom pressure changes, the remaining one-third is by fluctuations in atmospheric pressure. Climatic Changes: Global warming has led to significant melting of glaciers due to which our planet’s axis of rotation has been moving faster since the 1990s. Climate change has also caused the north pole to shift in the eastward direction since the 1990s. This is happening due to changes in the hydrosphere (hydrosphere is the total amount of water on Earth). As per the study, the satellite data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission calculated that the average speed of drift was 17 times faster than from 1981 to 1995. Also, in the last four decades, the poles moved by about 4 metres in distance. What happens now? Scientists suggest that if the planet continues to rotate faster and complete days in less than 24 hours, it could force them to add a negative leap second. However, adding it would raise more issues than solutions, especially in the world of information & technology. According to a blog published by Meta, which has been campaigning against the addition of a leap second, the clock moves from 23:59:59 to 23:59:60 before resetting at 00:00:00, and the addition of a negative leap second would mean a time jump. This would crash computer programs and even corrupt data as time stamps change. Source: India Today Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Open in new window Syllabus GS 2: Indian Constitution Context: President is the supreme commander of Indian armed forces. This is the military power vested in him. He appoints the Chiefs of the three wings of the Armed Forces, subject to certain rules and regulations. The President has the power to make declarations of war and peace on the advice of the Council of Ministers. Article 53 of the Constitution states that the executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President of India. Article 53(2): “Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision, the supreme command of the Defence Forces of the Union shall be vested in the President and the exercise thereof shall be regulated by law”. The powers of the presidency are, of course, circumscribed by Article 74 which states that the president shall exercise his functions only on the aid and advice of the council of ministers headed by the prime minister. Source: Indian Express Minerals Security Partnership Open in new  window Syllabus GS 2: International groups and Institutions Context: India is not a part of the Minerals Security Partnership. About Minerals Security Partnership: It is an ambitious new US-led partnership to secure supply chains of critical minerals, aimed at reducing dependency on China. This new alliance is seen as being primarily focused on evolving an alternative to China, which has created processing infrastructure in rare earth minerals and has acquired mines in Africa for elements such as cobalt. Besides the US, the MSP includes Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the European Commission. Could focus on the supply chains of minerals such as Cobalt, Nickel, Lithium and also the 17 “rare earth” minerals. While Cobalt, Nickel and Lithium are required for batteries used in electric vehicles, rare earth minerals are critical, in trace amounts, in the semiconductors and high-end electronics manufacturing. Why is India interested in joining the partnership? One of the key elements of India’s growth strategy is powered by an ambitious shift in the mobility space through the conversion of a large part of public and private transport to electric vehicles. This, alongside a concerted electronics manufacturing push, underlines the need to secure the supply of critical minerals. Rare Earth Rare earth metals are metals obtained from a group of 15 elements referred to as the lanthanide series in the periodic table of elements. Scandium and yttrium, while not true rare earth elements, are also included. REEs are key components in many electronic devices that we use in our daily lives, as well as in a variety of industrial application. Rare earth comprises seventeen elements and are classified as light RE elements (LREE) and heavy RE elements (HREE). Some RE are available in India such as Lanthanum, Cerium, Neodymium, Praseodymium and Samarium, while others such as Dysprosium, Terbium, Europium that are classified as HREE are not available in Indian deposits in extractable quantity. Hence, there is a dependence on countries such as China for HREE, which is one of the leading producers of RE with an estimated 70 per cent of the global production. Source: The Indian Express India adds 10 more wetlands designated as Ramsar sites Open in new  window Syllabus GS-3: Biodiversity and Conservation In News: India adds 10 more wetlands designated as Ramsar sites to make total 64 sites covering an area of 12,50,361 ha in the country. Ramsar Sites Ramsar sites are wetlands (swamps, marshes, lakes, floodplains and other water bodies that are filled with static or flowing water) that are considered to be of international importance. Under the Ramsar Convention, an intergovernmental treaty that aims to conserve and use wetlands and their resources sustainably, signatory countries can declare wetlands as ‘Ramsar sites’ provided they meet one of nine criteria. These include if the wetland is representative of a rare or unique wetland type, or if it regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds. India is one of the Contracting Parties to Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. India signed it on 1st Feb 1982. So far 64 wetlands covering an area of 12,50,361 ha have been designated as Ramsar Sites of International Importance from India, till date. The New Sites: S.No Name of wetland State 1. Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary Tamil Nadu  2. Satkosia Gorge Odisha  3. Nanda Lake Goa  4. Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve Tamil Nadu 5. Ranganathituu BS Karnataka 6. Vembannur Wetland Complex Tamil Nadu 7. Vellode Bird Sanctuary Tamil Nadu 8. Sirpur wetland  Madhya Pradesh 9. Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary Tamil Nadu 10. Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary Tamil Nadu Sources: PIB The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) Open in new  window Syllabus GS-3: Biodiversity and Conservation About: CCAMLR seeks to ensure the “conservation of Antarctic marine living resources” and the “maintenance of the ecological relationships between harvested, dependent and related populations of Antarctic marine living resources and the restoration of depleted populations to the levels” which ensure its stable recruitment. The Convention also seeks the “prevention of changes or minimization of the risk of changes in the marine ecosystem.” India endorsed the CCAMLR in 1985 and became a member of the Commission for Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources under that Convention. Source: The Wire Reaping the demographic dividend Open in new  window Syllabus GS-1: Population & associated issues GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. In News: The UN report, World Population Prospects 2022, forecasts that the world’s population will touch eight billion this year and rise to 9.8 billion in 2050. India’s population will surpass China’s by 2023 and continue to surge. India is getting a demographic dividend that will last nearly 30 years. What is Demographic Dividend? The economic growth potential that can result from shifts in a population’s age structure, mainly when the share of the working-age population (15 to 64) is larger than the non-working-age share of the population (14 and younger, and 65 and older) With more people in the labor force and fewer children to support, a country has a window of opportunity for economic growth if the right social and economic investments and policies are made in health, education, governance, and the economy. However, with the passage of time, the share of the older population rises and that of the working age population begins to fall and hence the dividend is available for a period of time, ‘the window of demographic opportunity’. The realisation of the benefits of demographic dividend is not automatic. Without proper policies, the increase in the working-age population may lead to rising unemployment, fueling economic and social risks. This calls for forward-looking policies incorporating population dynamics, education and skills, healthcare, gender sensitivity, and providing rights and choices to the younger generation. Where exactly does India lie? India has the largest youth population in the world; around 66 per cent of the total population (more than 808 million) is below the age of 35. In 2020, the median age of the population in India was 28, compared to 37 in the US and China, and 49 in Japan. Japan reaped demographic dividend that lasted from 1964 to 2004. Since 2018, India’s working-age population (people between 15 and 64 years of age) has grown larger than the dependant population. This bulge in the working-age population is going to last till 2055. This transition happens largely because of a decrease in the total fertility rate (TFR, which is the number of births per woman) after the increase in life expectancy gets stabilised. A study on demographic dividend in India by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) throws up two interesting facts. The window of demographic dividend opportunity in India is available for five decades from 2005-06 to 2055-56, longer than any other country in the world. This demographic dividend window is available at different times in different states because of differential behaviour of the population parameters. With falling fertility (currently 2.0), rising median age (expected to be 36 years by 2036), a falling dependency ratio (expected to decrease from 65% to 54% in the coming decade taking 15-59 years as the working age population), India is in the middle of a demographic transition. This provides a window of opportunity towards faster economic growth. India’s potential workforce Factors in favour India’s potential workforce to rise from 885 million to 1.08 billion people over the next two decades from today and remain above a billion people for half a century. Trends such as digitisation and automation, shifting supply chains, urbanisation, rising incomes and demographic shifts, and a greater focus on sustainability, health, and safety are accelerating to create $2.5 trillion of economic value in 2030 and support 112 million jobs, or about 30% of the non-farm workforce in 2030. Four pillars are clearly visible that will support growth in the next decade; The forging of a single national market, An expansion of industry owing to the renewable-energy shift and a move in supply chains away from China Continued pre-eminence in IT A high-tech welfare safety-net for the hundreds of millions left behind by all this Factors that will impede India’s Growth Bad infrastructure Poorly skilled workforce What measures are required to reap the best of Demographic Dividend? To wring the best out of its demographic dividend, India needs to invest massively in quality school and higher education as well as healthcare — sectors it has neglected for decades — across India on an unprecedented scale – Update National Transfer Accounts (NTA) Assessment: India’s per capita consumption pattern is way lower than that of other Asian countries. A child in India consumes