Jan 29, 2022 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 29th January 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

Jan 28, 2022 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 28th January 2022

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Conditional Market Authorization Part of: Prelims and GS-II -Health Context: The National Regulator, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), has given nod to market authorization of two COVID19 vaccines, Covaxin and Covishield for use in adults subject to certain conditions. Key takeaways  The market authorization of two COVID19 vaccines, Covaxin and Covishield, in the country by DCGI is subject to the following conditions: Firm shall submit data of overseas ongoing clinical trials of the product with due analysis on six monthly basis or as and when available, whichever is earlier. The vaccine shall be supplied for programmatic setting and all vaccinations done within the country to be recorded on CoWIN platform and Adverse Event Following Immunization [AEFI], Adverse Event of Special Interest [AESI] shall continue to be monitored. What is Conditional Market Authorization? Conditional Market Authorization” is a new category of market authorization that has emerged during the current global pandemic of COVID19. The approval pathways through this route are fast-tracked with certain conditions to enhance the access to certain pharmaceuticals for meeting the emerging needs of drugs or vaccines. News Source: TH Spot-Billed Pelicans Part of: Prelims and GS-III Biodiversity Context: A nematode infestation has led to mass mortality of spot-billed pelicans (Pelicanus philippensis) at Telineelapuram Important Bird Area (IBA) in Naupada swamp, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh. Key takeaways  Over 150 spot-billed pelicans have succumbed to the infestation since December. The infestation has affected Only the adult birds. The Telineelapuram IBA is the prime winter sojourn for the spot-billed pelican for breeding.  The same IBA is also a breeding habitat for the painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala). Spot-billed pelican The spot-billed pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) or grey pelican is a member of the pelican family.  It breeds in southern Asia from southern Iran across India east to Indonesia.  It is a bird of large inland and coastal waters, especially large lakes The species is found to breed only in peninsular India, Sri Lanka and in Cambodia The main habitat is in shallow lowland freshwaters.  IUCN status: Near Threatened News Source: TH Tiwa Community Part of: Prelims and GS-III Internal security  Context: Almost 250 members of two extremist organisations in Assam laid down their arms recently. The organisations are the Tiwa Liberation Army (TLA) and the United Gorkha People’s Organisation (UGPO). TLA was Formed in 2014 to cater to the aspirations of the Tiwa community. Tiwa community Tiwa (Lalung) is an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the states of Assam and Meghalaya in north-eastern India. They are also found in some areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland. They are recognized as a Scheduled tribe within the State of Assam. They were known as Lalungs in the Assamese Buranjis and in Colonial literature and in the Constitution of India, though members of the group prefer to call themselves Tiwa (meaning "the people who were lifted from below"). News Source: TH (News from PIB) South Maubuang: Mizoram’s First ODF Plus Village International Customs Day: 27th January; Theme: Scaling up Customs Digital Transformation by Embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem Tamarind maniac: Shri Abdul Khader Nadakattin A serial grassroots innovator from Dharwad, Karnataka, is amongst the 107 Padma Shri awardees announced for the year 2022 His prominent innovations include a device to separate tamarind seeds, ploughing blade manufacturing machine, Seed cum fertilizer drill, Water-heating boiler, an Automatic sugarcane sowing driller, and a wheel tiller. All his innovations demonstrate principles of sustainability, cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness, and most importantly a, social acceptance. India’s Women Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggle Part of: Prelims and Mains GS-I: Modern India, India’s Freedom movement In news: A pictorial book on India’s 75 Women Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggle as part of Azadi ka Mahotsav has been released in partnership with Amar Chitra Katha. Rani Abakka, the Queen of Ullal, Karnataka fought and defeated the mighty Portuguese in the 16th century.   Velu Nachiyar, the queen of Sivaganga was the first Indian queen to wage war against the British East India Company.   Jhalkari Bai, was a woman soldier who grew to become one of the key advisors to the Rani of Jhansi and a prominent figure in the First War of Indian Independence, 1857. Matangini Hazra was a brave freedom fighter from Bengal, who laid down her life while agitating against the British.  Gulab Kaur was a freedom fighter who abandoned her own hopes and dreams of a life abroad to fight for and mobilise the Indian people against the British Raj.  Chakali Ilamma was a revolutionary woman who fought against the injustice of zamindars during the Telangana rebellion in the mid-1940s.  Padmaja Naidu, the daughter of Sarojini Naidu and a freedom fighter in her own right, who would later become Governor of West Bengal and a humanitarian after Independence. Bishni Devi Shah, a woman who inspired large number of people in Uttarakhand to join the freedom movement.  Subhadra Kumari Chauhan was one of the greatest Hindi poets, who was also a prominent figure in the freedom movement.  Durgawati Devi was the brave woman who provided safe passage to Bhagat Singh after the killing of John Saunders and much more during her revolutionary days.  Sucheta Kripalani, a prominent freedom fighter, became independent India's first woman Chief Minister of UP Government. Accamma Cherian, an inspirational leader of the freedom movement in Travancore, Kerala, she was given the name 'Jhansi Rani of Tranvancore' by Mahatma Gandhi.  Aruna Asaf Ali was an inspirational freedom fighter who is perhaps best remembered for hoisting the Indian National flag in Mumbai during the Quit India Movement in 1942.  Durgabai Deshmukh, a tireless worker for the emancipation of women in Andhra Pradesh, she was also an eminent freedom fighter and member of the Constituent Assembly.   Rani Gaidinliu, the Naga spiritual and political leader, led an armed uprising against the British in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam.  Usha Mehta was a freedom fighter from a very young age, who is remembered for organizing an underground radio station during the Quit India Movement of 1942. Parbati Giri, one of Odisha's most prominent women freedom fighters, was called the Mother Teresa of Western Odisha for her work in the upliftment of her people.  Tarkeshwari Sinha, a prominent freedom fighter during the Quit India Movement, she went on to become an eminent politician in the early decades of independent India.  Snehlata Varma, a freedom fighter and tireless worker for the education and upliftment of women in Mewar, Rajasthan.  Tileshwari Baruah, one of India's youngest martyrs, she was shot at the age of 12 by the British, during the Quit India Movement, when she and some freedom fighters tried to unfurl the Tricolour atop a police station. News Source: PIB (Mains Focus) ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE GS-3: Indian Economy & Challenges GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. India’s economy and the challenge of informality Context: Despite witnessing rapid economic growth over the last two decades, 90% of workers in India have remained informally employed, producing about half of GDP. Formal jobs, as per India’s official definition, are those providing at least one social security benefit — such as EPF. Official PLFS data shows that 75% of informal workers are self-employed and casual wage workers with average earnings lower than regular salaried workers.  About half of informal workers are engaged in non-agriculture sectors which spread across urban and rural areas. Evolution of Informal Sector in India Early on, in an attempt to promote employment, India protected small enterprises engaged in labour intensive manufacturing by providing them with fiscal concessions and regulating large-scale industry by licensing.  Due to inefficiency, such measures led to many labour-intensive industries getting diffused into the informal/unorganised sectors. Further, they led to the formation of dense output and labour market inter-linkages between the informal and formal sectors via sub-contracting and outsourcing arrangements. In the textile industry, the rise of the power looms at the expense of composite mills in the organised sector and handlooms in the unorganised sector best illustrates the policy outcome.  While such policy initiatives may have encouraged employment, bringing the enterprises into the tax net has been a challenge. Industries thriving without paying taxes are only the tip of the informal sector’s iceberg. What remains hidden is large number of low productivity informal establishments working as household and self-employment units which represent “petty production”.  Survival is perhaps the biggest challenge for most informal workers (and their enterprises), and precarity defines their existence. Since 2016, the Government has made several efforts to formalise the economy, some of which are: Currency demonetisation Introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Digitalisation of financial transactions  Enrolment of informal sector workers on numerous government portals  Why the impetus for formalisation?  The formal sector is more productive than the informal sector Also, it is established that formal workers have access to social security benefits. Pandemic has reversed the progress made in formalisation, hence there is a need to speed up the formalisation process. Research by the SBI recently reported the economy formalised rapidly during the pandemic year of 2020-21, with the informal sector’s GDP share shrinking to less than 20%, from about 50% a few years ago — close to the figure for developed countries. What factors have led to continuation of informal activities? Excessive state regulation of enterprises and labour. High Taxation Informality is also an outcome of structural and historical factors of economic backwardness. Studies show that informality decreases with economic growth, albeit slowly. In many parts of the developing world, including India, informality has reduced at a very slow pace, manifesting itself most visibly in urban slums, poverty and (open and disguised) unemployment. What steps needs to be taken to enhance formalisation? Simplifying registration processes, easing rules for business conduct and lowering the standards of protection of formal sector workers will bring informal enterprises and their workers into the fold of formality. Also, the economy will get formalised when informal enterprises (especially those involved in petty production) become more productive through greater capital investment and increased education and skills are imparted to its workers.  A mere registration under numerous official portals will not ensure access to social security, unless there is robust implementation of labour laws. Connecting the dots: Urban Joblessness rate Women Employment ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE GS-3: Indian Economy & challenges GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.  Understanding the Budget formulation Context: With the economy still hurting from the pandemic, the Budget on February 1 is likely to address concerns around growth, inflation and spending. What are the major components of the Budget?  There are three major components —  Expenditure Receipts  Deficit indicators.  Based on their impact on assets and liabilities, total expenditure can be divided into capital and revenue expenditure.  