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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 21st October 2021

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Global Threat Assessment report 2021 Part of: Prelims and GS I - Social issues Context The Global Threat Assessment report 2021 was recently launched by We Protect Global Alliance.  We Protect Global Alliance is a global movement of more than 200 governments, private sector companies and civil society organisations working together to transform the global response to child sexual exploitation and abuse online. Key findings underfunded: Child sexual abuse remains a chronically underfunded issue.  COVID-19 impact: COVID-19 had contributed to a significant spike in child sexual exploitation and abuse online. Highest reporting: In the past two years, the reporting of child sexual exploitation and online abuse has reached its highest level. Self-generated abuse:  The Internet Watch Foundation observed a 77% increase in child ‘self-generated’ (arising without apparent external cause) sexual material from 2019 to 2020. Tools to detect: Only 37% currently use tools to detect online grooming. Online grooming is where someone befriends a child online and builds up their trust with the intention of exploiting them and causing them harm.  Suggestions: Prioritise prevention activities against abuse, Creating safe online environments for children  Stakeholders who have a role to protect children must work together to improve the response.  India more vulnerable to heat extremes: Lancet report Part of: Prelims and GS-III - Environment; Climate change  Context The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change’ was recently launched.  It is a flagship report of the medical journal The Lancet.  It provides periodic updates on the scientific literature on the relationship between climate change and public health. The Lancet Countdown’s sixth annual report tracks 44 indicators of health impacts that are directly linked to climate change.  It shows key trends are getting worse and exacerbating already existing health and social inequities. What are its key findings?  India's vulnerability: India has become 15% more vulnerable to extremes of heat than in 1990.  Senior citizens: Chinese, Indian, American, Japanese and Indonesian senior citizens were the most affected. Loss of Work hours: 295 billion hours of potential work were lost across the globe in 2020 due to heat exposure.  Most affected developing countries: Pakistan, Bangladesh and India had the greatest losses of the working hours in their group.  These are the most populous countries in the medium-HDI (Human Development Index) group.  Heat-related mortality: Between 2018 and 2019, India and Brazil had the biggest absolute increase in heat-related mortality. Economic loss: The economic losses of climate-related extreme events were three times higher in medium-HDI countries than they are in very high HDI countries.  South-East Asia was the only region with increasing air pollution mortality costs between 2015 and 2019, relative to GDP Increase in wildfires: Populations of 134 countries have experienced an increase in exposure to wildfires.  Widespread drought: Drought is more widespread than ever before. Black Sea security ties Part of: Prelims and GS II - International Relations  Context U.S. Defence Secretary urged more defence cooperation among Black Sea allies ahead of a NATO Ministers summit. The region is vulnerable to Russian aggression. Thus, the action was needed by littoral states of the Black Sea amid Russia “militarisation” of the region.  About the Black Sea The Black Sea, also known as the Euxine Sea, is one of the major water bodies and a famous inland sea of the world. It is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between Eastern Europe and Western Asia. The Black Sea is also connected to the Sea of Azov by the Strait of Kerch. The bordering countries of Black Sea are: Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania.  About North Atlantic Treaty Organization North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of April 4, 1949.  Established by: United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. Article 5: It states that if one member of the alliance is attacked in Europe or North America, it is to be considered an attack on all members. That effectively put Western Europe under the "nuclear umbrella" of the US. As of 2019, there are 29 member states, with Montenegro becoming the latest member to join the alliance in 2017. High oil prices Part of: Prelims and GS-III - Economy  Context  India has warned that high oil prices will undermine global economic recovery.  It has pushed Saudi Arabia and other OPEC nations to work towards affordable and reliable supplies. Petrol and diesel prices have hit record highs across India after continuous price increases since May. Background  Global oil prices crashed to $19 per barrel in April 2020 as demand reduced with most nations imposing lockdowns to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. Demand recovered this year as vaccination against the infection revived economies worldwide. International benchmark Brent crude has since rallied to $84 per barrel. This had made fuel expensive and was instilling fears of inflation. While the world had begun the transition towards cleaner fuels such as electric-powered vehicles and hydrogen, most nations were still dependent on oil to fuel their economies. And high oil prices would hurt the recovery in demand. India and the oil  India’s oil import bill had climbed from $8.8 billion in June 2020 quarter to $24 billion this year because of a spike in global oil prices.  India imports almost two-thirds of its oil needs from West Asia.  India is 85% dependent on imports to meet its oil needs.  It is the world’s third-largest energy consumer. About Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) The OPEC is a permanent, intergovernmental organization, It was created at the Baghdad Conference in 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela. Aim: It aims to manage the supply of oil in an effort to set the price of oil in the world market, in order to avoid fluctuations that might affect the economies of both producing and purchasing countries. It is headquartered in Vienna, Austria. OPEC membership is open to any country that is a substantial exporter of oil and which shares the ideals of the organization. 14 Member Countries: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates(UAE), Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo, Angola, Ecuador and Venezuela. (News from PIB) Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package Part of: Prelims and Mains GS-II- Governance In News: Insurance scheme for health workers fighting COVID-19 extended for a further period of 180 days as the Covid-19 pandemic has still not abated and deaths of health workers deployed for COVID related duties are still being reported from different States/UTs Aim: To provide comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs. 50 Lakh to 22.12 lakh health care providers including community health workers and private health workers who may have been in direct contact and care of COVID-19 patients and may be at risk of being impacted by this. News Source: PIB Mastitis, an ailment of dairy cattle Part of: Prelims In News: Utilising indigenous knowledge system shared by a farmer from Gujarat, a poly-herbal and cost-effective medicine has been developed to treat Mastitis, an infectious disease of dairy cattle. Mastitis is a common infectious disease, which affects farm productivity due to fall in milk quality, thus impacting income-generating activities.  Treatment of infected animals with antibiotics poses a public health hazard.  This medicine has reduced the use of antibiotics and helped in the cost-effective management of the disease. News Source: PIB (Mains Focus) ENVIRONMENT/ INTERNATIONAL GS-2: International Institutions & Organisations GS-3: Environmental Conservation  Carbon Markets Conundrum at COP26 Context: The success of COP26 at Glasgow, that will take place from 31 October to 12 November 2021, depends to a great extent on the conclusion of carbon markets discussions Article 6 of the Paris Agreement introduces provisions for using international carbon markets to facilitate fulfilment of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by countries.  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 U.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. What are the critical issues with Article 6 of Paris Agreement? The three critical issues that would be hotly debated in Article 6 negotiating rooms are Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Transition, Accounting rules and Share of Proceeds to the Adaptation Fund. Let us examine them one by one. CDM transition:  The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects have gone through due diligence and credits have been issued under UNFCCC oversight. Therefore, the Article 6 mechanism should honour the previous decisions  However, some countries have cast doubts on the environmental integrity of these credits and while there is greater acceptance for transition of projects/activities, the same is not the case for transition of credits.  If the decision regarding transition of CDM is not favourable, it could lead to a loss of billions of dollars worth of potential revenue to India alone. This can result in the formation of the new supervisory body under the Paris Agreement that can re-examine the validity and rigour of such credits. Accounting rules:  Article 6.4 mechanism is meant to incentivise the private sector and public entities to undertake mitigation activities for sustainable development.  Under this mechanism, a country can purchase emission reductions from public and private entities of the host country and use it to meet its NDC targets.  However, this does not automatically imply that emission reductions transferred from a host country be adjusted against its NDC targets.  It must be appreciated that these reductions represent additional efforts of the private sector or public entities to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and in fact raise global climate ambition.  