around 60% of the consumption by an adult aged between 20 and 64 (In China it is 85%). The NTA data for India (State-Specific) needs to be updated to capture the progress made on such investments since 2011-12. Invest more in children and adolescents: Given that India’s workforce starts at a younger age, a greater focus needs to be on transitioning from secondary education to universal skilling and entrepreneurship, as done in South Korea. Make health investments: The public spending on health has remained flat at around 1% of GDP. Evidence suggests that better health facilitates improved economic production. Rights-based approach to make reproductive healthcare services accessible: The unmet need for family planning in India at 9.4% as per the latest National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21) is high as compared to 3.3% in China and 6.6% in South Korea, which needs to be bridged. Bridge Gender Inequality in Education: In India, boys are more likely to be enrolled in secondary and tertiary school than girls. In the Philippines, China and Thailand, it is the reverse. In Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia, the gender differences are rather minimal. This needs to be reversed. Address the diversity between States: While India is a young country, the status and pace of population ageing vary among States. Southern States already have a higher percentage of older people whereas north-central region can act as the reservoir of India’s workforce. Federal approach to governance reforms: A new framework need to be put in place for policy coordination between States on various emerging population issues such as migration, ageing, skilling, female workforce participation and urbanisation. Increase female workforce participation: As of 2019, 20.3% of women were working or looking for work, down from 34.1% in 2003-04. New skills and opportunities for women and girls befitting their participation in economy is urgently needed. Must Read: Mindmap Source: The Hindu Progress: India’s climate commitments Open in new  window Syllabus GS 3: Climate Change In News: India’s NDC, or nationally determined commitments, have been updated with two promises made by the PM during the Glasgow meet, both of which are enhancements of existing targets, and would be submitted to the UN climate body. India’s Nationally Determined Commitments The 2015 Paris Agreement requires every country to set self-determined climate targets which have to be progressively updated with more ambitious goals every few years. India’s first NDC was submitted in 2015, just before the Paris Agreement was finalised. India’s original NDC contained three main targets for 2030: A 33 to 35 per cent reduction in emissions intensity (or emissions per unit of GDP) from 2005 levels At least 40 per cent of total electricity generation to come from non-fossil renewable sources An increase in forest cover to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent Added: India will now reduce its emission intensity by at least 45 per cent, instead of just 33 to 35 per cent, from 2005 levels by 2030. Added: Also, it would now ensure that at least 50 per cent of its total electricity generation, not just 40 per cent, would come from renewable sources by 2030. Other announcements made: At least 500 GW of India’s installed electricity generation capacity in 2030 would be based on non-fossil fuel sources. Of the current installed capacity of 403 GW, over 236 GW, or 58.5 per cent comes from fossil fuel sources, while non-fossil fuels, which include not just renewables like solar or wind but also hydropower, nuclear and others, make up only 167 GW. Capacity additions from non-fossil sources would have to triple in the next 10 years to reach the 500 GW target. The country would ensure avoided emissions of at least one billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent between now and 2030. India does not have any official projection of its emissions in 2030. The emissions pathway from now to 2030 is also not clear. According to some estimates, India’s annual projections are expected to rise from about 3.3 billion tonnes in 2018 to about 4 billion tonnes by 2030. Thus, India could be emitting anywhere between 35 to 40 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in total by the year 2030. A reduction of one billion tonnes from this would represent 2.5 to 3 per cent. Net zero target for India for the year 2070. Net zero is a situation in which a country’s greenhouse gas emissions are offset entirely, either by absorption of carbon dioxide through natural processes like photosynthesis in plants, or through physical removal of greenhouse gases using futuristic technologies. Source: The Indian Express Ensuring Efficacy of RTI Act Open in new  window Syllabus GS 2: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures. Context: Amidst renewed concern over its functioning across states, the Right to Information Act (RTI) is set to complete 17 years this October. Current issues with the State Information Commissions Sarthak Nagrik Sangathan (SNS) 2021 Report states – The various Information Commissions are — “acting as a major bottleneck in effective implementation of the RTI Law”. A huge backlog of second appeals, lengthy wait time for hearings, hesitancy in posting penalties and increasing opacity in the working of the commissions The commissions have been plagued with vacancies, poor choice of commissioners, untrained staff and a non-cooperative set of public information officers (PIOs). The threat to some RTI activists who seek information to expose corruption. According to the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), across India, 99 RTI activists have lost their lives, 180 assaulted and 187 were threatened since 2006. While RTI is lauded in public, it faces fierce opposition from many within the bureaucracy and the lawmakers, the two key stakeholders of the RTI regime. As on June 30, 2021, 2.56 lakh appeals were pending with 26 information commissions in the country. It will take six years and eight months to dispose of a matter in Odisha, as per the going rate, according to the SNS report. Bad conduct of Public Information Officer Any serious RTI query or one which concerns more than one government department requires intervention by higher officials, but it is the PIOs from junior ranks who attend hearings and are often clueless. Often, it requires a notice to higher authorities, in some cases, the secretary of the department, to elicit the right answer. Meanwhile, it is the junior ranks who face the wrath of the commissions and even face penalties. With CICs downgraded in rank, there will be fewer and fewer notices served to the heads of departments and senior officers to appear and answer queries. Several RTI cases are embroiled in judicial procedures. High courts are quick to give stay orders on CICs’ decisions. The Act clearly states that the final appeal lies with the information commissions, so the appeals are masked as writs to obtain relief from high courts. The Supreme Court in DDA vs Skipper Construction (P) Ltd made an adverse observation on the mechanical manner in which stays are granted: “High Courts must resist the temptation to exercise their writ jurisdiction in order to correct errors made by the SICs/CICs. If the High Court quashes a CIC/SIC order, it must categorically find that the order was without jurisdiction or palpably erroneous.” The Way Forward The RTI Act is a sunshine legislation aimed at eradicating corruption and promoting transparency. A code of conduct must be evolved for the central and state information commissioners. It is imperative for the commissioners to keep a strict distance from government heads and officialdom. The Indian information law, rated as one of the strongest in the world, needs to be bolstered by raising awareness amongst the people and organising rigorous training of government officials. A strong political system is a must for the RTI regime to flourish. It is imperative to ensure freedom of the press and democratic institutions, punish errant officials and maintain complete autonomy of the information commissions, in the interest of the people and the nation at large. Source: The Indian Express Daily Practice MCQs Daily Practice MCQs Q1. ‘Minerals Security Partnership’ seen in news is used in the context of Maritime Security Rare Earth Materials Hydrocarbons and Mineral Oil Major minerals supply chain Q2. Legendary artist late Jagannath Mohapatra is associated with the practise of which of the following traditional art? Kathak Pattachitra art Warli Painting Madhubani Painting Q3. In which of the Ramsar site, one can find the unique phumdis? Loktak Lake, Manipur Sunderbans, West Bengal Pala wetland, Mizoram Vembanad-Kole wetland, Kerala Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!! ANSWERS FOR ’4th August 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs. ANSWERS FOR 3rd August 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs Answers- Daily Practice MCQs Q.1) – c Q.2) – c Q.3) – d table, td, th { border: 1px solid;} table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;}

Aug 4, 2022 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 3rd August 2022

Archives (PRELIMS & MAINS Focus) Mission Amrit Sarovar Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Current Affairs Mains – GS 1 (Geography); GS 3 (Environment) In News: Union Minister of State for Rural Development gave a written reply in Lok Sabha on the question related to Mission Amrit Sarovar Mission Amrit Sarovar With a view to conserve water for the future, the Prime Minister launched a new Mission on Amrit Sarovar on 24th April 2022. The Mission is aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country as a part of celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. In total, it would lead to creation of 50,000 water bodies of a size of about an Acre or more. This Mission has been launched with a whole of Government Approach in which 6 Ministries/Department namely Dept of Rural Development , Department of land resources, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Department of Water resources, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate changes. Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Application and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) has been engaged as Technical partner for the Mission. The Mission works through the States and Districts, through refocusing of various schemes such as Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, XV Finance Commission Grants, PMKSY sub schemes such as Watershed Development Component, Har Khet Ko Pani besides States’ own schemes. The Mission encourages mobilisation of citizen and non-government resources for supplementing these efforts. The Mission Amrit Sarovar is to be completed by 15th August 2023. Each of the Amrit Sarovar will have area of 1 acre with a water holding capacity of 10,000 cubic meter. People’s participation in the Mission is the focal point. Local freedom fighter, their family members, Martyr’s family members, Padma Awardee and citizens of the local area wherein an Amrit Sarovar is to be constructed, will be engaged at all stages. On every 15th August, National Flag hoisting will be organised on every Amrit Sarovar site. States were requested to form the water structure user association and impart required training for better development of the Amrit Sarovars. Current Status So far, 12,241 sites are finalised for construction of Amrit Sarovars by States/Districts, out of which works has started on 4,856 Amrit Sarovars. Source: Pib.Gov Previous Year Question Q.1) Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana’ has been launched for (2015) providing housing loan to poor people at cheaper interest rates promoting women’s Self-Help Groups in backward areas promoting financial inclusion in the country providing financial help to the marginalized communities Cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD) Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Science & Technology In News: The whitefly attacks have led to the spread of cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD) across the cotton belt of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD) CLCuD is a viral disease that affects the overall growth of the cotton plant and hits its yield. Leaves of infected cotton curl both upward and downward. When whiteflies attack the crop, the CLCuD is expected because they transmit the virus further. During the survey, cotton farmers informed that they have done two or three sprays to control the white flies. Farmers also indicated that they have sown CLCuD-resistant hybrids and even after that the attack of the virus is prevalent. Source: Indian Express Exercise Pitch Black Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Current Affairs In News: IAF to participate in multilateral exercise ‘Pitch Black’ in Australia. Continuing the series of military exercises with countries in the Indo-Pacific, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will join 16 other nations, including Quad partner countries. Exercise Pitch Black It is the biennial exercise hosted by the Australian Air Force. About 100 aircraft and 2,500 military personnel from 17 nations will arrive in the Northern Territory in two weeks to commence Exercise Pitch Black 2022. With a four-year hiatus since the last Pitch Black due to the global pandemic, this year’s exercise will see a return of the combined force to Australian skies, enhancing interoperability and strengthening relationships, The participants this year are Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, UAE, the U.K. and the U.S. Source: The Hindu Previous Year Question Q.1) ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of (2016) Africa Union Brazil European Union China Pingali Venkayya Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – History In News: August 2nd marked the 146th birth anniversary celebrations of Pingali Venkaiah, the architect of the national flag. The present-day national flag is inspired by the design of Pingali Venkayya. Early Life of Pingali Venkayya Pingali Venkayya was born and brought up in a Telegu Brahmin family to a father, Hanumantaraidu, and mother, Venkatratanama in Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh. After completing his high school studies in Madras, he went to Cambridge University to pursue graduation. He had a fondness for geology and agriculture. He was not only a freedom fighter but a staunch Gandhian, educationist, agriculturist, geologist, linguist, and writer, who is remembered for his contributions to India’s freedom struggle. Pingali Venkayya’s design Pingali Venkayya had designed a flag, known as the Swaraj Flag that now forms the basis of India’s present-day national flag. It consisted of red and green bands to symbolize the two major communities in the country- Hindus and Muslims. His design had given an identity to India and its people. Back in the days of freedom struggle, the flag helped in uniting and giving rise to the spirit of independence. On the advice of Mahatma Gandhi, Pingali Venkayya added a white band over red over green with a charkha design onto Khadi bunting. The white represented peace and the rest of the communities living in India, and the spinning wheel symbolized the progress of the country. Though the first tricolor was not officially accepted by the All India Congress Committee (AICC), it began to be hoisted on all Congress occasions. Gandhiji’s approval had made it sufficiently popular and it was in use till 1931. The flag, however, had raised communal concerns after which a Flag Committee was set up in 1931. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) came up with a new tricolor which was called the Purna Swaraj. The flag replaced the red color with saffron the white band was shifted in the middle, from over white over green emblazoned with a blue charkha in the centre. It implied that the colors stood for qualities, not communities; the saffron for courage and sacrifice, white for truth and peace, and green for faith and strength. The charkha stood for the welfare of the masses. Pingali Venkayya breathed his last on July 4, 1963. Even in the days of his death, he was an unselfish patriarch who sought to cover the flag on his body. He shall be remembered in all the victories of our great nation. Little known facts: Pingali Venkayya was an avid flag enthusiast who also came up with a booklet titled ‘A National Flag for India’ in 1916, wherein he presented twenty-four flag designs. Recognition: Pingali Venkayya was posthumously honored with a postage stamp in 2009 for his contribution to the Indian freedom struggle. In 2014, his name was also proposed for the Bharat Ratna. Source: Newsonair.com Previous Year Question Q.1) Who among the following is associated with ‘Songs from Prison’, a translation of ancient Indian religious lyrics in English? (2021) Bal Gangadhar Tilak Jawaharlal Nehru Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Sarojini Naidu Appointment of Chief Justice of India Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims –Polity In News: Supreme Court collegium meets on next CJI. The five-judge Supreme Court collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, met and discussed kickstarting the process of appointment of the next Chief Justice as the CJI is set to retire on August 26. Besides the CJI, the collegium includes Justices U U Lalit, D Y Chandrachud, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abdul Nazeer. As per the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP), the document governing the process of appointment of judges and appointment of the CJI, the Law Minister asks the outgoing Chief Justice of India to recommend the next CJI. The MoP states that the CJI should be the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court considered fit to hold the office. Although the MoP says that the CJI’s views must be sought “at the appropriate time” and does not specify a timeline for the process, it normally takes place a month before the retirement of the incumbent CJI. Justice Lalit, who is the seniormost judge of the SC is next in line to be appointed the CJI. He is expected to have a tenure of three months, retiring on November 8, 2022. Appointment of Chief Justice The CJI and the Judges of the SC are appointed by the President under clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution. From 1950 to 1973, the practice has been to appoint the senior most judge of the SC as the CJI. This established convention was violated in 1973 when A N Ray was appointed as the Chief Justice of India by superseding three senior judges. Again in 1977, M U Beg was appointed as the chief justice of India by superseding the then senior-most judge. This discretion of the government was curtailed by the SC in the Second Judges Case (1993), in which the SC ruled that the senior most judge should alone be appointed to the office of the CJI. Must Read: Judicial Appointments Source: Indian Express Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Geography & Environment – Current Affairs Mains – GS 3 (Environment) In News: Lok Sabha on passed by voice vote the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 that seeks to provide for implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Key features of the Bill include: CITES: The Convention requires countries to regulate the trade of all listed specimens through permits. It also seeks to regulate the possession of live animal specimens. The Bill seeks to implement these provisions of CITES. Rationalising schedules: Currently, the Act has six schedules for specially protected plants (one), specially protected animals (four), and vermin species (one). The Bill reduces the total number of schedules to four by: reducing the number of schedules for specially protected animals to two removes the schedule for vermin species, and inserts a new schedule for specimens listed in the Appendices under CITES. Obligations under CITES: The Bill provides for the central government to designate a: Management Authority, which grants export or import permits for trade of specimens, and Scientific Authority, which gives advice on aspects related to impact on the survival of the specimens being traded. Every person engaging in trade of a scheduled specimen must report the details of the transaction to the Management Authority. As per CITES, the Management Authority may use an identification mark for a specimen. The Bill prohibits any person from modifying or removing the identification mark of the specimen. Additionally, every person possessing live specimens of scheduled animals must obtain a registration certificate from the Management Authority. Invasive alien species: The Bills empowers the central government to regulate or prohibit the import, trade, possession or proliferation of invasive alien species. The central government may authorise an officer to seize and dispose the invasive species. Control of sanctuaries: The Act entrusts the Chief Wild Life Warden to control, manage and maintain all sanctuaries in a state. The Bill specifies that actions of the Chief Warden must be in accordance with the management plans for the sanctuary. These plans will be prepared as per guidelines of the central government, and as approved by the Chief Warden. For sanctuaries falling under special areas, the management plan must be prepared after due consultation with the concerned Gram Sabha. Special areas include a Scheduled Area or areas where the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 is applicable Conservation reserves: Under the Act, state governments may declare areas adjacent to national parks and sanctuaries as a conservation reserve, for protecting flora and fauna, and their habitat. The Bill empowers the central government to also notify a conservation reserve. Surrender of captive animals: The Bill provides for any person to voluntarily surrender any captive animals or animal products to the Chief Wild Life Warden. The surrendered items become property of the state government. Penalties: The Act prescribes imprisonment terms and fines for violating the provisions of the Act.  The Bill increases these fines. CITES The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement to which States organizations adhere voluntarily. CITES was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). CITES entered into force in July 1975. Objective: Ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Structure: The CITES Secretariat is administered by UNEP (The United Nations Environment Programme) and is located at Geneva, Switzerland. It plays a coordinating, advisory and servicing role in the working of the Convention. The Conference of the Parties to CITES is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention and comprises all its Parties. Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties, it does not take the place of national laws. Functions The CITES works by subjecting international trade in specimens of selected species to certain controls. All import, export, re-export and introduction from the sea of species covered by the Convention has to be authorized through a licensing system. Each Party to the Convention must designate one or more Management Authorities in charge of administering that licensing system and one or more Scientific Authorities to advise them on the effects of trade on the status of the species. Appendices I, II and III to the Convention are lists of species afforded different levels or types of protection from over-exploitation. Source: Hindustantimes.com Indianexpress.com Previous Year Questions Q.1) With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, consider the following statements: (2022) A coastal state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baseline determined in accordance with the convention. Ships of all states, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea. The Exclusive Economic Zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured. Which of the statements given above are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.2) With reference to Indian laws about wildlife protection, consider the following statements: (2022) Wild animals are the sole property of the government. When a wild animal is declared protected, such animal is entitled for equal protection whether it is found in protected areas or outside. Apprehension of a protected wild animal becoming a danger to human life is sufficient ground for its capture or killing. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 and 2 2 only 1 and 3 3 only Hellfire R9X missile Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Science & Technology In News: Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a US strike last weekend. The US military used its ‘secret weapon’, the Hellfire R9X missile, to kill Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri. What is the Hellfire R9X missile? Better known in military circles as the AGM-114 R9X, the Hellfire R9X is a US-origin missile known to cause minimum collateral damage while engaging individual targets. Also known as the ‘Ninja Missile’, this weapon does not carry a warhead and instead deploys razor-sharp blades at the terminal stage of its attack trajectory. This helps it to break through even thick steel sheets and cut down the target using the kinetic energy of its propulsion without causing any damage to the persons in the general vicinity or to the structure of the building. The blades pop out of the missile and cut down the intended target without causing the massive damage to the surroundings which would be the case with a missile carrying an explosive warhead. When did the Hellfire missile enter active service? The Hellfire 9RX missile is known to have been in active service since 2017. However, its existence became public knowledge two years later in 2019. The Hellfire families of missiles, including the ‘Ninja Missile’, are armed on Combat Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or drones that the US Military uses in offensive military operations around the world. What is known about the other Hellfire missile variants? Hellfire is actually an acronym for Heliborne, Laser, Fire and Forget Missile and it was developed in the US initially to target tanks from the Apache AH-64 attack helicopters. Developed by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, the Hellfire missile has other variants such as ‘Longbow’ and ‘Romeo’ apart from the ‘Ninja’. Source: Indianexpress Previous Year Question Q.1) What is “Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)”, sometimes seen in the news? (2018) An Israeli radar system India’s indigenous anti-missile programme An American anti-missile system A defence collaboration between Japan and South Korea. Financial inclusion index Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Economy – Current Affairs In News: The RBI developed the composite financial inclusion index to capture the extent of financial inclusion across the country by including details of banking, investments, insurance, postal as well as the pension sector. The RBI said that India’s financial inclusion index (FI-Index) for the year ended March 31, 2022 improved to 56.4 from 53.9 in the previous year, with growth seen across all its sub-indices. The index is published annually in July. The central bank had in April 2021 announced that it will form the index for measuring financial inclusion, which is the focus area for the government, central bank and other regulators. The index comprises of three parameters including access, usage and quality. The FI-Index is responsive to ease of access, availability and usage of services and quality of services, consisting of 97 indicators. The quality parameter includes aspects such as financial literacy, consumer protection, and inequalities and deficiencies in services. The index has been constructed without any base year and reflects cumulative efforts of all stakeholders over the years towards financial inclusion. Source: Indianexpress Previous Year Question Q.1) Which of the following is/are the indicator/indicators used by IFPRI to compute the Global Hunger Index Report? (2016) Undernourishment Child stunting Child mortality Select the correct answer using the code given below. 1 only 2 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 1 and 3 only India-Maldives Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – International Relations Mains – GS 2 (International Relations) Context: President of Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, is on an Official visit to India During this visit, he met Indian PM Modi and discussed strategic ties and the status of infrastructure agreements and sign a number of MoUs. MoUs signed Both sides exchanged agreements covering areas like women and child development, disaster management, cyber security and infrastructure development. To strengthen Maldivian maritime capacity, India has announced the gifting of a second landing assault craft to the Maldives National Defence Force. India-Maldives Relations Historical: India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links. India was among the first to recognize the Maldives after its independence in 1965 and later established its mission at Male in 1972. They officially and amicably decided their maritime boundary in 1976. Geo-Strategic Importance: Location Maldives, located at the southern and northern parts of this island chain lies the two important Sea Lanes of Communication (SLOCs). These SLOCs are critical for maritime trade flow between the Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Hormuz in West Asia and the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia. Nearly 50% of India’s external trade and 80% of its energy imports transit these SLOCs in the Arabian Sea. Multi-forum Engagement Maldives is a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC). Under the Colombo Security Conclave, which is a maritime security grouping of India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Mauritius which is to forge closer cooperation on maritime and security matters among these Indian Ocean countries Mauritius was included as a new member of the conclave during the fifth meeting of national security advisers of the Colombo Security Conclave. Cooperation between India & Maldives: Security Cooperation: Through the decades, India has rushed emergency assistance to the Maldives, whenever sought. India and Maldive conduct the joint military exercise ‘Ekuverin’. Assistances: The 2004 tsunami and the drinking water crisis in Male a decade later were other occasions when India rushed assistance. The Maldives has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Covid-19 assistance and vaccines delivered by India among India’s all neighbouring countries. The Maldives was the first beneficiary of India’s Vaccine Maitri initiative. People To People Contact: Maldivian students attend educational institutions in India and patients fly here for superspeciality healthcare, aided by a liberal visa-free regime extended by India. Economic Cooperation: Tourism is the mainstay of Maldivian economy. The country is now a major tourist destination for some Indians and a job destination for others. Challenges Political Instability: India’s major concern has been the impact of political instability in the neighbourhood on its security and development. Radicalisation: In the past decade or so, the number of Maldivians drawn towards terrorist groups like the Islamic State (IS) and Pakistan-based madrassas and jihadist groups has been increasing. This gives rise to the possibility of Pakistan based terror groups using remote Maldivian islands as a launch pad for terror attacks against India and Indian interests. China Angle: China’s strategic footprint in India’s neighbourhood has increased. The Maldives has emerged as an important ‘pearl’ in China’s “String of Pearls” construct in South Asia. Given the uncertain dynamics of Sino-Indian relations, China’s strategic presence in the Maldives remains a concern. Also, the Maldives have started using the China card to bargain with India. Way Forward India-Maldives are perfectly placed to complement each other’s strategic interests. Hence, deeper Socio-Economic and Defence engagement can help both to propagate mutual interests at Global Platform. In accordance with the “Neighbourhood First Policy” of the government, India remains a committed development partner for a stable, prosperous and peaceful Maldives. Source: Thehindu Previous Year Question Q.1) Recently, India signed a deal known as ‘Action Plan for Prioritization and Implementation of Cooperation Areas in the Nuclear Field’ with which of the following countries? (2019) Japan Russia The United Kingdom The United States of America Baba’s Explainer – US-China’s tussle on Taiwan US-China's tussle on Taiwan Syllabus GS-2: India and its neighbourhood GS-2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests. Context: The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, landed in Taiwan on August 2 evening, ignoring Chinese threats and a warning by President Xi Jinping. Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is the highest-level visit by an American official to the island in a quarter century. The senior US politician has been critical of China on multiple fronts over the decades. Read Complete Details on US-China’s tussle on Taiwan Daily Practice MCQs Daily Practice MCQs Q.1) Exercise Pitch Black, a multilateral exercise recently seen in news is organised by which of the following organization/country? BMISTEC ASEAN Australia Vietnam Q.2) Consider the following statements The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat is administered by United Nations Environment Programme. The Conference of the Parties to CITES is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention. Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties, it does not take the place of national laws. Choose the correct statements: 1 and 2 2 and 3 1, 2 and 3 1 and 3 Q.3) Consider the following statements about Mission Amrit Sarovar The Mission is aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country. Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Application and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) has been engaged as Technical partner for the Mission. Choose the incorrect statements: 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!! ANSWERS FOR ’3rd August 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs. ANSWERS FOR 2nd August 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs Answers- Daily Practice MCQs Q.1) – b Q.2) – c Q.3) – c table, td, th { border: 1px solid;} table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;}