Capital expenditure is incurred with the purpose of increasing assets of a durable nature or of reducing recurring liabilities. Ex: constructing new schools or new hospitals. Revenue expenditure involves any expenditure that does not add to assets or reduce liabilities. Ex: payment of wages and salaries, subsidies or interest payments. Depending on the manner in which it affects different sectors, expenditure is also classified into  (i) general services  (ii) economic services include expenditure on transport, communication, rural development, agricultural and allied sectors. (iii) social services include expenditure on the social sector including education or health (iv) grants-in-aid and contribution.  The sum of expenditure on economic and social services together form the development expenditure. Again, depending on its effect on asset creation or liability reduction, development expenditure can be further classified as revenue and capital expenditure.  The receipts of the Government have three components —  Revenue receipts involve receipts that are not associated with increase in liabilities and comprise revenue from taxes and non-tax sources. Non-debt receipts are part of capital receipts that do not generate additional liabilities. Ex: Recovery of loans and proceeds from disinvestments. Debt-creating capital receipts are ones that involve higher liabilities and future payment commitments of the Government.  Fiscal deficit by definition is the difference between total expenditure and the sum of revenue receipts and non-debt receipts. Therefore, fiscal deficit indicates total borrowings of the government. Primary deficit is the difference between fiscal deficit and interest payments.  Revenue deficit is derived by deducting capital expenditure from fiscal deficits.  What are the implications of the Budget on the economy?  The Budget has an implication for aggregate demand of an economy.  All Government expenditure generates aggregate demand in the economy since it involves purchase of private goods and services by the Government sector.  All tax and non-tax revenue reduces net income of the private sector and thereby leads to reduction in private and aggregate demand.  Reduction in expenditure GDP ratio or increase in revenue receipt-GDP ratio indicates the Government’s policy to reduce aggregate demand and vice-versa.  For similar reasons, reduction in fiscal deficit-GDP ratio and primary deficit-GDP ratios indicate Government policy of reducing demand and vice versa.  Since different components of expenditure and revenue can have different effects on income of different classes and social groups, the Budget also has implications for income distribution.  For example, revenue expenditure such as employment guarantee schemes or food subsidies can directly boost the income of the poor.  Concession in corporate tax may directly and positively affect corporate incomes.  Though both a rise in expenditure for employment guarantee schemes or reduction in the corporate tax would widen the fiscal deficit, its implications for income distribution would be different.  What are fiscal rules and how do they affect policy? Fiscal rules provide specific policy targets on the basis of which fiscal policy is formed. Policy targets can be met by using different policy instruments.  In India’s case, its present fiscal rule is guided by the recommendations of the N.K. Singh Committee Report.  Allowing for some deviations under exceptional times, it has three policy targets —  Maintaining a specific level of debt-GDP ratio (stock target) Fiscal deficit-GDP ratio (flow target)  Revenue deficit-GDP ratio (composition target).  Though both expenditure and revenue receipts can potentially act as policy instruments to meet a specific set of fiscal rules, tax rates within the existing policy framework happen to be determined independent of the expenditure requirement of the economy. Accordingly, in the present institutional framework in India, it is primarily the expenditure which is adjusted to meet the fiscal rules at given tax-ratios. Such an adjustment mechanism has at least two related, but analytically distinct, implications for fiscal policy.  First, existing fiscal rules provide a cap on expenditure by imposing the three policy targets.  Second, under any situation when the debt-ratio or deficit ratio is greater than the targeted level, expenditure is adjusted in order to meet the policy targets. By implication, independent of the state of the economy and the need for expansionary fiscal policy, existing policy targets may lead the Government to reduce expenditure.  Conclusion In the midst of the inadequacies of fiscal policy to address the contemporary challenges of unemployment and low output growth rate, the nature and objective of fiscal rules in India would have to be re-examined.  Connecting the dots: Budget & Economic Recovery  Union Budget Gist 2021-22 Participatory Budgeting (Sansad TV: Perspective) Jan 26: Keeping Drones in Check- https://youtu.be/t-hKNBkPOUs  TOPIC: GS-3: Science and Technology Keeping Drones in Check Context: The potential use of drones in a terrorist incident or attack against a critical infrastructure and soft targets is a growing concern for law enforcement agencies worldwide as the availability of drone technology becomes more widespread globally.  Days after three people including two Indians were killed in Abu Dhabi in a drone attack claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the UAE government has ordered to stop all flying operations of private drones and light sports aircraft in the Gulf country for a month.  In the past few years there have been several cases of drones being used by terrorists for planned and attempted attacks in various parts of the world.  India has also witnessed increased rogue drone activity along its Western border with Pakistan in the recent years with drones dropping weapons, ammunition and drugs. What are drones? Drones are “unmanned aerial vehicles” or UAV. Developed essentially as military tools to eliminate a risk without putting a pilot’s life in danger. Over the years, drones have also increasingly been used for various other objectives – Emergency response: Innovations in camera technology have had a significant impact on the growing use of drones. UAVs outfitted with thermal imaging cameras have provided emergency response teams with an ideal solution for identifying victims who are difficult to spot with the naked eye. Disaster relief: drones have proved useful during times of natural disaster. In the aftermath of hurricanes and earthquakes, Disaster management companies used UAVs to assess damage, locate victims, and deliver aid. And in certain circumstances, they are helping to prevent disasters altogether. Healthcare: Many rural regions around the world lack access to high quality healthcare. While medical supplies can be delivered by traditional means, certain circumstances call for quick access to drugs, blood, and medical technology, commercial organisations can fulfil these needs with the help of drones. Agriculture: Farmers across the world are continuously striving to reduce costs and expand yields. With the use of drones, agricultural workers are able to gather data, automate redundant processes, and improve efficiency. Weather forecasting: Today, most data is collected through stationary structures or captured with geospatial imaging solutions. Drones, however, offer a versatile option that can physically follow weather patterns as they develop. Moreover to that water-based unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) are changing the way data is gathered. Maritime: Inspecting ships is also an important part of the industry hence, few companies has designed an underwater drone used to inspect hulls from below. Waste Management: Innovations in waste collection are still emerging, including drones that have help to clean oceans. Few companies focus on robots used to help maintain systems for wastewater management. Infrastructure Development: While drones serve a useful purpose in construction planning and management, they also have the potential to be used to develop physical infrastructure. The danger of drones and killer robots A drone-based terror attack is quite effective: it reduces operation costs and the risk of identification for terrorists as well as can easily sneak past conventional interventions employed by security agencies. Furthermore, individuals with no affiliation to any terrorist organisations can also carry out such an attack with sufficient motivation and skills and fly under the radar. In recent months and years, there has been increasing concern over the dangers of drones and robotics technology that can be utilized to cause harm from remote locations.  The use of drones by terrorist organisations can be traced back to as early as 2013. According to a report by India Today, Al-Qaeda attempted a terror attack using multiple drones in 2013 in Pakistan without success. The drone threat was felt closer to home when an IAF base in Jammu was attacked on 27 June, 2021. Two low-intensity IEDs were allegedly dropped from two drones. According to officials, this was the first time suspected Pakistan-based terrorists used UAVs in an attack. The defence transformation has been far-reaching: over 102 countries now run active military drone programmes. It’s replaced thousands of troops on the ground with controllers behind computers located in bases far away from the air strikes they are launching. All of this is happening without any overarching regulatory regime to protect civilians and uphold humanitarian laws, or to examine the operational and tactical ramifications of this remote-control warfare. The Missile Technology Control Regime, an informal political pact among 35 members, seeks to limit the proliferation of and trade in missiles and missile technology—which arguably covers attack drones. But there’s no enforcement mechanism. It’s not equipped to regulate armed and networked drones, which can take as many as 200 people to operate. The Way Forward Drones have opened the door to weaponized artificial intelligence, algorithmic and robotic warfare, and loosened human control over the deployment of lethal force. Today’s armed drones are tomorrow’s killer robots; the absence of a control mechanism for a new generation of weapons of mass destruction represents a significant threat. As the number of commercial and consumer drones increases worldwide, and as drones become more sophisticated in their abilities to carry potentially dangerous payloads as they fly virtually undetected through sensitive airspace, the need for deploying counter-drone measures against potentially hostile drones increases. Nations should establish a multilateral process to develop standards for the design, export and use of drones, as well as stricter controls on the transfer of military technologies.  Sales agreements should include civilian protection and adherence to international human rights. Introduce counter-drone measures to deal with rogue flying objects and develop and use technologies to disable their navigation, interfere with their radio frequency, or even training eagles for countering small drones. In India: D-4 drone system by DRDO could help the Army swiftly detect and destroy drones that pose a security threat to the country. The technology, developed in 2019, is capable of destroying micro-drones by jamming the command and control links (softkill) and further by damaging the hardware of the drones with lasers (hardkill). Can you answer the following questions? Drones are not just a form of war, but a tool of unregulated intra-state political violence. Comment (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1 Conditional Market Authorization is associated with Which of the following? Pharmaceuticals Defence weapons acquisition  Space satellites Cash crops Q.2 What is the IUCN status of Spot-Billed Pelican? Vulnerable Near threatened Critically endangered Least concern Q.3 Tiwa (Lalung) is an ethnic group mainly inhabiting which of the following state/Union territory of India? Assam  Meghalaya  Tripura Both (a) and (b) ANSWERS FOR 28th Jan 2022 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 A 2 B 3 D Must Read On opening the schools: The Hindu On tackling Omicron variant: The Hindu On IAS cadre rules change: Indian Express