This is also in line with the provision of Article 6.5 of the Paris Agreement wherein the host country is not required to undertake corresponding adjustment for the projects outside its NDC. Therefore, such efforts will be additional to what have been committed in the NDC.  Robust accounting will ensure that there will be no double-counting of emission reductions. Share of Proceeds (SOP) to the Adaptation Fund: For developing countries, adaptation is a necessity.  However, it remains severely underfunded compared to financing for mitigation activities.  While developing countries emphasise that the SOP must be uniformly applied to Articles 6.2 and 6.4 to fund adaptation, developed countries want to restrict its application to Article 6.4.  This would disincentivise the Article 6.4 mechanism and limit voluntary cooperation to the cooperative approaches under Article 6.2 favoured by developed countries. Conclusion In a way, carbon markets allow developed countries to keep emitting greenhouse gases while developing countries benefit from the revenue generated from the sale of their carbon credits.  Central to the discussions on Article 6 is equitable sharing of carbon and developmental space. Climate justice demands that developing countries get access to their fair share of global carbon space.  As developing countries are nudged to take greater mitigation responsibilities, a facilitative carbon market mechanism that respects the principles enshrined in UNFCCC would greatly help accelerate their transition to low carbon development pathway. Connecting the dots: Paris Climate Accord  India’s Opposition to Net Zero China’s Climate Commitments INTERNATIONAL/ ECONOMY GS-2: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.  IMF and World Economic Outlook  Context: Recently, IMF unveiled its 2nd World Economic Outlook (WEO). The IMO comes out with the report twice every year — April and October — and also provides regular “updates” to it on other occasions. Main takeaways from the report The central message was that the global economic recovery momentum had weakened due to pandemic induced disruptions. However, it is the increasing inequality among nations that IMF was most concerned about. Aggregate output for the advanced economy group is expected to regain its pre-pandemic level in 2022 while that of developing economy group (excluding China) is expected to remain 5.5 per cent below the pre-pandemic forecast in 2024. There are two key reasons for the economic divergences: large disparities in vaccine access, and differences in policy support. The report also points out that the employment growth likely to lag the output recovery. Employment around the world remains below its pre-pandemic levels, due to negative output gaps, worker fears of infection, automation in some sectors, unemployment benefits helping to cushion income losses. India As far as GDP is concerned, India’s growth rate hasn’t been revised downwards. However, the IMF has projected on employment — that the recovery in unemployment is lagging the recovery in output (or GDP) Lack of adequate employment levels would drag down overall demand and thus stifle India’s growth momentum. Also, India is witnessing a K-shaped recovery. That means different sectors are recovering at significantly different rates. Some sectors such as the IT-services sectors have been practically unaffected by Covid, while e-commerce industry is doing “brilliantly”. Also, the informal economy is struggling to recover at the same pace as some of the more visible sectors. Do You Know? According to the data available with the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the total number of employed people in the Indian economy as of May-August 2021 was 394 million — 11 million below the level set in May-August 2019.  In May-August 2016 the number of employed people was 408 million. In other words, India was already facing a deep employment crisis before the Covid crisis, and it became much worse after it. Connecting the dots: World Bank Stops Ease of doing business World Competitiveness report  (All India Radio – Spotlight) Oct 20 Oct: Buddhist Circuits - https://youtu.be/00f6ahl1hxM TOPIC: GS-I: Ancient History; Indian Heritage Sites The Buddhist Circuit: To facilitate travel and pilgrimage experience for the approximately 500 million-strong community of Buddhists that lives across Asia and other parts of the world. Ministry of Tourism has identified the Buddhist Circuit as one of the thematic circuits for development under its Swadesh Darshan Scheme. Five projects, with a combined outlay of more than 350 crore rupees, have been sanctioned for the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Ministry of Tourism  CNBs Signage has been installed in Chinese language at 5 below monuments in Uttar Pradesh: Site and Stupa and monastery of the Sakyas Piprahwa- Lucknow Circle Sravasti – Lucknow Circle Ancient Buddhist site of Sarnath- Sarnath Circle Chaukhandi Stupa – Sarnath Circle Buddhist relics and Mahaparinirvana temple located at Kushinagar- Sarnath Circle. The CNBs signage in Sinhali language at Sanchi monuments in Madhya Pradesh has also been installed. Some important places –  Sarnath– The Deer Park adjoining the Archaeological Complex at Sarnath that the Buddha is believed to have delivered his first sermon after he attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya.  The reason for choosing Sarnath was that the five men who had accompanied Buddha on his journey of asceticism, and later abandoned him had settled in Sarnath.  So when Buddha attained enlightenment, he felt that they should be the first one to know what he learned.  So he proceeded to Sarnath and preached his first teachings known as Dharmachakrapravartana Sutra. Rajgir-  It was the capital of Magadh Kingdom.  It was here that Gautama Buddha spent several months meditating, and preaching at Gridhra-kuta, (Vulture peak). He also delivered some of his famous sermons and initiated King Bimbisara of Magadha and countless others to Buddhism. It was here that Budhha delivered his famous Atanatiya Sutra. Sravasti- It was the capital of ancient Kosala kingdom and is sacred to the Buddhists because it is here that Lord Buddha performed the greatest of his miracles to confound the Tirthika heretics. These miracles include Buddha creating multiple images of himself, which has been a favourite theme of Buddhist art. Buddha showed his divine prowess to impress upon the non-believers. The Buddha passed the greater part of his monastic life in Sravasti.  Vulture peak– One of the several sites frequented by the Buddha and his community of disciples for both training and retreat. Kesariya –  Kesariya Stupa is a Buddhist stupa in Kesariya, located at a distance of 110 kilometres  from Patna, in the Champaran (east) district of Bihar, India. The first construction of the Stupa is dated to the 3rd century BCE. Kesariya Stupa has a circumference of almost 400 feet (120 m) and raises to a height of about 104 feet. Vaishali-  It is said that the Buddha visited this place thrice and spent quite a long time here. The Buddha also delivered his last sermon at Vaishali and announced his Nirvana here. Kushinagar-  Kushinagar is the centre of the Buddhist circuit, which consists of pilgrimage sites at Lumbini, Sarnath and Gaya, and one of the four sacred places of Lord Buddha. Buddha delivered his last sermon, attained Mahaparinirvana (salvation) in 483 BC and was cremated at Rambhar Stupa. Note: A famous painting of 10 headed Buddha is found in these caves: Kanheri caves are a group of caves located in Salsette Island, Mumbai. Constitution states… Under Article 49 of the Constitution, the State is under obligation to protect every monument, place or object of artistic or historic interest declared to be of national importance from spoilation, disfigurement, destruction, removal, disposal or export, as the case may be. (DPSP) Under Article 51A(f) of the Constitution, there is fundamental duty to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture. (Fundamental Duties) Swadesh Darshan Scheme It is a Central Sector Scheme launched in 2014 -15. Objective: (1) Integrated development of theme based tourist circuits in the country; (2) To position the tourism sector as a major engine for job creation The Ministry of Tourism provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for infrastructure development of circuits. Kushinagar International Airport The airport is expected to provide seamless connectivity to tourists from Sri Lanka, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and so on.  The Sri Lankan contingent, led by a member of the first family, will also be present, owing to the historical importance of the place. Mural painting as a token of gift To mark the occasion, Sri Lanka will present to India photographs of two murals painted by renowned Sri Lankan artist Solias Mendis at the Kelaniya Rajamaha Vihara, a popular Buddhist temple near Colombo One of the murals depicts ‘Arahat Bhikkhu’ Mahinda, son of Emperor Ashoka delivering the message of the Buddha to King Devanampiyatissa of Sri Lanka.  The other shows the arrival of ‘Theri Bhikkhuni’ Sanghamitta, the daughter of the Emperor Ashoka, in Sri Lanka, bearing a sapling of the ‘sacred Bodhi tree’ under which Siddhārtha Gautama is believed to have attained enlightenment. Can you answer the following question? How did Buddhism spread in different parts of the world? Examine. “Buddhism was not just a religious revolution, but a social revolution too.” Comment. Essay: Buddhism and Diplomacy (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1 Which of the following was not a part of OPEC when it was created at the Baghdad Conference in 1960? Iraq Kuwait Austria Saudi Arabia Q.2 Human Development Index is Released by United Nations Development Programme  UNICEF WHO None of the above  Q.3 Which of the following is not a bordering country of Black Sea?  Russia Ukraine Georgia None of the above  ANSWERS FOR 20th Oct 2021 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 D 2 A 3 C Must Read On National Security Policy: The Hindu On extending jurisdiction of BSF: Indian Express On federalism: Financial Express