Aug 4, 2022 Baba’s Explainer

Baba's Explainer - US-China's tussle on Taiwan

 ARCHIVES Syllabus GS-2: India and its neighbourhood GS-2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests. Context: The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, landed in Taiwan on August 2 evening, ignoring Chinese threats and a warning by President Xi Jinping. Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is the highest-level visit by an American official to the island in a quarter century. The senior US politician has been critical of China on multiple fronts over the decades. What is the brief background of Taiwan? Taiwan is an island about 160 km off the coast of southeastern China. It was administered by the imperial Qing dynasty, but its control passed to the Japanese in 1895. After the defeat of Japan in World War II, the island passed back into Chinese hands. Taiwan is the unfinished business of China’s liberation under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1949. The Guomindang (KMT) forces under Chiang Kai-shek lost the 1945-49 civil war to the Communist Party forces under Mao Zedong. Chiang Kai-shek retreated to the island of Taiwan and set up a regime that claimed authority over the whole of China and pledged to recover the mainland eventually. Chiang Kai-shek set up the government of the Republic of China on the island, and remained President until 1975. The CCP in turn pledged to reclaim what it regarded as a “renegade” province and achieve the final reunification of China. Beijing has never recognised the existence of Taiwan as an independent political entity, arguing that it was always a Chinese province While the political tensions have continued, China and Taiwan have had economic ties. Many migrants from Taiwan work in China, and China has investments in Taiwan Taiwan could not be occupied militarily by the newly established People’s Republic of China (PRC) as it became a military ally of the United States during the Korean War of 1950-53. It was described as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier” underscoring its strategic significance. This phase came to an end with the U.S. recognising the PRC as the legitimate government of China in 1979, ending its official relationship with Taiwan and abrogating its mutual defence treaty with the island. But USA continues to have unofficial ties with Taiwan. What has been the policy of China towards Taiwan? China has pursued a typical carrot and stick policy to achieve the reunification of Taiwan with the mainland. It has held out the prospect, indeed preference for peaceful reunification, through promising a high degree of autonomy to the island under the “one country two systems” formula first applied to Hong Kong after its reversion to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. According to this formula, Hong Kong would retain its free market system and its political and judicial institutions and processes for a period of 50 years, thus enabling an extended and gradual transition. The same was promised to Taiwan, but with the added assurance that it could also retain its armed forces during the transition period. However, China is a much stronger power in world politics today. The Chinese government passed a law in 2005, giving Beijing the legal basis for military action if it judges Taiwan to have seceded or to be about to. However, in recent years, Taiwan’s government has said only the island’s 23 million people have the right to decide their future and that it will defend itself when attacked. Since 2016, Taiwan has elected a party that leans towards independence. This has made China take more aggressive measures towards Taiwan not making it a secret that it is willing to take military actions if needed What are the economic links between China and Taiwan? With China itself adopting market-oriented reforms since 1978 and becoming a significant economic and commercial opportunity globally, Taiwan business entities have invested heavily in mainland China and the two economies have become increasingly integrated.  Between 1991 and 2020, the stock of Taiwanese capital invested in China reached U.S. $188.5 billion and bilateral trade in 2019 was U.S. $150 billion, about 15% of Taiwan’s GDP. By contrast the stock of Chinese capital invested in Taiwan is barely U.S. $2.4 billion China hopes that burgeoning economic relationship with Taiwan would weaken opposition to unification.  At the same time, China is capable of inflicting severe economic pain on Taiwan through coercive economic policies if Taiwan is seen to move towards an independent status. How does the world, and US, view Taiwan? The United Nations does not recognise Taiwan as a separate country; in fact, only 13 countries around the world — mainly in South America, the Caribbean, Oceania, and the Vatican — do. S. has declared that it will “maintain the ability to come to Taiwan’s defence” while not committing itself to do so. This is the policy of “strategic ambiguity” of USA In June 2022, President Biden said that the US would defend Taiwan if it was invaded, but it was clarified soon afterward that America does not support Taiwan’s independence. While the US has no formal ties with Taiwan, it remains Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier. China, on the other hand, is committed to pursuing peaceful unification but retains the right to use force to achieve the objective. This is its China’s version of strategic ambiguity.  Why does China have a problem with Pelosi visiting Taiwan? For China, the presence of a senior American figure in Taiwan would indicate some kind of US support for Taiwan’s independence. Chinese Foreign Ministry had said China would take “resolute and strong measures” if the visit takes place. China has clearly stated that Pelosi going to Taiwan would gravely impact the foundation of China-US relations and send a seriously wrong signal to Taiwan independence forces. Domestic political considerations appear to be driving both sides into their respective corners in this entirely avoidable crisis. China’s public warnings have forced US to ensure the trip takes place because cancellation would be seen as weak and politically costly for the Biden administration. Xi is three months away from a politically sensitive Party Congress that will mark the start of his third term. Any hint that Xi has been weak in confronting the US on Taiwan issue could weaken his authority and embolden rivals waiting in the wings. A sharp response would discourage other countries from engaging with Taiwan at higher political levels and it may also shine Mr. Xi’s status at home. The fact that neither side wants, nor can afford, a military confrontation may lead to diffusion of the current tensions with each side walking away and claiming a show of strength for their domestic audiences. How has China reacted with Palosi’s visit? The initial moves have been predictable. Military exercises around Taiwan have been expanded, with Chinese aircraft intruding more frequently across the Taiwan’s air space. Chinese naval ships are cruising within the Taiwan Straits and around the island itself. During the period the exercises continue, there will be a virtual blockade of Taiwan as foreign vessels and aircraft will be obliged to stay clear. Economic sanctions have been announced, prohibiting imports of a whole range of foodstuffs from Taiwan. There may be more to come. One item which will be left out is semi-conductors, a critical import for a range of Chinese high-tech industries. Taiwanese firms like the Taiwan Semi-Conductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) are world leaders in the most sophisticated brands of chips imported by a large number of countries. This is an area of acute vulnerability for China. This may either hasten Chinese plans to invade and occupy Taiwan in order to gain access to this critical capability or to deny China’s adversaries — in particular, the US — access to it. Therefore, Taiwan sits right in the middle of US-China high-tech competition. Is China prepared to carry out military operations to invade and occupy Taiwan? In March 2021, the U.S. Pacific Commander, warned that China could invade Taiwan within the next six years as part of its strategy of displacing U.S. power in Asia. He suggested that Chinese military capabilities had been developed in order to achieve this objective. The recent initiatives of the Quad and AUKUS may act as a deterrent against Chinese moves on Taiwan. But they may equally propel China to advance the unification agenda before the balance changes against it in the Indo-Pacific. For these reasons, Taiwan is emerging as a potential trigger point for a clash of arms between the U.S. and China. How is Taiwan reacting to Palosi Visit? There is always the risk of an accident or miscalculation triggering a wider military clash despite the China wanting to avoid a direct and possibly dangerous confrontation with the US The main target of China’s escalating response will be Taiwan and therefore many serious analysts in Taiwan have criticised the Pelosi visit as making Taiwan more vulnerable without any assurance that the US will commit to defending the island against the Chinese military threat. Taiwan is indeed caught in the crossfire between China and the US and being a proxy in a fight between giants is the most uncomfortable position for any state to be in What has been the impact of escalating tensions on rest of Asia? They feel reassured by the considerable US military presence deployed in the region and tacitly support its Indo-Pacific strategy. However, their economic and commercial interests are bound tighter with the large and growing Chinese economy. Just as Taiwan is caught in a crossfire between the US and China, so are the East Asian and South East Asian countries. Most do not wish to be forced into making a choice. The long period of relative peace in Asia may be nearing its end. What are the implications on India? Pragmatism tells that India should be consistent with its one China policy even while maintaining and even expanding non-official relations with Taiwan. For the US, Japan and Australia, Taiwan is a key component of the Indo-Pacific strategy. It is not for India. In one sense, China’s preoccupation with its eastern ocean flank of the Yellow Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea is good for India. It diminishes Chinese attention toward the Indian Ocean, India’s primary security theatre. One should use the opportunity to expand India’s naval capabilities and maritime profile in this theatre before the Chinese begin to look to our extended neighbourhood with renewed interest and energy. Mains Practice Question –Analyse the implication of recent US Speaker visit to Taiwan, especially in the context of fear of revival of Cold war politics. Note: Write answers to this question in the comment section.  