Jan 28, 2022 हिन्दी - Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC हिन्दी Quiz– 2021: IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz 28th January 2022

For Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE करेंट अफेयर्स के प्रश्न 'द हिंदू', 'इंडियन एक्सप्रेस' और 'पीआईबी' जैसे स्रोतों पर आधारित होते हैं, जो यूपीएससी प्रारंभिक परीक्षा के लिए बहुत महत्वपूर्ण स्रोत हैं। प्रश्न अवधारणाओं और तथ्यों दोनों पर केंद्रित हैं। दोहराव से बचने के लिए यहां कवर किए गए विषय आम तौर पर 'दैनिक करंट अफेयर्स / डेली न्यूज एनालिसिस (डीएनए) और डेली स्टेटिक क्विज' के तहत कवर किए जा रहे विषयों से भिन्न होते हैं। प्रश्न सोमवार से शनिवार तक दोपहर 2 बजे से पहले प्रकाशित किए जाएंगे। इस कार्य में आपको 10 मिनट से ज्यादा नहीं देना है। इस कार्य के लिए तैयार हो जाएं और इस पहल का इष्टतम तरीके से उपयोग करें। याद रखें कि, "साधारण अभ्यर्थी और चयनित होने वाले अभ्यर्थी के बीच का अंतर केवल दैनक अभ्यास है !!" Important Note: Comment अनुभाग में अपने अंक पोस्ट करना न भूलें। साथ ही, हमें बताएं कि क्या आपको आज का टेस्ट अच्छा लगा । 5 प्रश्नों को पूरा करने के बाद, अपना स्कोर, समय और उत्तर देखने के लिए ‘View Questions’ पर क्लिक करें। उत्तर देखने के लिए, इन निर्देशों का पालन करें: 1 - 'स्टार्ट टेस्ट/ Start Test' बटन पर क्लिक करें प्रश्न हल करें 'टेस्ट सारांश/Test Summary'बटन पर क्लिक करें 'फिनिश टेस्ट/Finish Test'बटन पर क्लिक करें अब ‘View Questions’बटन पर क्लिक करें - यहां आपको उत्तर और लिंक दिखाई देंगे। To take the Test - Click Here

Jan 28, 2022 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 28th January 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

Jan 27, 2022 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 27th January 2022