UPSC हिन्दी Quiz– 2021: IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz 21st October 2021

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

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 21st October 2021

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

IASbaba’s TLP (Phase 2): UPSC Mains Answer Writing – General Studies Paper 1 Questions [21st October, 2021] – Day 4

Archives Hello Students   TLP has been an integral ingredient of success for many toppers 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 standard 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 (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 2022 Aspirants are encouraged to participate as well. Register Here - CLICK HERE  To Know More About TLP 2022 (Phase 2) - CLICK HERE To Access Day 4 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 

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th October 2021

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) INSACOG to track SARS-CoV-2 in sewage Part of: Prelims and GS-II - Health Context The decline in daily new infections across India has prompted INSACOG, the consortium of labs focused on sequencing coronavirus variants, to “prioritise” new surveillance approaches. Key takeaways  INSACOG will prioritise developing and expanding a SARS-CoV-2 sewage surveillance program. The CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, which is also part of the INSACOG network, has since early 2020 been collecting sewage from large drains in cities to check for the presence of the virus. Reason for sewage surveillance  Because a large fraction of those afflicted by the virus are asymptomatic but are carriers of infection, their body fluids and stool often contain traces of the virus.  Finding large proportions of it in public drains can often be a precursor to a fresh outbreak, with a rise in symptomatic infections. What is Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia (INSACOG)? Coordinated by: Department of Biotechnology (DBT) along with MoH&FW;, ICMR, and CSIR The consortium will ascertain the status of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the country.  INSACOG will have a high level Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee.  It will have a Scientific Advisory Group for scientific and technical guidance. Aim: To monitor the genomic variations in the SARS-CoV-2 on a regular basis through a multi-laboratory network. This vital research consortium will also assist in developing potential vaccines in the future.  The consortium will also establish a sentinel surveillance for early detection of genomic variants with public health implication, and determine the genomic variants in the unusual events/trends (super-spreader events, high mortality/morbidity trend areas etc.). Do you know? Delta (B.1.617.2 and AY.x) continues to be the main VOC (Variant of Concern) in India. No new VOI (Variant of Interest) or VOC are noted in India. Pig kidney transplant in human patient Part of: Prelims and GS III - Sci and tech Context For the first time, a pig kidney has been transplanted into a human without triggering immediate rejection by the recipient’s immune system. This is a potentially major advance that could eventually help alleviate a dire shortage of human organs for transplant. Key takeaways  The procedure was done at NYU Langone Health in New York City. It involved use of a pig whose genes had been altered so that its tissues no longer contained a molecule known to trigger almost immediate rejection. The genetically altered pig, dubbed GalSafe, was used as the donor. The recipient was a brain-dead patient with signs of kidney dysfunction whose family consented to the experiment before she was due to be taken off of life support. Finding: The team theorized that removing out the pig gene for a carbohydrate that triggers rejection – a sugar molecule, or glycan, called alpha-gal – would prevent the problem. Future possibility: The NYU kidney transplant experiment should pave the way for trials in patients with end-stage kidney failure, possibly in the next year or two, Like Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) Part of: Prelims and GS-II - International Relations  Context  Recently, the Union Minister for Environment Forest and Climate Change virtually participated in the Like Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) Ministerial meeting titled ‘Preparations for COP 26 on Climate Change – Expectations and Challenges’. This meeting has been hosted by Bolivia ahead of the 26th climate change conference to be held in Glasgow. A ministerial statement was endorsed by the LMDC Ministers during the meeting, expressing their full support for the COP26 Presidency. What is Like-Minded Developing Countries(LMDC) group? LMDC comprises around 25 developing countries from Asia and other regions. It organises themselves as a block of negotiators in international organizations such as the United Nations. They represent more than 50% of the world’s population. Member countries: Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. What is the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26)? The COP26 is the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference.  It is scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, between 31 October and 12 November 2021, under the presidency of the United Kingdom. The conference comes months after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its assessment report on Earth’s climate, highlighting heat waves, droughts, extreme rainfall and sea-level rise in the coming decades. The CoP comes under the United Nations Climate Change Framework Convention (UNFCCC) which was formed in 1994.  The UNFCCC was established to work towards “stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.” Four Goals of COP26 Secure global net-zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach. Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats. Mobilise finance. Work together to deliver. Anticipatory bail Part of: Prelims and GS II - Separation of powers between various organs Context The Supreme Court has held that a superior court can set aside an anticipatory bail order if there was enough material to suggest that factors like gravity of the offence and the role of the accused in the crime were not considered by the lower court. What is The concept of anticipatory bail? The provision of anticipatory bail under Section 438 was introduced when Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was amended in 1973. As opposed to ordinary bail, which is granted to a person who is under arrest, in anticipatory bail, a person is directed to be released on bail even before arrest made. Time limit: The Supreme Court (SC) in Sushila Aggarwal v. State of NCT of Delhi (2020) case ruled that no time limit can be set while granting anticipatory Bail and it can continue even until the end of the trial. It is issued only by the Sessions Court and High Court. What is the Need for such protection? An accused, besides being an accused, may also be the primary caregiver or sole breadwinner of the family. His arrest may leave his loved ones in a state of starvation and neglect. In the 1980 Gurbaksh Singh Sibbia vs State of Punjab case, a five-judge Supreme Court bench led by then Chief Justice Y V Chandrachud ruled that 438 (1) is to be interpreted in the light of Article 21 of the Constitution (protection of life and personal liberty). Miscellaneous Dhole A recent study has identified 114 priority talukas / tehsils where habitats can be consolidated to enhance population connectivity for the dhole or Asiatic Wild Dog (Cuon alpinus). Dhole is an apex social carnivore in the tropical forests of South and South East Asia. India perhaps supports the largest number of dholes, with key populations found in three landscapes — Western Ghats, Central India and Northeast India. IUCN - Endangered  Dholes play an important role as apex predators in forest ecosystems.Besides the tiger, the dhole is the only large carnivore in India that is under IUCN’s ‘endangered’ category. CITES – Appendix II. Schedule II of wildlife act. Factors contributing to this decline: habitat loss, loss of prey, competition with other species, persecution due to livestock predation and disease transfer from domestic dogs. In 2014, the Indian government sanctioned its first dhole conservation breeding centre at the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) in Visakhapatnam. (News from PIB) Abhidhamma Day Part of: Prelims and Mains-I: Ancient History In News: Abhidhamma Day is being celebrated on 20th October 2021. The day marks the end of three month rainy retreat – Varshavaas or Vassa- for the Buddhist Monks and Nuns during which time they stay at one place in vihara and monastery and pray. Exposition of Holy Buddha Relic being brought from Waskaduwa Sri Subuddhi Rajvihara Temple, Sri Lanka will take place at Kushinagar, UP. These relics are accepted as real relics (Bone fragments, ashes, pieces of Jewels of the Buddha). Paintings of Ajanta Frescos, Buddhist Sutra Calligraphy, Buddhist artefacts excavated from Vadnagar and other sites in Gujarat will also be exhibited. The ancient city of Kushinagar, in the state of Uttar Pradesh is the final resting place of Gautama Buddha, where he attained Mahaparinirvana after his death. It is among the most important pilgrim spots for the Buddhists since the ancient times. The period after three month long Varshavas, observed as retreat by monks and nuns by staying in vihara during rainy season, is a time of giving, for the laity to express gratitude to Sangha. Lay Buddhists bring donations to temples, especially new robes for the monks and nuns. News Source: PIB India’s Bio-Economic Hub Part of: Prelims and Mains GS-II- Governance Context: The Eastern Himalayan Region is one of the mega-biodiversity rich zones and is among the 34 biodiversity Hotspots of the world. There is a need to put these invaluable genetic resources to use for the economic growth of the region in particular and to the nation in general, through biotechnological interventions.  The Department of Biotechnology has played a pivotal role to build capacity in the North Eastern region for carrying out biotechnology research to address issues specific to the region and implement programmes for the societal upliftment of the local communities as the North Eastern region is a genetic treasure house of plant, animal and microbial resources.   Phyto-pharmaceutical Mission of North Eastern Region aims to promote the documentation, scientific validation and evaluation of traditional healthcare practices - assumes special significance in the context of the vast plant resources and diverse traditional healthcare practices of the North-East.  The transformational approaches in developing products, processes and technologies with local bio-resources will help in development of traditional knowledge-based therapeutic agents leading to the socio-economic development of the region as well as benefits to traditional health care practitioners.  DBT has designed a programme to improve the production and productivity in Khasi Mandarin, an important fruit crop by producing quality planting material through shoot-tip grafting technology (target of producing four lakhs certifiable disease-free quality plants of Khasi Mandarin and Sweet Orange and build capacity of at least 1,000 farmers in the region) DBT has established a Biotech-KISAN Hub at Horticultural Research Station, Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Kahikuchi, for large scale production of quality planting material of Malbhog banana, which is in high demand in the state of Assam.  India’s Bio-Economy is on its way to achieve 150-billion-dollar target from the current 70 billion-dollar by 2025 and will contribute effectively to the vision of a 5 trillion-dollar economy by 2024-25. News Source: PIB (Mains Focus) INTERNATIONAL/ SECURITY GS-2: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests GS-3: Economy & Challenges Rising Fuel Prices Context: The price of crude oil is nearing its highest level since 2018, as the price of Brent Crude breached the $85 per barrel mark by Oct 15th ($42.5 per barrel a year ago). This is happening as the price of natural gas and coal are also hitting record highs, intensifying the energy shortage. Why are fuel prices rising? Economic Recovery: Global crude oil prices are rising on the back of a sharp increase in global demand as the world economy recovers from the pandemic.  Supply not increasing commensurately: In its latest round of meetings, the OPEC+ group of oil producing countries reaffirmed that they would increase total crude oil supply by only 400,000 barrels per day in November despite a sharp increase in prices.  OPEC+ had agreed to sharp cuts in supply in 2020 in response to Covid-19 global travel restrictions in 2020 but the organisation has been slow to boost production as demand has recovered. Rise in Prices of other energy resources: Supply side issues in the US including disruptions caused by hurricane Ida and lower than expected natural gas supplies from Russia amid increasing demand in Europe have raised the prices of natural gas. International coal prices have also reached all-time highs as China faces a coal shortage that has led to factories across China facing power outages.  A faster than expected recovery in global demand has pushed the price of Indonesian coal up from about $60 per tonne in March to about $200 per tonne in October. Naturally, when prices of these energy resources increase, it will have impact on prices of crude oil as well. What is the impact on India? High crude oil prices have contributed to the regular increase in prices of petrol and diesel across the country in 2021.  The price of petrol in Delhi is Rs 105.84 per litre in Oct 15th, while the price of diesel is at Rs 94.6 per litre. High fuel prices will feed into increased cost of goods & services causing inflation in the economy. The demand for diesel in India was expected to go up in the next few months with the upcoming festive season set to accelerate the economic recovery and push up diesel consumption. Diesel accounts for about 38% of petroleum product consumption in India and is a key fuel used in industry and agriculture.  Rising Fuel prices can dampen the festive consumption (travel & increased cost of goods) & hurt economic recovery prospects. The increase in gas prices has put upward pressure on the price of both Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) used as a transport fuel and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) used as a cooking fuel.  