Aug 4, 2022 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2022 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 4th August 2022

For Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE The Current Affairs questions are based on sources like ‘The Hindu’, ‘Indian Express’ and ‘PIB’, which are very important sources for UPSC Prelims Exam. The questions are focused on both the concepts and facts. The topics covered here are generally different from what is being covered under ‘Daily Current Affairs/Daily News Analysis (DNA) and Daily Static Quiz’ to avoid duplication. The questions would be published from Monday to Saturday before 2 PM. One should not spend more than 10 minutes on this initiative. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” Important Note: Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)After completing the 5 questions, click on 'View Questions' to check your score, time taken, and solutions.To take the Test -Click Here

Aug 3, 2022 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 2nd August 2022

Archives (PRELIMS & MAINS Focus) The technology powering hybrid electric vehicles Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Science & Technology Mains – GS 3 (Science & Technology) In News: In recent months, automakers have launched hybrid electric vehicles in India, offering car buyers more choices in the nascent electric vehicle market. These new hybrid electric vehicles from different automakers, are relying on hybrid technology and its advantages over conventional internal combustion engine (ICE)-powered vehicles to change car buyers’ minds. What is a hybrid electric vehicle? A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) uses an ICE (a petrol/diesel engine) and one or more electric motors to run. It is powered by the electric motor alone, which uses energy stored in batteries, by the ICE, or both. The powertrain of the HEV is more complex than a regular ICE-powered car as it has EV components and a conventional ICE. That means a typical HEV will have a low-voltage auxiliary battery, a traction battery pack to store electricity for the electric motor, an electric generator, an AC/DC converter, a power electronics controller, a thermal system to maintain working temperature, an ICE, a fuel tank, fuel filler, a transmission and an exhaust system. How do HEV powertrains work? HEV powertrains are designed to power cars in a series, parallel or series-parallel (power split) methods. A series HEV uses only the electric motor to drive the wheels, while the ICE powers the generator, which in turn recharges the battery. A parallel HEV, based on the driving condition, uses the best power source to power the vehicle. It will alternate between the electric motor and the ICE to keep the car moving. A series-parallel HEV offers a combination of both models and allows to split power, wherein power is routed from the ICE alone or from the battery to the electric motor to drive the vehicle. Moreover, in all three designs, the battery is charged through regenerative braking technology. Regenerative braking Regenerative braking recovers some of the kinetic energy that would otherwise turn into heat and instead converts it into electricity. Regenerative braking is a way of taking the wasted energy from the process of slowing down a car and using it to recharge the car’s batteries. On a normal car, braking simply wastes energy – but with regenerative braking, some of the energy is able to be reused. How does regenerative braking work? A regenerative braking system (RBS) used in automotive applications has several advantages like better braking efficiency in stop-and-go traffic which enhances fuel economy and also helps in reducing carbon emissions. Besides, RBS also helps in energy optimisation resulting in minimum energy wastage. The efficiency of HEVs and EVs will in large part be determined by their ability to recover as much energy as possible while braking, with a higher degree of energy recovery lowering fuel consumption. The adoption of regenerative braking technology in the auto industry is increasing on account of the operating efficiency of vehicles through reduced fuel consumption and the extended range of batteries. The technology is also used in electric railways. Rail transit can be described as frequent acceleration and braking of trains across many stations. This increases the potential for braking energy recovery using energy storage systems, which can recuperate and reuse braking energy from metro cars, further enhancing energy efficiency. What are the different types of HEVs? The HEVs can be categorised into micro, mild and full hybrid vehicles, based on the degree of hybridisation. A full HEV will have a larger battery and a more powerful electric motor compared with a mild HEV. As a result, a full HEV can power the vehicle for longer distances using just electric mode, A mild HEV cannot drive using only the electric motor and uses the battery at traffic lights or in stop-and-go traffic to support the ICE. Micro hybrids do not offer electric torque assistance as they lack an electric motor, but they have an idle stop-start system and energy management functions. There are plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) that are just like full HEVs, but they can be charged using a wall outlet, as they have an onboard charger and a charging port. PHEVs generally use the electric motor until the battery is almost drained, and then automatically switch to the ICE. What are the main advantages of using hybrid technology? Most vehicles with hybrid technology offer better fuel efficiency, more power, and minimum emissions. The design of hybrid vehicles for reduced engine size and car weight as compared to ICE vehicles, translates into increased mileage to favour the demand for these vehicles. Moreover, with the increase in total power and torque, HEVs can deliver instant torque and provide high torque even at low speeds. What are some challenges of hybrid technology? In a price-sensitive market like India, one of the major challenges for HEVs is the high vehicle cost. Battery, a vital component of an HEV, increases the cost of the vehicle, making it pricier than vehicles powered only by an ICE. The RBS also adds to the higher cost of an HEV. Source: The Hindu Previous Year Question Q.1) In India, the term “Public Key Infrastructure” is used in the context of (2021) Digital security infrastructure Food security infrastructure Health care and education infrastructure Telecommunication and transportation infrastructure Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022 Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Current Affairs Mains – GS 3 (Security) In News: The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022, was passed in Rajya Sabha. The Bill amends the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005. The 2005 Act prohibits unlawful activities (such as manufacturing, transport, or transfer) related to weapons of mass destruction, and their means of delivery. Weapons of mass destruction are biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons. Amendments Prohibition on financing certain activities: The Bill bars persons from financing any prohibited activity related to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. To prevent persons from financing such activities, the central government may freeze, seize or attach their funds, financial assets, or economic resources (whether owned, held, or controlled directly or indirectly). It may also prohibit persons from making finances or related services available for the benefit of other persons in relation to any activity which is prohibited. Source: Indian Express Kerala opposes changes to MMDR Act Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Current Affairs Mains – GS 1 (Geography); GS 3 (Economy, Security) In News: The Kerala government has opposed the new set of proposed amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. The State Industries Minister stated that the amendments are a breach of States’ rights as minerals come under the purview of States. The Centre had invited suggestions from the public to the draft amendments to the MMDR Act. Proposed amendments The main objection is against the sixth item in the note for consultation sent to the State governments that will empower the Centre to auction some minerals from the list of atomic minerals. Kerala strongly opposes the proposed amendment as State governments are the owners of the mines and minerals located within the territory of the State concerned, and under Entry 23 of List II of the Constitution and the Constitutional right of the State under Article 246(3), State Assemblies can make laws on such minerals. Must Read: MMDR (Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 Ownership of Mineral: The State Governments are the owners of minerals located within the boundary of the State concerned, under the provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 and Mineral Concession Rules, 1960. However, for minerals specified in the First Schedule to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 approval of the Central Government is necessary. The Central Government is the owner of the minerals underlying the ocean within the territorial waters or the Exclusive Economic Zone of India. Schedule I contains minerals such as coal and lignite, minerals of the “rare earths” group containing Uranium and Thorium. Atomic Minerals Uranium and Thorium are the main atomic minerals. Other atomic minerals are beryllium, lithium and zirconium. Thorium Thorium is a chemical element with symbol Th and atomic number 90. It is one of only two significantly radioactive elements that still occur naturally in large quantities. Thorium is estimated to be about three to four times more abundant than uranium in the Earth’s crust, and is chiefly refined from monazite sands. Monazite is a widely scattered on the Kerala Coast Thorium is predicted to be able to replace uranium as nuclear fuel in nuclear reactors. Source: The Hindu Previous Year Questions (PYQs) Q.1) With reference to the mineral resources of India, consider the following pairs: (2010) Mineral         90% Natural sources in Copper: Jharkhand Nickel:     Orissa Tungsten: Kerala Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 and 2 only 2 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 Q.2) Consider the following minerals: (2020) Bentonite Chromite Kyanite Sillimanite In India, which of the above is/are officially designated as major minerals? 