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) First India-Central Asia summit Part of: Prelims and GS-II -International relations  Context: Indian Prime Minister will hold the first India-Central Asia summit, in a videoconference with five Presidents from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Key takeaways The major areas of focus would be: trade and connectivity building development partnerships  enhancing cultural and people-to-people contacts, A number of global and regional developments will also form a large part of the discussions. Ways to increase trade between India and the region may also be proposed. India hopes to build on its trilateral working group on Chabahar with Iran and Uzbekistan to strengthen connectivity to the region. Central Asia Central Asia is a region in Asia which stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north It includes the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan All five nations became independent states after the collapse of the USSR in 1991, post-Cold war. News Source: TH Anti-dumping probe against vinyl tiles Part of: Prelims and GS-III Economy Context: India has initiated an anti-dumping probe against imports of a certain type of tiles, used for covering the floors in residential and commercial buildings, from China, Taiwan and Vietnam following a complaint by domestic players. Key takeaways  Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) is probing the alleged dumping of “vinyl tiles other than in roll or sheet form. If it is established that the dumping has caused material injury to the domestic players, the DGTR would recommend an anti-dumping duty on these imports. What is Dumping? Dumping is a process wherein a company (Ex: Chinese Firm X) exports a product (for Ex: to India) at a price that is significantly lower than the price it normally charges in its home (China) market.  What is Anti-Dumping Duty? An anti-dumping duty is a protectionist tariff that a domestic government imposes on foreign imports that it believes are dumped. This is done with the rationale that these products have the potential to undercut local businesses and the local economy. According to global trade norms, including WTO, a country is allowed to impose anti-dumping duty to provide a level-playing field to domestic manufacturers. The duty is imposed only after a thorough investigation by a quasi-judicial body, such as DGTR in India. While the intention of anti-dumping duties is to save domestic jobs, these tariffs can also lead to higher prices for domestic consumers. In the long-term, anti-dumping duties can reduce the international competition of domestic companies producing similar goods. Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) The Directorate General of Trade Remedies was named in May 2018 as an integrated single window agency for providing a comprehensive and swift trade defence mechanism in India. Roles and functions: DGTR deals with Anti-dumping, Countervailing Duty (CVD) and Safeguard measures.  It also provides trade defence support to our domestic industry and exporters.  DGTR provides a level playing field to the domestic industry against the adverse impact of unfair trade practices by using Trade Remedial methods under the relevant framework of WTO arrangements. DGTR functions as an attached office of the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. News Source: TH Najafgarh jheel wetland Part of: Prelims and GS-III Environment  Context: Recently, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Delhi and Haryana to enforce the Environment Management Plans (EMP) that the two governments have prepared for the rejuvenation and protection of the Najafgarh jheel, a transboundary wetland. Key takeaways  According to NGT, the implementation of these action plans is to be monitored by the National Wetland Authority through the respective State Wetland Authorities.  The Union Environment Ministry set up a three-member committee to prepare an integrated EMP  The panel suggested setting up a “Transboundary Najafgarh Jheel Management Committee”. According to this plan, the top priority would be to notify the Najafgarh jheel and its area of influence under The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017. The rules prohibit and regulate certain activities within wetlands and their ‘zone of influence’.  What is a Wetland? Wetland is transitional land between terrestrial and aquatic eco-systems where water table is usually at or near surface or it may be land covered by shallow water. Importance- Wetlands supports rich biodiversity and provides wide range of ecosystem services such as water storage and purification, flood mitigation, erosion control, aquifer recharge etc. In India there are 115 wetlands officially identified by Central Government.  Out of these, 26 have identified as wetlands of international importance under Ramsar Convention designated as Ramsar sites. The Ramsar list is a list of wetland sites that are deemed to be of “international importance” under the Ramsar Convention, 1971 (India is a signatory to it) The list aim “to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits” About Najafgarh jheel/Marsh wetland Najafgarh Lake, fed by Sahibi River, used to be a vast lake in the south west Delhi It was connected to the river Yamuna by a natural shallow nullah or drain called the Najafgarh nullah. The presence of 281 bird species, including several threatened ones such as Egyptian vulture, Sarus Crane, Steppe Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Imperial Eagle and those migrating along the Central Asian Flyway has been reported at the lake. It is  the second largest water body in Delhi-NCR after the Yamuna. The lake is largely filled with sewage from Gurugram and surrounding villages of Delhi. What is NGT? It is a statutory body established in 2010, as per the National Green Tribunal Act.  It is a specialised judicial body equipped with expertise solely for the purpose of adjudicating environmental cases in the country.  The chairperson of the NGT is a retired judge of the Supreme Court  It shall not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 but shall be guided by principles of natural justice.  Tribunal’s orders are binding and it has power to grant relief in the form of compensation and damages to affected persons. News Source: IE (News from PIB) Kathakali dance Part of: Prelims and Mains GS-I: Indian culture In news: PM condoles demise of noted Kathakali dancer Ms. Milena Salvini About Kathakali dance Kathakali is a blend of dance, music and acting and dramatizes stories, which are mostly adapted from the Indian epics.  One of the eight classical dances of India It is a stylised art form, the four aspects of abhinaya - angika, aharya, vachika, satvika and the nritta, nritya and natya aspects are combined perfectly.  The dancer expresses himself through codified hastamudras and facial expressions, closely following the verses (padams) that are sung.  Kathakali derives its textual sanction from Balarama Bharatam and Hastalakshana Deepika. Kathakali symbolizes sky or ether. State: Kerala; The face of a Kathakali dancer being the logo of Kerala tourism Practiced by only male dancers, however, the last few years have seen a leap in the involvement of women in Kathakali (Mrinalini Sarabhai). Originated as part of the bhakti movement and is believed to have been performed by soldiers of the kingdom, as the plays were written by a prince himself.  Since they were well-trained in the martial art of kalari, troupes that followed in their footsteps all across the land also implemented rigorous exercises as part of the training process. And thence started the practice of body massages using the feet (chavitty uzhichil). This practice is believed to be one major reason why women were not welcome in exploring the art. Unique names Aharya: Make-up is suited to character like Krishna and Rama wear special crown decorated with peacock feathers. Todayam: It is a devotional number performed where one or two characters invoke the blessings of the gods Sopana sangeet: It is said to be the ritual singing of the Ashtapadis on the flight of steps leading to the sanctum sanctorum. Unique Features Costumes: Unlike other dance forms, the use of elaborate makeup and costumes are central to Kathakali. They used to differentiate between different characters in story telling such as a Noble, a Royalty, an evil etc. Facial expressions: While most other dance forms like Bharatnatyam and Odissi focus on hand gestures and body postures, a Kathakali dancer emphasizes on their facial expressions instead to depict various emotions. Here body movements are specifically controlled. Music: Heavy use of drums to create an overwhelming and loud environment to showcase the conflict between good and evil.  Chakiarkoothu, Koodiyattam, Krishnattam and Ramanattam are few of the ritual performing arts of Kerala which have had a direct influence on Kathakali in its form and technique. News Source: PIB (Mains Focus) HEALTH/ GOVERNANCE GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Unlock India’s food processing potential Context: The challenge to feed the 10 billion population by mid-century is being deliberated on several fronts.  It demands efficient ways of production that are both economically viable and ecologically sustainable.  Fortunately, technologies are emerging that revamp the traditional approach of agriculture with a lower environmental footprint. India and Processed Food Industry Being one of the largest producers of fruits and vegetables in the world, India has formulated a unique Production-Linked Incentive Scheme (PLIS) to boost processed food in large quantities.  The scheme incentivises firms for incremental sales and branding/marketing initiatives taken abroad. In export market, sales promotion is positively related to increased sales volume but inversely related to profitability. To bridge this gap government provides support for branding and marketing activities in foreign markets. A sum of ₹10,900 crores has been earmarked for the scheme. Beneficiaries have been obliged to commit a minimum investment while applying for the scheme. The sector is likely to witness at least ₹6,500 crore worth of investment by 2024.  Higher investment is being concentrated in States such as AP, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and UP, as these states have better public infrastructure. A study in the US concluded that a 1% increase in public infrastructure increased the food manufacturing output by 0.06% in the longer run  Pandemic & impact on Food Processing sector As a result of pandemic, significant number of people are now working from home which has accelerated the demand for ready-to-eat products (saw 170% increase in sales volume between March-June 2020) The pandemic has bolstered consumer awareness of functional foods, which is expected to provide a boost for health-orientated start-ups and micro-food processing units. What should be the way forward? Address access to capital: The access of MSMEs to finance is a perennial problem in the country due to a lack of proper credit history mechanism for MSMEs. Smart financing alternatives such as peer-to-peer (P2P) lending hold potential for micro-food processors  Reform TReDS platform: Access to working capital has in theory been addressed by the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS). However, the platform requires considerable scaling-up and simultaneous enforcement of stringent measures for corporates to comply with. Integrating the TReDS platform with the Goods and Service Tax Network’s e-invoicing portal will make TReDS more attractive and give relief to financiers.  International Collaboration: With growing populations, changing food habits and unrestricted use of natural resources, nations must come together and lay out a road map for a common efficient food value chain. Promote innovation in both food products and processes: There is a need to replace the staples of rice and wheat in the form of Nutri-cereals, plant-based proteins, fermented foods & health bars. Conclusion 50 years hence, the progress of nations will be benchmarked to their ability to sustainably feed their populations. Connecting the dots: Food Processing Sector New Food Processing Policy HEALTH/ FEDERALISM/ GOVERNANCE GS-2: Federal Challenges GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.  Tamil Nadu model of public health Context: The recent Supreme Court judgement upholding the constitutionality of reservation for OBCs in NEET’s All-India Quota (AIQ) seats for undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental courses is considered as landmark in the history of social justice in the country. “Merit should be socially contextualised and reconceptualised as an instrument that advances social goods like equality that we as a society value,” the apex court said.  Tamil Nadu’s Public Health Model Govt. in-Service doctor Reservation: The state provides reservation of 50% of the postgraduate and super-specialty medical seats for in-service government doctors Criteria of Rural Service: Serving for three years in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in rural areas is an eligibility criterion for graduates to avail themselves of this reservation policy.  Bond of government service till retirement: The reservation Policy has unique superannuation bond for these government doctors to ensure that those who secure postgraduate or super-specialty seats by availing themselves of in-service reservation will serve the government till their retirement.  What are the merits of such Public Health Policy model? Increased Skilled manpower: The introduction of the reservation scheme ushered in a tectonic shift in providing tertiary health care in government hospitals by ensuring the availability of specialists in government hospitals. Regional development: It led to a steady rise in the availability of multi-specialty experts not only in metropolitan cities like Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai, but also Tier-2 cities as early as the 1990s.  Strengthened Primary Health Centres: It encouraged young MBBS graduates to serve in rural areas as it was part of criteria to avail the reservation benefits. As a consequence, State PHCs and government hospitals never witnessed a shortage of doctors and people got better healthcare facilities at their doorsteps.  Prevents Brain Drain: The superannuation bond has ensured that a vast majority of the specialists continues their service in the government sector throughout their career. This has prevented the brain drain either to the private sector or to places abroad. What are the changes brought in with the introduction of NEET? The Medical Council of India (MCI) has framed a policy of giving only 50% of postgraduate diploma seats to service doctors, exempting postgraduate degrees. Also, it became compulsory for individual States to surrender all the seats of super-specialty courses to the central pool for common counselling, forgoing the domiciliary needs. 15% of MBBS seats, 50% of postgraduate seats but 100% of super-specialty seats are surrendered to Centre, which is known as AIQ  It also became compulsory for abolishing government doctors’ reservation. Criticism of new NEET Policy The Union government went to the extent of filing affidavits opposing in-service reservation before the Courts when the new rule was challenged by the Tamil Nadu. This is considered as against the Federal spirit, especially when it was done without adequate consultation with State. Tamil Nadu State government says that dismantling incentives to serving doctors would jeopardise healthcare delivery system in the State. It has also criticised that MCI which is a mere regulatory watchdog doesn’t any legal teeth to formulate such a policy. Connecting the dots: Tamil Nadu’s Case against NEET  Medical Education: Over-centralisation is harsh (Criticism of NEET) National Medical Commission (Down to Earth: Pollution) Jan 25: Is air pollution contributing to the ‘insect apocalypse’? - https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/pollution/is-air-pollution-contributing-to-the-insect-apocalypse-yes-experts-tell-dte-81268  TOPIC: GS-3: Biodiversity and Conservation GS-3: Pollution, Climate change Is air pollution contributing to the ‘insect apocalypse’? Context: There is an ‘insect apocalypse’ underway across the world. The threats to insects include habitat loss, climate change, land-use change and insecticides. But there appears to be another insidious contributor: polluted air. Insects in the ecosystem Vital for India’s food security: Insects have an essential role to play in our ecosystem. They pollinate many of our fruits, flowers and vegetables, contributing significantly to the productivity of at least 75 per cent of global crop species. Their services are. Insects keep pests in check: For example, ladybird preys on aphids, that damage crops. Insects are also food sources for amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. If we were to lose all pollinating insects tomorrow, we would no longer be able to produce cocoa beans, brazil nuts and some fruits (like melon and pumpkin) Blame it on Air Pollution Air pollution is likely an important, but currently overlooked, factor contributing to insect pollinator declines. A study in Bengaluru found a drastic reduction in honeybee health at levels which were target levels by the World Health Organization for cities A. Impact of respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) on health of Giant Asian honey bees:  Giant Asian honey bees produce more than 80 per cent of the honey in India and pollinate more than 687 plant species. Over 80 per cent of bees survived for 24 hours at moderately polluted sites. Research in this area is relevant for India as nine of its cities rank in the top 10 most polluted cities globally. Most polluted Tier-2 cities are much more embedded in agricultural lands. RSPM is a complex mixture of particles measuring less than 10 or 2.5 micrometres in diameter. They are commonly called Particulate Matter. B. How could pollution hurt insects? In the study, the health impacts of pollutants on bees were quite severe, Honey bees’ heart rates, stress, blood cells counts were affected. Air pollutants can do a lot more. They can mess with the insects’ ability to sniff flowers, lowering pollination services. Flowers release odour as chemicals called volatile organic compounds, which help insects locate flowers. Pollutants could react with and change the scents of flowers, making them harder to find. One study found that honey bees exposed to low medium and high air pollutant concentrations had an impaired ability to recollect odour. Pollutants might also mess with social bonds. Insects use odours for a huge variety of interactions with each other and their environment. For example, insects use airborne odours to attract a mate. If pheromone communication is disrupted similarly, it could result in insects struggling to find mates, which could have ramifications for insect biodiversity. Some insects like Beetles and parasitic wasps appeared resilient to pollutants. The researchers suspect that this could be because the above insects relied on visual cues rather than odour to reach flowers. Future experiments will need to explain why some species or groups of insects are more affected than others. The Way Forward There is a need to relook and ascertain our regulations across the world Future studies should quantify the levels of pollutants safe for insects’ health (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1 Which of the following is/are true regarding the National Green Tribunal (NGT)? It is a Constitutional body established in 2010, as per the National Green Tribunal Act.  The chairperson of the NGT is always an expert in the Ecology and Environment related field.  Select the correct answer: Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2 Antidumping duties are used to ? offset the margin of dumping punish domestic consumers for buying high-priced imported goods discourage foreign governments from subsidizing their exporters reduce the tariff revenue of the domestic government Q.3 Najafgarh jheel wetland is located in which of the following state/Union territory of India? Delhi Haryana Punjab Both (a) and (b) ANSWERS FOR 27th Jan 2022 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 D 2 A 3 D Must Read On retroactive tax disputes: The Hindu On India-Pakistan ties: The Hindu