High international prices of coal have added to a coal shortage at India’s thermal power plants Way Forward India and other oil importing nations have called on OPEC+ to boost oil supply faster, arguing that elevated crude oil prices could undermine the recovery of the global economy. Connecting the dots: Rising Natural Gas Price  India’s Coal Crisis INTERNATIONAL/ SECURITY GS-2: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.  GS-2: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests The Other Quad Context: Recently, the Foreign Ministers of India, the U.S., Israel and the UAE virtual met to discuss on exploring areas of cooperation. Significance of the new quadrilateral meeting (India, Israel, UAE & USA) It is a strong manifestation of the changes in West Asian geopolitics.  If Israel and the UAE did not even have formal diplomatic relations a year ago, their growing economic and strategic cooperation since Abraham Accords is opening up opportunities for other powers, including India. The four-nation meeting also points to India’s strategic desire to adopt a regional foreign policy strategy towards West Asia, moving beyond its bilateralist approach. Over the years, India has built vibrant bilateral ties with all the countries in the grouping. So India adopting regional approach is natural evolution of this vibrancy given that there is moderation of Israel’s policy towards Arab states. Israel is one of India’s top defence suppliers.  The UAE is vital for India’s energy security and hosts millions of Indian workers. India has deepened its relationship with US as was seen by signing foundational defence agreements and being part of another QUAD grouping. While it is too early to speak of the strategic significance of such a grouping, there are areas where it can deepen its engagement — trade, energy ties, fighting climate change and enhancing maritime security. Challenges Ahead The U.S. is clearly seeking to lessen its footprint here as part of its pivot to East Asia to tackle China’s rise, which is redrawing West Asia’s traditional equations. India should be careful not to get sucked into the many conflicts of West Asia  While the Abraham Accords made it easier for India to find common ground with the Israelis and UAE, the contradiction between this Israel and Iran remains as intense as ever. India should be mindful of this. With US withdrawing from Afghanistan, India will have to work closely with countries such as Iran to deal with the challenges emanating from a reduced American presence in the region. So the challenge before New Delhi is to retain a healthy relationship with Iran even as it seeks to build a stronger regional partnership with the U.S.-Israel-UAE bloc. Connecting the dots: QUAD (India-Australia-Japan-USA) AUKUS (Sansad TV – Perspective) Oct 15: Role of Women in Armed Forces - https://youtu.be/R0Te6oN7blY  TOPIC: GS 2: Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions (Judicial Overreach Vs Judicial activism) GS 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation Role of Women in Armed Forces In news:  India has taken a number of steps to strengthen the role of women within the security setup in general and the armed forces in particular.  Government has taken evolutionary path to ensure equal participation of women in Armed Forces. Indian Army, Air Force and Navy began inducting women as short-service commission (SSC) officers in 1992. This was the first time when women were allowed to join the military outside the medical stream.  One of the turning points for women in the military came in 2015 when Indian Air Force decided to induct them into the fighter stream.  In 2020, the Supreme Court (SC) ordered the central government to grant permanent commission (PC) to women officers in the Army's non-combat support units on par with their male counterparts.  In March 2021, the Indian Navy deployed four women officers on warships after a gap of 23 years.  Two months later in May 2021 Indian Army got its first batch of 83 women soldiers, in the Corps of Military Police.  From 2022 women will also be able to join the premier tri-service training institute, the National Defence Academy. Challenges in bringing women officers at par with their male colleagues Though women officers are now allowed as pilot of fighter jets and leader of battleships but women officers in Army are not inducted in army’s infantry and armoured divisions, due to fear of getting caught by enemy and torture. In Israel, too, women are mostly deployed in the military police and perimeter security rather than in actual combat. It is claimed that male troops, who are predominantly drawn from rural backgrounds, may be unwilling to “accept” a woman commander. Concerns are raised over physiology, motherhood and physical attributes of women officers. The differences in conditions of service for women officers and their men counterparts is perceived in favour as well as, against them. The women officers have concessions in physical standards during recruitment, in battle physical efficiency tests. Women officer appointments need extra considerations to hygiene, sensitivities and privacy issues while accommodating them. In Siachen, there are posts with only four soldiers. They sleep and share the same cramped post. Male officer’s tenures in difficult field stations have increased, in adjusting women officers for spouse postings, child care leave. The Way Forward Certain concessions given to women officers can be withdrawn, and they can be put through the field and rough appointments with troops, to be at par with male counterparts and be accepted as ‘Leaders’ and not ‘Appointed Officers’. The selection for command assignments has to merit-based irrespective of gender. The selection for the command should be done through officer’s confidential reports and closed promotion board, common for both genders, and the names and gender of the profile should be hidden from selection board More importantly, a behavioral change is the need of the hour. Can you answer the following questions? Are we witnessing a major shift in the way women’s participation in the armed forces is perceived? Critically examine. For every frontier touched or broken by women that frontier should be sustained with more and more women. Discuss  (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1 Which of the following is not a part of Like Minded Developing Countries? India Indonesia Iran Saudi Arabia Q.2 consider the following statements regarding Dhole: Key populations found in India in Western Ghats, Central India and Northeast India. Its IUCN status is Endangered.  In 2014, the Indian government sanctioned its first dhole conservation breeding centre at the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) in Mumbai. Which of the above is or are correct  1 and 2 only 2 only 2 and 3 only None of the above  Q.3 Which of the following is not true?  The provision of anticipatory bail under Section 438 was introduced when Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was amended in 1973. As opposed to ordinary bail, in anticipatory bail, a person is directed to be released on bail even before arrest is made. The Supreme Court (SC) in Sushila Aggarwal v. State of NCT of Delhi (2020) case ruled that a certain time limit has to be set while granting anticipatory Bail. It is issued only by the Sessions Court and High Court. ANSWERS FOR 19th Oct 2021 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 D 2 A 3 C Must Read On Communalism: Indian Express On EU, India and the Indo-Pacific: Indian Express On India’s Foreign policy: Indian Express