1 and 2 only 4 only 1 and 3 only 2, 3 and 4 only GST collections continue to surge Open in new window Syllabus Prelims – Current Affairs – Economy Mains – GS 3 (Economy) In News: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) yielded ₹1,48,995 crore in revenues during the month of July, the second-highest monthly collections since the launch of the GST regime and the highest in three months. July’s GST collection is 28% higher than the same month last year, driven by a 48% surge in revenues from import of goods, while revenues from domestic transactions, including import of services are 22% higher than a year ago. Reasons High inflation rate, buoyancy in consumption patterns triggered by the economic recovery, alongside greater enforcement actions against anti-evasion activities have contributed to the rise in GST collections. What do the improved revenues signify? Experts say that action against tax evaders, including steps being taken by state authorities, have resulted in better compliance and helped push the growth in GST collections along with economic recovery and higher inflation rate. It will help boost the government’s GST collections beyond the budgeted figures. After the end of the compensation regime for states in June 2022, the higher GST revenue growth is expected to ease the revenue concerns for some states going ahead. Must Read: GST- Five years on + Centre and States have equal powers to make GST-related laws Source: Indian Express The Hindu Previous Year Question Q.1) What is/are the most likely advantages of implementing ‘Goods and Services Tax (GST)’? (2017) It will replace multiple taxes collected by multiple authorities and will thus create a single market in India. It will drastically reduce the ‘Current Account Deficit’ of India and will enable it to increase its foreign exchange reserves. It will enormously increase the growth and size of economy of India and will enable it to overtake China in the near future. Select the correct answer using the code given below: 1 only 2 and 3 only 1 and 3 only 1, 2 and 3 African swine fever Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Science & Technology In News: After Wayanad, African swine fever has been confirmed at a private pig farm in Kannur district, after more than 15 pigs on the farm had died due to the disease in the last ten days. African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, whose mortality rate can reach 100%. It is not a danger to human health, but it has devastating effects on pig populations and the farming economy. There is currently no effective vaccine against ASF. The virus is highly resistant in the environment, meaning that it can survive on clothes, boots, wheels, and other materials. It can also survive in various pork products, such as ham, sausages or bacon. Therefore, human behaviours can play an important role in spreading this pig disease across borders if adequate measures are not taken. Source: The Hindu ISRO to undertake maiden flight of SSLV on August 7 Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Science & Technology In News: ISRO will undertake the maiden flight of its newly developed Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) on August 7. On its first flight, the SSLV will carry one of India’s Earth Observation Satellites – EOS-2 – that will have applications in mapping and developing various GIS applications. It will also carry the AzadiSat, a satellite developed by 750 rural students from across the country coordinated by SpaceKidz India. SpaceKidz India is a space start-up creating “Young scientists” for the “Country” and spreading awareness among children for a “borderless world”. Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) SSLV is a rocket that is designed to orbit satellites weighing less than 500kg in Low Earth Orbit and 300 kg to Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO). It is a 3 stage Launch Vehicle configured with three Solid Propulsion Stages and liquid propulsion-based Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) as a terminal stage. Key Features SSLV is the smallest vehicle at 110-ton mass at ISRO. It will take only 72 hours to integrate, unlike the 70 days taken now for a launch vehicle. Only six people will be required to do the job, instead of 60 people. The other features include: flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, Launch on demand feasibility, minimal launch infrastructure requirements, etc. Significance Seamless launch of small satellites The SSLV is intended to cater to a market for the launch of small satellites into low earth orbits with a quick turn-around time. Suited for launching multiple microsatellites & supports multiple orbital drop-offs. Shift the burden of commercial launches from PSLV The SSLV is likely to cost a fourth of the current PSLV. Source: Indian Express Previous Year Question Q.1) With reference to India’s satellite launch vehicles, consider the following statements: (2018) PSLVs launch the satellites useful for Earth resources monitoring whereas GSLVs are designed mainly to launch communication satellites. Satellites launched by PSLV appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky, as viewed from a particular location on Earth. GSLV Mk III is a four-staged launch vehicle with the first and third stages using solid rocket motors; and the second and fourth stages using liquid rocket engines. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 1 only 2 and 3 1 and 2 3 only AlphaFold Open in new  window Syllabus Prelims – Science & Technology In News: DeepMind, a company based in London and owned by Google, announced that it had predicted the three-dimensional structures of more than 200 million proteins using AlphaFold. This is the entire protein universe known to scientists today. What is AlphaFold? AlphaFold is an AI-based protein structure prediction tool. It is based on a computer system called deep neural network. Inspired by the human brain, neural networks use a large amount of input data and provides the desired output exactly like how a human brain would. The real work is done by the black box between the input and the output layers, called the hidden networks. AlphaFold is fed with protein sequences as input. When protein sequences enter through one end, the predicted three-dimensional structures come out through the other. How does AlphaFold work? It uses processes based on “training, learning, retraining and relearning.” The first step uses the available structures of 1,70,000 proteins in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) to train the computer model. Then, it uses the results of that training to learn the structural predictions of proteins not in the PDB. Then, it uses the high-accuracy predictions from the first step to retrain and relearn to gain higher accuracy of the earlier predictions. By using this method, AlphaFold has now predicted the structures of the entire 214 million unique protein sequences deposited in the Universal Protein Resource (UniProt) database. What are the implications of this development? Proteins are the business ends of biology, meaning proteins carry out all the functions inside a living cell. Therefore, knowing protein structure and function is essential to understanding human diseases. The development of AlphaFold is a watershed movement in science and structural biology in particular. AlphaFold has already helped hundreds of scientists accelerate their discoveries in vaccine and drug development since the first public release of the database nearly a year back. What does this development mean for India? The Indian community of structural biology is strong and skilled. It needs to quickly take advantage of the AlphaFold database and learn how to use the structures to design better vaccines and drugs. India will also need to speed up its implementation of public-private partnerships in the sciences. The public-private partnership between the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute and DeepMind made the 25-terabyte AlphaFold dataset accessible to everyone in the scientific community at no cost. India could facilitate joint collaborations with the prevalent hardware muscle and data science talent in the private sector and specialists in academic institutions to pave the way for data science innovations. Source: The Hindu Previous Year Question Q.1) The term ‘ACE2’ is talked about in the context of (2021) genes introduced in the genetically modified plants development of India’s own satellite navigation system radio collar for wildlife tracking spread of viral diseases Pendency of Cases Open in new  window Syllabus Mains – GS 2 (Polity – Judiciary) In News: Union Law Minister tabled data on pendency of cases in High Court and number of female judges in Judiciary in a reply to question in Rajya Sabha. Pendency of cases Over 59 lakh cases were pending in the High Courts until July 22. Allahabad High Court has the highest number of pending cases at over 10 lakh. Next are the High Courts of Rajasthan (just over 6 lakh) and Bombay (just under 6 lakh). Women judges The 4 women judges in the Supreme Court are against a sanctioned strength of 34 judges, and the 96 women judges in the High Courts are against a sanctioned strength of 1,108 judges. Out of the 96 women judges in the High Courts, Delhi and Madras HCs between them account for one-fourth, at 12 women judges each. Must Read: Judicial Accountability Source: Indian Express Baba’s Explainer – Antarctic Regulation Antarctic Regulation GS-3: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. GS-3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation Context: The Parliament has passed the Indian Antarctic Bill 2022 to assist in protecting the frozen continent where India operates two research centres and is part of several scientific explorations. Till date, India neither has any laws governing its activities on the continent, nor any authority to issue permits for any kind of expeditions. Antarctica is the southernmost continent and does not have any indigenous population. The entire region is demilitarised and is used for scientific and peaceful purposes as per the Antarctic Treaty Read Complete Details on Antarctic Regulation Daily Practice MCQs Daily Practice MCQs Q.1) Which of the below given pairs is/are correctly matched? Port Country Astrakhan port Russia Anzali port Azerbaijan Bandar Abbas Iran Choose the correct code: 3 only 1 and 3 2 and 3 2 only Q.2) Consider the following statements The State Governments are the owners of minerals located within the boundary of the State concerned To grant mineral concessions for minerals specified in the First Schedule to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 approval of the Central Government is necessary Choose the correct statements: 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.3) Consider the following statemnets about Regenerative braking It recovers some of the kinetic energy that would otherwise turn into heat and instead converts it into electricity. A regenerative braking system (RBS) used in automotive applications leads better braking efficiency in stop-and-go traffic which enhances fuel economy Choose the incorrect statements: 1 only 2 only Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!! ANSWERS FOR ’2nd August 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs. ANSWERS FOR 1st August 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs Answers- Daily Practice MCQs Q.1) – d Q.2) – d Q.3) – d table, td, th { border: 1px solid;} table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;}

Aug 3, 2022 Baba’s Explainer

Baba's Explainer - Antarctic Regulation

 ARCHIVES Syllabus GS-3: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. GS-3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation Context: The Parliament has passed the Indian Antarctic Bill 2022 to assist in protecting the frozen continent where India operates two research centres and is part of several scientific explorations. Till date, India neither has any laws governing its activities on the continent, nor any authority to issue permits for any kind of expeditions. Antarctica is the southernmost continent and does not have any indigenous population. The entire region is demilitarised and is used for scientific and peaceful purposes as per the Antarctic Treaty About Antarctica Antarctica is a vast ice-covered landmass surrounded by sea (unlike the Arctic, which is an ice-covered ocean surrounded by land). It’s bigger than Europe, and in summer, it’s still 62 times the size of the UK! Antarctica is the world’s highest, driest, windiest and coldest continent. Its record low temperature is -94°C. But it doesn’t actually snow much – the Antarctic is so dry it’s classed as a polar desert. And it’s in darkness part of the year. There are no trees, or shrubs, and only two kinds of native flowering plant. Not surprisingly there are no people permanently living or native to Antarctica – although there can be up to 5,000 scientists and researchers based there Antarctica has no land-based mammals – just some hardy flightless insects – but it’s rich in sealife, including seabirds like penguins, whales, seals and shrimp-like krill. Why the Antarctic is so important? The huge frozen landmass at the bottom of our planet is more than just spectacular icing on the globe. It could be vital for our survival too. Moderating Global Temperature: The Antarctic ice deflects some of the sun’s rays away from the Earth, keeping temperatures liveable. Sea Level Rise: Although it’s not predicted that the massive Antarctic ice sheets are likely to melt completely, even small-scale melting would raise global