Jan 27, 2022 Yojana

IAS UPSC YOJANA & KURUKSHETRA Magazine ‘JANUARY’ 2022

ARCHIVES Hello Friends, Here we are with the JANUARY 2022, edition of Yojana and Kurukshetra. Yojana/Kurukshetra: JANUARY 2022 – Download You can access the previous YK Gist here - CLICK HERE

Jan 27, 2022 हिन्दी - Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC हिन्दी Quiz– 2021: IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz 27th January 2022

For Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE करेंट अफेयर्स के प्रश्न 'द हिंदू', 'इंडियन एक्सप्रेस' और 'पीआईबी' जैसे स्रोतों पर आधारित होते हैं, जो यूपीएससी प्रारंभिक परीक्षा के लिए बहुत महत्वपूर्ण स्रोत हैं। प्रश्न अवधारणाओं और तथ्यों दोनों पर केंद्रित हैं। दोहराव से बचने के लिए यहां कवर किए गए विषय आम तौर पर 'दैनिक करंट अफेयर्स / डेली न्यूज एनालिसिस (डीएनए) और डेली स्टेटिक क्विज' के तहत कवर किए जा रहे विषयों से भिन्न होते हैं। प्रश्न सोमवार से शनिवार तक दोपहर 2 बजे से पहले प्रकाशित किए जाएंगे। इस कार्य में आपको 10 मिनट से ज्यादा नहीं देना है। इस कार्य के लिए तैयार हो जाएं और इस पहल का इष्टतम तरीके से उपयोग करें। याद रखें कि, "साधारण अभ्यर्थी और चयनित होने वाले अभ्यर्थी के बीच का अंतर केवल दैनक अभ्यास है !!" Important Note: Comment अनुभाग में अपने अंक पोस्ट करना न भूलें। साथ ही, हमें बताएं कि क्या आपको आज का टेस्ट अच्छा लगा । 5 प्रश्नों को पूरा करने के बाद, अपना स्कोर, समय और उत्तर देखने के लिए ‘View Questions’ पर क्लिक करें। उत्तर देखने के लिए, इन निर्देशों का पालन करें: 1 - 'स्टार्ट टेस्ट/ Start Test' बटन पर क्लिक करें प्रश्न हल करें 'टेस्ट सारांश/Test Summary'बटन पर क्लिक करें 'फिनिश टेस्ट/Finish Test'बटन पर क्लिक करें अब ‘View Questions’बटन पर क्लिक करें - यहां आपको उत्तर और लिंक दिखाई देंगे। To take the Test - Click Here

Jan 27, 2022 Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 27th January 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

Jan 26, 2022 IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 26th January 2022