UPSC हिन्दी Quiz– 2021: IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz 20th October 2021

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

Daily Prelims CA Quiz

UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 20th October 2021

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

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[UPDATE] BABA’S GURUKUL 2022 – Congratulations for those who are selected for the Next Round (Personality Test)!

Dear Students, Thank you all for such an overwhelming response for BABA’S GURUKUL for UPSC IAS 2022.  Over 1564 students had registered and around 1248 had taken the Entrance Test on 16th October in our online portal and offline Centres (Bangalore, Delhi, Lucknow). Based on your performance we have shortlisted 320 students to the next round – The Personality Test. Congratulations to all those who have got selected for the next round of BABA’S GURUKUL 2022 Confirmation Mails have been sent to the Selected Students for the Personality Test.    For any Queries: Email ID: support@iasbaba.com Contact No. :  9169191888 (10 AM – 6 PM) Please do not make calls before or after the given timing. Thank You  

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 19th October 2021

Archives (PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) Keravan Kerala project Part of: Prelims and GS-III - Tourism Context Kerala has recently launched its tourism project on Caravans - Keravan Kerala. It is an unique initiative to promote stakeholder-friendly Caravan Tourism.  Features of the project The caravan parks will be located in natural settings. Emphasis on the safety and security of tourists. Sustainable use of local resources in creating caravan parks. Each caravan park will have a sewage treatment plant.  The basic theme of the project is to club the luxury of caravan with the natural look of the park. Attractive incentives, including investment subsidy for purchase of caravan vehicles. Caravan parks can be developed in the private, public or joint sector. Operational 24x7 during the tourist season. Connected with fair-weather roads from the main road. Trade talks between India, Israel to resume Part of: Prelims and GS II - International Relations  Context India and Israel agreed to resume long-pending negotiations on a free trade agreement. The FTA talks would begin in November and concluded by June 2022 Key takeaways  During the last round of talks, both sides had explored the possibility of a limited trade deal or a Preferential Trade Agreement for about 200 goods, which could not be concluded.  The Indian government is also working to resume a number of trade negotiations. The government has thus far committed to resumed talks with the U.K., Australia and the European Union. India and Israel also agreed to mutually recognise each other’s vaccination process “in principle”. Israel also announced it would join the India-France led International Solar Alliance (ISA), ahead of the next U.N. Climate Change COP26 summit in Glasgow in November 2021. Do you know? Both also joined a virtual quadrilateral meeting with U.S. Secretary of State and UAE Foreign Minister. The quadrilateral meeting can be seen as an outcome of last year’s Abraham Accords brokered by the U.S. that saw the UAE and Israel establish diplomatic relations. Part-time employees not entitled to regularisation: SC Part of: Prelims and GS-II - Judiciary  Context: The Supreme Court has held that part-time employees are not entitled to seek regularisation as they are not working against any sanctioned post in the Government. It said that Regularisation could be only as per the policy declared by the State/Government and “nobody can claim the regularisation as a matter of right”. The status of permanency cannot be granted when there is no post.  Mere continuance every year of seasonal work during the period when work was available does not constitute a permanent status. Kushinagar International Airport Part of: Prelims and GS I- History; and GS III - Infrastructure  Context Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh shall be inaugurated on 20th October by the Indian Prime Minister. The airport is expected to provide seamless connectivity to tourists from Sri Lanka, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and so on.  The Sri Lankan contingent, led by a member of the first family, will also be present, owing to the historical importance of the place. Mural painting as a token of gift To mark the occasion, Sri Lanka will present to India photographs of two murals painted by renowned Sri Lankan artist Solias Mendis at the Kelaniya Rajamaha Vihara, a popular Buddhist temple near Colombo One of the murals depicts ‘Arahat Bhikkhu’ Mahinda, son of Emperor Ashoka delivering the message of the Buddha to King Devanampiyatissa of Sri Lanka.  The other shows the arrival of ‘Theri Bhikkhuni’ Sanghamitta, the daughter of the Emperor Ashoka, in Sri Lanka, bearing a sapling of the ‘sacred Bodhi tree’ under which Siddhārtha Gautama is believed to have attained enlightenment. Importance of Kushinagar Kushinagar is the centre of the Buddhist circuit, which consists of pilgrimage sites at Lumbini, Sarnath and Gaya.  Buddhist pilgrims consider Kushinagar a sacred site where, they believe, Gautama Buddha delivered his last sermon and attained ‘Mahaparinirvana’ or salvation. Miscellaneous Integrated Unmanned Road Map for Indian Navy Context Defence Minister recently launched the Integrated Unmanned Road Map for Indian Navy at the second edition of the Naval Commanders’ Conference. This will outline all the unmanned aerial and underwater platforms and efforts of the Navy as part of its force modernisation. It will also help in maintaining peace and stability within the Indian maritime zones Flower scorpionfish Hoplosebastes Armatus, also known as the flower scorpionfish, belongs to the order of ray-finned fish that are also known Scorpaeniforme. This unique, lesser-known fish species that was till now thought to be found only in the Pacific Ocean has been found in the Indian Ocean too. The length of the species ranged from 75-127 mm, while its body width was from 14-22 mm. The head of the species was comparatively large and greater than the body. (News from PIB) eSanjeevani Part of: Prelims and Mains GS-II- Governance In News: eSanjeevani, India’s leading telemedicine service, under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, clocked 1.4 crore consultations. Operating in two variants i.e., eSanjeevaniAB-HWC and eSanjeevaniOPD, this initiative has over the time gained immense popularity in being able to deliver healthcare services through digital platforms. eSanjeevani AB-HWC, a Doctor-to-Doctor teleconsultation system Launched with an intent to alleviate the Urban-Rural divide in terms of health services Works on Hub-and-Spoke Model The ‘Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres’ (HWCs) set up at State Level, act as Spokes, which are mapped with the HUB (comprising MBBS/ Specialty/Super-Specialty doctors) at Zonal level. This enables a patient residing in rural areas to avail quality health services.  