sea levels, and cause flooding around the world. Supports Marine Life: The ocean surrounding the continent also support masses of the world’s sealife – including 15 species of whale and dolphin, and five species of penguin. The nutrient-rich waters encourage blooms of tiny plankton, the basis of the ocean food chain. Natural laboratories: The Antarctic is one of the world’s least disturbed places. It is helping us understand global climate change now, the unique archive locked in Antarctica’s nearly 4km thick ice sheet tells us what our planet’s climate has been like over almost a million years. Antarctic continental ice contains climate records extending back more than 800,000 years, which have been obtained from ice cores. Sensitive indicators of present-day environmental change: Antarctic science has also revealed much about the impact of human activity on the natural world. The discovery in 1985 of the hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica revealed the damage done to the Earth’s atmosphere by man-made chemicals. Common Resource: The continent is a no-man’s land — a natural reserve that belongs to no country. It is only governed by global agreements. However, it is increasingly vulnerable, especially to global warming, climate change, Pirate fishing, pollution and unsustainable exploration of minerals. How has Indian role in Antarctic evolved over the years? In February 1956, at the instance of Jawaharlal Nehru and V.K. Krishna Menon, that India became the first country in the world to request for an item on the agenda of the 11th UN General Assembly entitled “The Question of Antarctica”. The reasoning behind Antarctica wanting to be discussed in UN was to ensure that the vast areas and its resources (particularly atomic energy minerals) were used entirely for peaceful purposes (possible experimentation of atomic weapons) and for general welfare. But India did not press the point further because it got caught up later in the year with the almost simultaneous crises in the Suez and Hungary But the Nehru-Menon initiative, twelve countries who believed that they had a direct stake in Antarctica started discussions among themselves and on December 1, 1959 the Antarctica Treaty was signed in Washington DC. The Twelve countries included Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States and USSR Not surprisingly, since its moves at the UN had irked a number of countries including the USSR, India was neither involved nor invited. Subsequently, Antarctica faded from the Indian geopolitical gaze. However, the morning of January 9, 1982, transformed the international discourse when news of India’s first Antarctic expedition reaching its destination stunned the world. No other Asian country, including China, had a presence there. A second expedition landed in Antarctica on December 10, 1982. With two expeditions successfully completed within a span of 11 months, India finally became a member of the Antarctic Treaty in August 1983 and China followed in 1985. 1984 saw two more striking Indian achievements: its first Antarctic team started wintering there from March 1, 1984 and a few months afterwards an unmanned Antarctic research base named as Dakshin Gangotri was established Since then, India has set up two manned esearch stations in Antarctica — Maitri in 1988 and Bharati in 2012. Forty expeditions to the continent have taken place. The major thrust areas of the Indian Antarctic Programme are climate processes and links to climate change, environmental processes and conservation and polar technology. The operational expenditure of the Antarctic expedition is ₹90-110 crore annually depending on the projects and services. National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCPOR) is the nodal agency for planning, promotion, coordination and execution of the entire gamut of polar and southern ocean scientific research in the country as well as for the associated logistics activities. It was established in 1998. What is Antarctic Treaty? The Antarctic Treaty came into force on June 23, 1961 after ratification by the 12 countries then active in Antarctic science. The Treaty covers the area south of 60°S latitude. Its headquarters is located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Currently it has 54 parties. India became a member of this treaty in 1983. Of the 54 signatory countries, 29 have ‘consultative’ status that give them voting rights. Its key objectives are to demilitarise Antarctica to establish it as a zone free of nuclear tests and the disposal of radioactive waste to ensure that it is used for peaceful purposes only to promote international scientific cooperation in Antarctica to set aside disputes over territorial sovereignty. Neutralising territorial sovereignty, this means a limit was placed on making any new claim or enlargement of an existing claim. The Treaty parties meet each year at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. They have adopted over 300 recommendations and negotiated separate international agreements. However, a key reason why the treaty has been able to survive has been its ability to evolve through a number of additional conventions and other legal protocols. These have dealt with the conservation of marine living resources, prohibitions on mining, and the adoption of comprehensive environmental protection mechanisms. As disputes have arisen over the years, many have been addressed through the expansion of the treaty framework with these agreements. This framework is now referred to as the Antarctic Treaty System. Antarctic Treaty System is the whole complex of arrangements made for the purpose of regulating relations among states in the Antarctic. Its purpose is to ensure in the interests of all mankind that Antarctica shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord. It is a global achievement and has been a hallmark of international cooperation for more than 50 years. These agreements are legally binding and purpose-built for the unique geographical, environmental and political characteristics of the Antarctic and form a robust international governance framework for the region. Major International Agreements of the Treaty System: The 1959 Antarctic Treaty. The 1972 Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals. The 1980 Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. The 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. What are the key feature of the 2022 bill passed by Parliament? The Bill passed by Parliament has been under discussion in the government for over five years at least. It provides a detailed legal framework for India’s Antarctic activities that is consistent with its international treaty obligations. Objective: The Bill seeks to give effect to the Antarctic Treaty, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.   It also seeks to protect the Antarctic environment and regulate activities in the region. Applicability: The provisions of the Bill will apply to any person, vessel or aircraft that is a part of an Indian expedition to Antarctica under a permit issued under the Bill.  Areas comprising of Antarctica include: the continent of Antarctica, including its ice-shelves, and all areas of the continental shelf adjacent to it, and all islands (including their ice-shelves), seas, and air space south of 60°S latitude Central committee:The central government will establish a Committee on Antarctic Governance and Environmental Protection.  The Committee will be chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.  10 members, not below the rank of joint secretary, will be nominated from various Ministries and organisations. Need for permit: A permit by the Committee will be required for various activities. Before a permit is granted by the Committee, the applicant has to carry out an environmental impact assessment of the proposed activities.  Moreover, a permit must not be granted unless a waste management plan has been prepared for the expedition by the Committee. Prohibited activities: The Bill prohibits certain activities in Antarctica including: (i) nuclear explosion or disposal of radioactive wastes, (ii) introduction of non-sterile soil, and (iii) discharge of garbage, plastic or other substance into the sea which is harmful to the marine environment. Offences and penalties: Drilling for mineral resources or introducing non-native animals or plants in Antarctica without a permit will be punishable with imprisonment up to seven years and a fine between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 50 lakh. conducting a nuclear explosion in Antarctica will be punishable with an imprisonment of 20 years and Rs 50 Crore fine. The central government may notify one or more Sessions Courts to be the Designated Court under the Bill and specify its territorial jurisdiction to try offences punishable under the Bill. What are the benefits of the Antarctic Bill, 2022? Specific Legal Framework: The bill provides a regulatory framework for India’s Antarctic activities through legal mechanisms which will help in the efficient operation of the Indian Antarctic Programme. Accountability of Activities: The enforcement of such laws will confer jurisdiction on the courts of India to deal with any dispute or crimes committed in parts of Antarctica. Legislation of such a kind will bind the citizens to the policies of the Antarctic treaty system. The bill will be applicable on Indian citizens, as well as foreign citizens, and any company registered in India or any sea vessel registered in India. Builds India’s Credibility: Legislation of such a kind will bind the citizens to the policies of the Antarctic treaty system. This will be useful to increase India’s international visibility and credibility in Polar governance for cooperation in scientific studies and logistics. Sustainable Development: The bill plans to facilitate India’s involvement in the management of tourism in the Antarctic and the sustainable development of fisheries. Ensures De-militarisation: The bill aim is to ensure de-militarisation of the (Antarctic) region along with getting rid of mining or illegal activities. What lies ahead? The issue of a polar research vessel, however, still needs to be addressed immediately. So far, India has been chartering such ships from countries like Russia and Norway while China has raced ahead and has two of its own. The acquisition of a vessel on a permanent basis is a logical next step to the passage of the Bill as also the revamp of the quite old Maitri research station. The polar research vessel will also be required as India expands its association with and involvement in the Arctic as well. India’s research station there called Himadri was inaugurated in July 2008 and five years later India got observer status at the eight-country Arctic Council. Mains Practice Question – As a country with global ambitions, India’s polar engagement can be seen as representing its own aspirations. Comment. Note: Write answers to this question in the comment section.  

Aug 3, 2022 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2022 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 3rd August 2022

For Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE The Current Affairs questions are based on sources like ‘The Hindu’, ‘Indian Express’ and ‘PIB’, which are very important sources for UPSC Prelims Exam. The questions are focused on both the concepts and facts. The topics covered here are generally different from what is being covered under ‘Daily Current Affairs/Daily News Analysis (DNA) and Daily Static Quiz’ to avoid duplication. The questions would be published from Monday to Saturday before 2 PM. One should not spend more than 10 minutes on this initiative. Gear up and Make the Best Use of this initiative. Do remember that, “the difference between Ordinary and EXTRA-Ordinary is PRACTICE!!” Important Note: Don't forget to post your marks in the comment section. Also, let us know if you enjoyed today's test :)After completing the 5 questions, click on 'View Questions' to check your score, time taken, and solutions.To take the Test -Click Here