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Part of: Prelims and GS-III -Environment  Context: The details of the recently released draft environment impact assessment (EIA) report for the mega development project in the Great Nicobar Island have raised serious questions. The questions are related to submission of incorrect or incomplete information, scientific inaccuracy and failure to follow appropriate procedure.  A public hearing to discuss the report has been scheduled. What is the matter related to? The matter is related to the NITI Aayog-piloted Rs. 72,000-crore integrated project in Great Nicobar that includes construction of a mega port, an airport complex, a township spread over 130 sq. km of pristine forest and a solar and gas-based power plant. Ecologists and researchers have been raising concerns about this project for over a year. Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) It is a process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project  It is statutorily backed by the Environment Protection Act, 1986.  Environment Impact Assessment Notification of 2006 has decentralized the environmental clearance projects by categorizing the developmental projects in two categories – Category A (national level appraisal) and Category B (state level appraisal). Category A projects – They require mandatory environmental clearance and thus they do not undergo the screening process. Category B Projects– They undergo screening process and they are classified into two types: Category B1 projects (Mandatorily require EIA). Category B2 projects (Do not require EIA). News Source: TH NHRC directs MHA to protect rights of Arunachal Chakmas Part of: Prelims and GS-II Policies and interventions  Context: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Arunachal Pradesh government to submit an action taken report against the racial profiling and relocation of people belonging to the Chakma and Hajong communities.  Who are Chakma and Hajong? Chakmas are predominantly Buddhists while Hajongs are Hindus. They were inhabitants of the Chittagong Hill Tracts of erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) who migrated to India due to: Submergence of their land by the Kaptai dam on the Karnaphuli River in the 1960s. religious persecution they faced in East Pakistan as they were non-Muslims. The Indian government set up relief camps in Arunachal Pradesh and a majority of them continue to live there even after 50 years. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) NHRC was established in 1993.  It is in conformity with the Paris Principles, adopted at the first international workshop on national institutions for the protection of human rights held in Paris in 1991. Status: It is a statutory organization established under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993  Headquarters: New Delhi. Functions: To investigate the violation of human rights/ the failures of the states/other to prevent a human rights violation  The commissions may also take on research about human rights, create awareness campaigns through various mediums, and encourage the work of NGOs. Composition:  Chairperson, four full-time Members and four deemed Members.  A Chairperson, should be retired Chief Justice of India or a Judge of the Supreme Court. Appointment: The Chairperson and members of the NHRC are appointed by the President of India, on the recommendation of a committee consisting of: The Prime Minister (Chairperson) The Home Minister The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha  The Speaker of the Lok Sabha The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha They hold office for a term of three years or until they attain the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier. The President can remove them from the office under specific circumstances. News Source: TH Peru declares ‘environmental emergency’ Part of: Prelims and GS-III Environment  Context: Recently, the Peruvian government declared a 90-day “environmental emergency” in damaged coastal territories, after an oil spill that saw 6,000 barrels of crude oil pour into the sea. What is an environmental emergency? It is defined as a “sudden-onset disaster or accident resulting from natural, technological or human-induced factors, or a combination of these, that causes or threatens to cause severe environmental damage as well as loss of human lives and property”. According to UNEP, Countries facing an environmental emergency often require technical support and specialized expertise to respond effectively, minimize adverse impacts, and recover rapidly. What is oil spill? An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution.  The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land. About Peru Peru is a country in western South America.  It is a megadiverse country with habitats ranging from the arid plains of the Pacific coastal region in the west to the peaks of the Andes mountains extending from the north to the southeast of the country to the tropical Amazon Basin rainforest in the east with the Amazon river. It is essentially a tropical country. The cold Peru Current (or Humboldt Current), flows along its Pacific shoreline. News Source: IE Conjugal rights Part of: Prelims and GS-II Policies and interventions  Context: The Supreme Court is expected to begin hearing a fresh challenge to the provision allowing restitution of conjugal rights under Hindu personal laws. About Conjugal rights Section 9 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 deals with restitution of conjugal rights.  It recognises one aspect of conjugal rights — the right to consortium and protects it by allowing a spouse to move court to enforce the right.  Conjugal rights are rights created by marriage, i.e. right of the husband or the wife to the society of the other spouse.  The law recognises these rights— both in personal laws dealing with marriage, divorce etc, and in criminal law requiring payment of maintenance and alimony to a spouse.  Conjugal Rights includes: Living together: The spouses or the married couple should live together Marital intercourse: The spouses or the married couple have rights and duties together with each other and have physical or sexual relationships. Comfort to each other: The spouses should give comfort to each other like; emotional and mental comfort. Matrimonial Obligation: The married couple is supposed to share the responsibility of the households as well.  Why has the law been challenged?  Main ground is that it is violative of the fundamental right to privacy.  It amounted to a “coercive act” on the part of the state, which violates one’s sexual and decisional autonomy, and right to privacy and dignity.  The provision disproportionately affects women. Women are often called back to marital homes under the provision, and given that marital rape is not a crime, leaves them susceptible to such coerced cohabitation.  Also in question is whether the state can have such a compelling interest in protecting the institution of marriage that it allows a legislation to enforce cohabitation of spouses. News Source: TH (News from PIB) 12th National Voters’ Day: January 25 Objective: To mark the foundation day of the Election Commission of India, i.e. 25th January 1950 Purpose: To encourage, facilitate and maximize enrolment, especially for new voters Theme: Making Elections Inclusive, Accessible and Participative The first-ever National Voters’ Day was celebrated on January 25, 2011 Election Commission of India is a Constitutional Body created under Article 324 of the Constitution of India. Gaganyaan Part of: Prelims and Mains GS-III: Awareness in the field of Space – Space Missions India’s 1st Human spaceflight programme to be launched by 2023. It will include two unmanned flights to be launched in December 2020 and July 2021 and one human space flight to be launched in December 2021. It will carry 3 astronauts to a low earth orbit of 300 to 400 kilometres on board GSLV Mark III vehicle, for at least 7 days. It will make India the 4th country to send manned mission after the Russia, USA and China. Components of Gaganyaan Mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Rocket: GSLV Mk-III, also called the LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3,) the three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle Gaganyaan system module, called the Orbital Module - will circle Earth at a low-earth-orbit at an altitude of 300-400 km from earth for 5-7 days The payload: Crew module - spacecraft carrying human beings. Service module - powered by two liquid propellant engines. The crew members will be selected by the IAF and ISR. Crew will perform micro-gravity and other scientific experiments for a week. Crew Module Atmospheric Re-Entry Technology – Care Satellites that are launched for communication or remote sensing are meant to remain in space. However, a manned spacecraft needs to come back. While re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft needs to withstand very high temperatures created due to friction. A prior critical experiment was carried out in 2014 along with GSLV MK-III when the CARE (Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment) capsule successfully demonstrated that it could survive atmospheric re-entry. Potential of this mission Employment generation of around 15,000. Technological advancement will enhance India’s standing in the world given only few countries have achieved this feat (USA, Russia, China) Inspire nation’s youth to take up scientific research. Can even attract foreign talent. Increase foreign investment in the field leading to better infrastructure. Using ‘space’ as a tool in foreign policy and diplomacy. Bringing in innovative transportation systems. Resources to mankind: The ISRO is looking to tap Helium which is present in abundance on the Moon through its future missions which will be very useful for clean nuclear power generation. Technological spin-offs from the mission to have positive impact on various sectors like telecom, power. Other upcoming Missions by ISRO RICAT-1A PSLV C5-2 scheduled for February 2022 OCEANSAT-3 INS 2B ANAND PSLV C-53 to be launched in March 2022 SSLV-D1 Micro SAT in April 2022 News Source: PIB (Mains Focus) SCIENCE & TECH/ GOVERNANCE GS-3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Web3: A vision for the future Context: The concept of Web3, also called Web 3.0, used to describe a potential next phase of the internet, created quite a buzz in 2021.  The model, a decentralised internet to be run on blockchain technology, would be different from the versions in use, Web 1.0 and Web 2.0.  In web3, users will have ownership stakes in platforms and applications unlike now where tech  What do we need to know of versions in use? To understand web3, we should start with Web 1.0 and Web 2.0.  Web 1.0 is the world wide web or the internet that was invented in 1989. It became popular from 1993.  The internet in the Web 1.0 days was mostly static web pages where users would go to a website and then read and interact with the static information.  Even though there were e-commerce websites in the initial days it was still a closed environment and the users themselves could not create any content or post reviews on the internet.  Web 1.0 lasted until 1999. Web 2.0 started in some form in the late 1990s itself though 2004 was when most of its features were fully available. It is still the age of Web 2.0 now.  The differentiating characteristic of Web 2.0 compared to Web1.0 is that users can create content. They can interact and contribute in the form of comments, registering likes, sharing and uploading their photos or videos and perform other such activities.  Primarily, a social media kind of interaction is the differentiating trait of Web 2.0. What are some of the concerns? In Web 2.0, most of the data in the internet and the internet traffic are owned or handled by very few large companies.  This has created issues related to data privacy, data security and abuse of such data.  There is a sense of disappointment that the original purpose of the internet has been distorted. It is in this context that the buzz around Web3 is significant.  Over the past few years, owing to the popularity of crypto-currency, more discussions happened on Web3. What is Web3 and how will it address the problems of data monopoly? As per the Web3 foundation, Web3 will deliver “decentralized and fair internet where users control their own data”.  Currently if a seller has to make a business to the buyer, both the buyer and seller need to be registered on a “shop” or “platform” like Amazon or any such e-commerce portal.  