eSanjeevani OPD Launched in 2021 Aims to provide safe Doctor-to-Patient consultations Has continued to grow in demand as it allows citizens to consult doctors from the comfort and in the confines of their homes, bypassing wait time, travel, risks of infection etc.  Significance Addressing the shortage of doctors and specialists at the ground levels Reducing the burden on secondary and tertiary level hospitals Aims to constantly improve the digital health infrastructure of the country News Source: PIB Geospatial Energy Map of India Part of: Prelims and Mains GS-II- Governance In News: NITI Aayog in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed a comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) Energy Map of India with the support of Energy Ministries of Government of India. Provides a holistic picture of all energy resources of the country which enables visualisation of energy installations through 27 thematic layers Attempts to identify and locate all primary and secondary sources of energy and their transportation/transmission networks to provide a comprehensive view of energy production and distribution in a country A unique effort aimed at integrating energy data scattered across multiple organizations and to present it in a consolidated, visually appealing graphical manner Leverages latest advancements in web-GIS technology and open-source software to make it interactive and user friendly.  Will be useful in planning and making investment decisions.  Will also aid in disaster management using available energy assets. News Source: PIB Fourth International Solar Alliance General Assembly Part of: Prelims and Mains GS-II- Global Groupings & GS-III – Energy  In News: The Fourth Assembly of the ISA will deliberate on  The key initiatives around the operationalisation of the OSOWOG initiative, The $1 trillion Solar Investment Roadmap for 2030 Approval of a Blended Financial Risk Mitigation Facility Discuss the strategic plan of the ISA for the next five years encompassing a Country Partnership Framework, Strategy for Private Sector Engagement, and initiatives such as Viability Gap Financing scheme to facilitate affordable finance for solar energy projects across ISA’s membership.  Discuss the partnership with Global Energy Alliance (GEA) to scale up technical and financial support to LDCs and SIDS. ‘One Sun One World One Grid’ (OSOWOG) initiative proposed by India  Proposed by India to set up a framework for facilitating global cooperation which aims at building a global ecosystem of interconnected renewable energy resources that can be easily shared Envisions building and scaling inter-regional energy grids to share solar energy across the globe, leveraging the differences of time zones, seasons, resources, and prices between countries and regions Help decarbonise energy production, which is today the largest source of global greenhouse gas emissions.  With India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the World Bank and the ISA signing a tripartite agreement on OSOWOG, the initiative could be the world’s most important renewables catalyst. It can unlock unprecedented economies of scale in energy generation and transmission.  Rigorous assessments and modelling have confirmed the initiative’s technical and economic viability, building a strong business case.  Its commercial feasibility has been further augmented by multilateral development banks such as World Bank, which are helping create markets by driving down costs of solar power. News Source: PIB (Mains Focus) ECONOMY/ GOVERNANCE GS-3: Agriculture & Allied Sectors GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors Improving Livestock Breeding  Context: Approximately 200 million Indians are involved in livestock farming, including around 100 million dairy farmers.  Major issues with Livestock in India Livestock breeding in India has been largely unorganised because of which there have been gaps in forward and backward integration across the value chain. Roughly 80% bovines in the country are low on productivity and are reared by small and marginal farmers.  Such a scenario negatively impacts the return on investment for livestock farmers.  Government Initiative to promote Livestock Sector To enhance the productivity of cattle, the Rashtriya Gokul Mission was initiated in 2014 with a focus on the genetic upgradation of the bovine population through widespread initiatives on artificial insemination, sex-sorted semen, and in vitro fertilization.  The revised version of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission focuses on entrepreneurship development and breed improvement in livestock by providing incentives to individual entrepreneurs, farmer producer organisations, farmer cooperatives, self-help groups, Section 8 companies for entrepreneurship development and State governments for breed improvement infrastructure. The breed multiplication farm component of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission is going to provide for capital subsidy up to ₹200 lakh for setting up breeding farm with at least 200 milch cows/ buffalo using latest breeding technology.  The strategy of incentivising breed multiplication farm will result in the employment of 1 lakh farmers This initiative will be further amplified by web applications like e-Gopala that provide real-time information to livestock farmers on the availability of disease-free germplasm in relevant centres, veterinary care, etc.  The poultry entrepreneurship programme of the National Livestock Mission (NLM) will provide for capital subsidy up to ₹25 lakh for setting up of a parent farm with a capacity to rear 1,000 chicks. This is expected to provide employment to at least 14 lakh people. In the context of sheep and goat entrepreneurship, there is a provision of capital subsidy of 50% up to 50 lakh. An entrepreneur under this model shall set up a breeder farm, develop the whole chain will eventually sell the animals to the farmers or in the open market. For piggery, the NLM will provide 50% capital subsidy of up to ₹30 lakh. Each entrepreneur will be aided with establishment of breeder farms. Conclusion The revised scheme of NLM coupled with the Rashtriya Gokul Mission and the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund has the potential to dramatically enhance the productivity and traceability standards of our livestock. Connecting the dots: Special Livestock Sector Package Crisis in Dairy Sector GEOGRAPHY GS-1: Indian geography & Monsoons Unusual Heavy Rains in October Context: The monsoon is over but several parts of the country are still receiving rainfall. Delhi, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand, for example, have received very high rainfall, resulting in loss of life and property in some places. Scientists say a combination of factors — delayed monsoon and development of low-pressure areas at multiple places — have resulted in these rainfall events at several places. Are October rains unusual? Rain in October is not unusual.  