What this “platform” currently does is that it authenticates that the buyer and seller are genuine parties for the transaction.  Web3 tries to remove the role of the “platform”.  For the buyer to be authenticated, the usual proofs aided by block chain technology will be used. The same goes for the seller.  With block chain, the time and place of transaction are recorded permanently.  Thus, Web3 enables peer to peer (seller to buyer) transaction by eliminating the role of the intermediary. This concept can be extended to other transactions also.  Consider a social media application where one wants to share pictures with their followers. It could be a broadcast operation from the person, aided by blockchain and there is no need of social media accounts for all the participants to be able to perform this. The spirit of Web3 is Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) which is that all the business rules and governing rules in any transaction are transparently available for anyone to see and software will be written conforming to these rules.  With DAO, there is no need for a central authority to authenticate or validate. Crypto-currency and block chain are technologies that follow the DAO principle.  Will it take off? There is much scepticism from top tech brains in the industry and the academic community that Web3 does not solve the problems it purports to solve.  Elon Musk and Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter), for example, are a couple of tech entrepreneurs who do not foresee a future for Web3. From a technology perspective, Web3 will require deviation from the current architecture where there is a front-end, middle layer and back-end.  Web3’s architecture will need backend solutions for handling block chain, persisting and indexing data in block chain, peer to peer communications and so forth.  Similarly, the middle layer, also called the business rules layer, will need to include handling block chain-based backend. It is not know yet if Web3 will become the dominant mode of handling the internet but the questions it raises are relevant. Connecting the dots: Blockchain Technology & Voting 5G: Roadblocks & Way Ahead SOCIETY/ GOVERNANCE GS-1: Society GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.  Need for shared parenting Context: In child custody matters, the access to courts are getting tougher with pandemic induced restrictions, impacting both non-custodial parents and children.  Seeking custody of a child in the event of a marriage breaking down is a messy affair.  While the concept of shared parenting is a reality in countries such as the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, it is not an option in India.  What does the law say? Two laws determine the custody of children in India.  The first is The Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act (HMGA) of 1956, which states that the natural guardian of a Hindu minor boy or unmarried girl shall be the father and mother, provided that custody of a minor who has not completed five years of age shall ordinarily be with the mother.  But the HMGA does not contain any independent, legal or procedural mechanism for deciding custody rights or declaring court-appointed guardians. Therefore, we fall back on the second law, which is colonial in nature.  The second law is the Guardian and Wards Act of 1890 (GWA) which deals with the appointment of a person as a ‘guardian’ to a child, both with respect to the child and property.  Child custody, guardianship and visitation issues between parents are determined under the GWA, if a natural parent wants to be declared as an exclusive guardian to his/her own child. Upon disputes between parents in a petition under the GWA, read with the HMGA, guardianship and custody can be vested with one parent with visitation rights to the other parent.  In doing so, the welfare of the minor or “best interests of the child” shall be of paramount consideration. What does “best interests of the child” mean? India is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).  The definition of “best interests of the child” has been incorporated from the UNCRC in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.  The “best interests of the child” means to ensure fulfillment of his/her basic rights and needs, identity, social well-being and physical, emotional and intellectual development”. In 2019, the Supreme Court of India held in Lahari Sakhamuri v. Sobhan Kodali that the “best interests of the child” is wide in its connotation and “cannot remain the love and care of the primary care, i.e., the mother in case of an infant or the child who is only a few years old.” This is child-centric approach.  Again, in 2022, the Supreme Court in Vasudha Sethi v. Kiran V. Bhaskar held that a child’s welfare, not the individual or personal legal right of the parents, is of paramount concern in a custody battle. Welfare of the child must get precedence over the parents’ rights. Have any recommendations been made for joint parenting? Recommendations have been made for joint parenting by various committees.  The Law Commission of India Report in 2015, on Reforms in Guardianship and Custody Laws in India, recommended joint custody and shared parenting. It disagreed with the idea of singular child custody with one parent. Law Commission made exhaustive recommendations for amendments in the HMGA and GWA for joint custody and for guidelines for such custody, child support, and visitation arrangements. A complete draft of The Protection of Children (Inter-Country Removal and Retention) Bill, defining wrongful removal and retention, with a complete mechanism for redress was given in a two-volume report to the Government of India by Justice Bindal Committee. What has happened to these recommendations? Unfortunately, these reports have been ignored and impasse over the issue has resulted in ugly custody disputes.  Against this backdrop, in 2017, in Vivek Singh v. Romani Singh, Supreme Court highlighted the concept of Parental Alienation Syndrome, which refers to the unjustified disdain of a child towards his or her parents.  The judgment underlined its “psychological destructive effects”. Sadly, alienated children do not even want to speak to or see the parent whose custody they are not under.  The court held that “a child-centric human rights jurisprudence that time is founded on the principle that public good demands proper growth of the child, who are the future of the nation.”  Regrettably, a prolonged separation divides and splits families. What is the way forward? Despite the idea of joint parenting growing in India, the laws remain unchanged. Courts are bound to the HMGA/GWA and have no other option. As a result, it is children who suffer in silence.  During the pandemic, there have been many cases of custodial parents taking advantage of the laws and denying visitation rights to non-custodial parents.  Therefore, general guidelines or practice directions by the Supreme Court are the need of the hour.  Shared or joint parenting with equal rights is a viable, practical, balanced solution for the child’s optimal growth.  Family courts are equipped under the Family Courts Act of 1984 to devise their own procedure, independent of the technicalities of law. They can formulate out-of-box methods and insist that children be shared by the father and mother. For a child to be caught in a conventional single parent custody trap is archaic and destructive to the child. It ruins the child’s life and also causes misery to the parent, especially to the one who does not have custody. Connecting the dots: Child Labour & Pandemic  Impact of Lockdown on Women & Children Pandemic & Domestic Violence (Sansad TV: Today in History) Jan 22: Battle of Wandiwash - https://youtu.be/gRkv0cB_Z60  TOPIC: GS-2: India and its neighbourhood Battle of Wandiwash Also known as: Third Carnatic War Between: A battle in India between the French and the British (part of the global Seven Years' War) Count de Lally (French General) British Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote For: Attempt by the French to acquire the Fort of Vandavasi Where: Vandavasi in Tamil Nadu Who won: British Course of the War In Europe, as Austria started the process to recover Silesia, the Seven Years War (1756-63) began. Britain and France were standing once again on opposite sides. In 1758, the French army under French General, Count Thomas Arthur de Lally captured the English forts of St. David and Vizianagaram in 1758. The Britishers became offensive and inflicted heavy losses on the French fleet under Admiral D’Ache at Masulipatnam. British defeated France in India; The French lost the possession to the British and also other territories. The war came to an end with the Signing of the Treaty of Paris.  The acquired territories of both the sides were restored, but the French lost their influence in India forever. Significance of the War French lost their political influence in India forever. The English became the supreme European power in the Indian subcontinent with no rival. This was a huge turning point for the Britishers which led to dominance and establishing their rule across the country. How did British won and French lost? A. Lesser Governmental Control over British:  The English company was a private enterprise. With less governmental control over it, this company could take instant decisions when needed without waiting for the approval of the government. Qucik decisions >> better outcomes The French company, on the other hand, was controlled and regulated by the French government and was hemmed in by government policies and delays in decision-making. B. Superior British Navy and Bigger Cities under Control:  The English navy was superior to the French navy  It helped to cut off the vital sea link between the French possessions in India and France. C. Strong presence of British on Indian land: The English held three important places, namely, Calcutta, Bombay and Madras Bengal was the richest province at that time providing the British more money for the maintenance of their army. French had only Pondicherry. D. British were Strong in terms of monetary position:  The French did not focus on their commercial interests compared to their imperialistic ambitions, which made the French company short of funds. In spite of their imperialistic motives, the British never neglected their commercial interests. E. Superior British Commanders:  A major factor in the success of the English in India was the superiority of the commanders in the British camp- Sir Eyre Coote, Major Stringer Lawrence, Robert Clive and many others There was only Dupleix on the French side. Note: The First Carnatic War (1746–1748):  Fought between the French and the British.  The first of the 3 war fought between the French and the British An extension of the Anglo-French rivalry in Europe, Austrian War of Succession Second Carnatic War (1749-1754) Fought between Nasir jung on one side, supported by the English, and on the other was Chanda Sahib and Muzaffar Jung, supported by French, vying to become the Nawab of Arcot.  The war ended with the Treaty of Pondicherry, signed in 1754 which recognised Muhammad Ai khan walajah as the Nawab of Carnatic Can you answer the following questions? How did internal rivalries lead to early British expansion and control in India? Discuss. Explain the causes and consequences of the third Carnatic War? (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Q.1 Which of the following is/are true regarding categorizing the developmental projects under Environment Impact Assessment ? Category A projects – They require mandatory environmental clearance and thus they do not undergo the screening process. Category B Projects– They undergo screening process  Select the correct answer: Only 1 Only 2 Both 1 and 2 Neither 1 nor 2 Q.2 Which of the following is incorrect? Election Commission of India (ECI) is a Constitutional Body  ECI was created under Article 324 of the Constitution of India. 25th January is celebrated as National Voters’ Day to mark the foundation day of the Election Commission of India. The first-ever National Voters’ Day was celebrated on January 25, 2020 Q.3 Hajong and Chakma communities, recently seen in news, are originally the inhabitants of which of following country? Vietnam  Bhutan Bangladesh Myanmar ANSWERS FOR 26th Jan 2022 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 C 2 D 3 C Must Read On Republic day: The Hindu On low emissions growth: The Hindu