October is considered a month for transition, during which the southwest monsoon withdraws and gives way to the northeast monsoon that largely affects southern peninsular India, mainly on the eastern side. Western disturbances, which begin to have significant interference in local weather over the extreme northern parts of India, commonly cause either rain or snowfall.  Since second week of October, Ladakh, the higher reaches of Kashmir and Uttarakhand have reported the season’s first snowfall. However, two low-pressure systems were active simultaneously, one each over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal regions. Collectively, these triggered severe weather events over Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha and West Bengal. Delayed monsoon withdrawal  The four-month southwest monsoon season normally withdraws completely by early October. During the withdrawal phase, it causes thunderstorms and localised heavy rainfall. This year, however, the withdrawal began only on October 6 against a normal of September 17.  So far, the monsoon has withdrawn completely from the Western, Northern, Central and Eastern India regions. But it remains active over the southern peninsula. Thus, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have had significant rainfall during the last 10 days. Normally, by mid-October, the monsoon winds reverse their direction of flow from the southwest to the northeast. “Even though the easterlies are beginning to replace the westerlies, the former is yet strengthen and fully establish. The easterly winds indicate the arrival of the northeast monsoon. This year, conditions for the onset of the northeast monsoon are expected to develop around October 25. Due to climate change, there is definitely a rising frequency in the extreme weather events round the year. But these specific occurrences of heavy to very heavy rains that we are seeing right now can be attributed to the formation of low-pressure systems. Whenever there is a low-pressure system, depending on its strength, it results in heavy to very heavy rainfall activity. In addition, when a low-pressure system interacts with western disturbance, further intense rainfall occurs, Conclusion: Normal Monsoon & Sowing Weather Predicting System (Down to Earth) Oct 18: Has Kerala learnt anything from extreme weather? Apparently not, say experts - https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/has-kerala-learnt-anything-from-extreme-weather-apparently-not-say-experts-79741  TOPIC: GS 3: Climate change GS 3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment Kerala & Extreme Weather Events In news: At least 20 people have lost their lives and several others are missing as heavy rains led to flash floods and landslides in several parts of Kerala.  Cited reasons:  The heavy rainfall was caused by two low pressure weather systems which evolved over peninsular India.   But other climate experts have cited cloudbursts as the cause. Lack of climate change literacy leading to higher economic activities like rock quarrying, construction of new buildings and roads and destruction of natural forest in the highly economic zones. The sorry state of Kerala’s rivers, backwaters and wetlands also contributes to the situation as they fail to absorb the excess amounts of water being discharged from dams and other storage. Floods and Kerala The situation, which may turn out to be a repeat of the 2018 floods if rain continues, has also led to widespread criticism from environmentalists calling it an "invited disaster" by the region.  In the floods that occurred in August 2016, around 341 major landslides were reported from 10 districts, while Idukki, considered as a highly sensitive zone by Gadgil, was ravaged by 143 landslides. The 2018 floods had claimed close to 500 lives. In August 2011, the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel chaired by Madhav Gadgil had submitted its report.  Even after 10 years and appointment of another committee led by K Kasturirangan, the highly ecologically sensitive region in Kerala continued to be an epi-centre of construction activities. No action was taken on these reports after widespread protests from farmers, the church and political parties. The Way Forward – What should Kerala do? The situation demands long-term mitigating actions from Kerala rather than short-term rehabilitation and rescue activities during every calamity. Kerala should follow a development model taking note of the change in monsoon behaviour. A renewed focus on illegal constructions. There is a need for soil study and examining possibilities of soil piping phenomena while undertaking more significant construction works. Change in land use patterns in the sensitive Western Ghats that have occurred in last 25 years Climate-resilient construction and agricultural practices Improve the water management system of Kerala Work through the limitations in forecasting rain, especially extreme rainfall events Prioritise fair and transparent environmental impact assessments when it takes up larger development projects requiring massive infrastructure and changes in land-use patterns. Can you answer the following question? Cloudbursts and extreme rainfall events leading to flash floods are the new normal for Kerala. Discuss. Kasturirangan Report Madhav Gadgil Report Flood protection to flood governance  (TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE) Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section) Note: Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. Q.1 Abraham accords is associated with which of the following? Secret ceasefire agreement  between Palestine and Israel Five- point strategy for de-escalating tension in Afghanistan New terrorist strategy to target migrants in J&K Diplomatic relations between UAE and Israel Q.2 consider the following statements: Gautama Buddha is believed to have delivered his last sermon and attained ‘Mahaparinirvana’ or salvation in Kushinagara Gautama Buddha propounded the philosophy of Ashtangika Marga (eightfold path). Lumbini in Bihar is the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. Which of the above is or are correct  1 and 2 only 2 only 2 and 3 only None of the above  Q.3 The octopus shaped lake in Kerala is?  Kayamkulam  Akkulam Ashtamudi Vembanad ANSWERS FOR 18th Oct 2021 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK) 1 D 2 D 3 A Must Read On New Quad in West Asia: Indian Express On GST & Cooperative Federalism: The Leaflet

UPSC हिन्दी Quiz– 2021: IASbaba Daily Current Affairs Quiz 19th October 2021

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