Jan 26, 2022 हिन्दी - Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC हिन्दी Quiz– 2021: IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz 26th January 2022

For Previous Daily Quiz (ARCHIVES) - CLICK HERE करेंट अफेयर्स के प्रश्न 'द हिंदू', 'इंडियन एक्सप्रेस' और 'पीआईबी' जैसे स्रोतों पर आधारित होते हैं, जो यूपीएससी प्रारंभिक परीक्षा के लिए बहुत महत्वपूर्ण स्रोत हैं। प्रश्न अवधारणाओं और तथ्यों दोनों पर केंद्रित हैं। दोहराव से बचने के लिए यहां कवर किए गए विषय आम तौर पर 'दैनिक करंट अफेयर्स / डेली न्यूज एनालिसिस (डीएनए) और डेली स्टेटिक क्विज' के तहत कवर किए जा रहे विषयों से भिन्न होते हैं। प्रश्न सोमवार से शनिवार तक दोपहर 2 बजे से पहले प्रकाशित किए जाएंगे। इस कार्य में आपको 10 मिनट से ज्यादा नहीं देना है। इस कार्य के लिए तैयार हो जाएं और इस पहल का इष्टतम तरीके से उपयोग करें। याद रखें कि, "साधारण अभ्यर्थी और चयनित होने वाले अभ्यर्थी के बीच का अंतर केवल दैनक अभ्यास है !!" Important Note: Comment अनुभाग में अपने अंक पोस्ट करना न भूलें। साथ ही, हमें बताएं कि क्या आपको आज का टेस्ट अच्छा लगा । 5 प्रश्नों को पूरा करने के बाद, अपना स्कोर, समय और उत्तर देखने के लिए ‘View Questions’ पर क्लिक करें। उत्तर देखने के लिए, इन निर्देशों का पालन करें: 1 - 'स्टार्ट टेस्ट/ Start Test' बटन पर क्लिक करें प्रश्न हल करें 'टेस्ट सारांश/Test Summary'बटन पर क्लिक करें 'फिनिश टेस्ट/Finish Test'बटन पर क्लिक करें अब ‘View Questions’बटन पर क्लिक करें - यहां आपको उत्तर और लिंक दिखाई देंगे। To take the Test - Click Here