Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• The story of khayal shows how attempts to remove the imprint of Muslim rule will impoverish Indian culture

GS Paper 2

• Diplomacy, with a change in terms of reference
• Shaking Up The Rule Of Lawyers – Bar Council’s nod to entry of foreign law firms, even if the scope is restricted, will likely drain large Indian law firms of both talent & clients
• Reforming multilateral lenders is an uphill task

GS Paper 3

• How food inflation can be managed keeping El Nino in mind
• On democratising tiger conservation
• The Indian economy, across sectors, is dominated by duopolies
• Blink, It’s Not Gone – Ecommerce labour protests speak to the larger problem of not enough regular non-farm jobs

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Toque Macaque: Cash-strapped Sri Lanka considers exporting 1 lakh endangered monkeys to China
• G-7 Ministers commit to work for carbon-free electricity by 2035
• A big fat problem in milk: What’s driving up prices?
• FAO: Closing gender gap in agri-food systems can boost global economy by $1 trillion
• Why are Sudan’s army and paramilitary forces fighting each other?
• Madhya Pradesh’s Gond painting gets GI tag
• India to acquire another 250 Pralay missiles; will neutralize advantage of China, Pakistan

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

The story of khayal shows how attempts to remove the imprint of Muslim rule will impoverish Indian culture

News: NCERT has recently deleted chapters on the Mughal Empire from its Standard 12 history textbooks. However, deleting chapters will not delete the association of Mughal Empire from the Indian culture.

The Mughal Empire had association with India in varied forms such as tangible heritage, monuments, culture, clothes, food, language and music. One of the famous music from the Mughal era that still exists is khayal.

How did khayal music develop with time?

The early form of khayal emerged in the late 16th century when Sufi musicians based in the region between Delhi and Jaunpur adapted the cutkula form. This form used a Hindi dialect.

There were also devotional forms such as the Persian qaul and tarana sung in Sufi communities from Amir Khusro’s (1253-1325) tradition.

The cutkula was a regional form of khayal used during the reign of Sultan Hussain Shah Sharqi of Jaunpur, who ruled from 1458 to 1505 and was a great music lover.

The earliest version of khayal evolved into today’s drut bandish. It is the fast composition, also called the chhota khayal, which is meant to be sung in a spritely tempo.

The members who played this style had close relationships with Vaishnava sects.

Later, Niyamat Khan Sadarang (1670-1748), a famous dhrupad singer played a key role in developing khayal.

He began creating khayal compositions with some melodic movements from dhrupad, setting many of these compositions in a slow tempo. His both slow and fast compositions are widely sung to this day.

By the end of the 19th century, hereditary khayal musicians, who were largely Muslim started to teach the genre to people outside their respective families, including Hindus.

This eventually gave rise to celebrated Hindu musicians such as Bhimsen Joshi, Kishori Amonkar, Kumar Gandharva, etc.

Today, khayal is sung by both Hindu and Muslim groups and deleting chapters on Mughal from the textbook will not delete rooted culture from the society.

Must Read: Changes to the NCERT syllabus and associated issues – Explained

GS Paper 2

Diplomacy, with a change in terms of reference

News- Iran, Saudi Arabia, and China announced that an agreement has been reached between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

What are the important points about the agreement?

It covers a resumption of diplomatic relations between them and a re-opening of their embassies and missions within a period not exceeding two months.

Read More – Saudi-Iranian normalisation and implications for India – Explained, pointwise

The agreement affirmed their respect for the sovereignty of states, and non-interference in the internal affairs of states.

What are the implications of increasing closeness between Saudi Arabia and Iran?

China brought Saudi Arabia together with Iran when Israel was thinking that the United States would bring it together with Saudi Arabia.

There is a substantial change in the strategic situation in the Middle East. The Saudis are now balancing their security by playing off the U.S. against China.’

USA’s influence and credibility in the region has diminished. A new type of international regional alignment is taking place. It has empowered and has given both Russia and China newfound influence and status.

What are the background events that led to thaw in ties between Saudi and Iran?

Bilateral efforts have been underway since early 2016 to ease tensions that had developed specifically between Tehran, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. The Emir of Kuwait and the Sultan of Oman initiated steps that were responded to by Iran.

Talks were also held in Baghdad and during Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to China in February.

All were worried about the attacks on shipping and energy facilities in Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates and the longer term implications of the regional conflicts that were underway.

During China’s President Xi Jinping visit to Saudi Arabia in December 2022, he attended the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-GCC Summit.

What were the important developments during the Chinese President’s visit to Saudi Arabia?

Jinping’s speech laid stress on five priority areas: energy cooperation; finance and investment cooperation, innovation, science and technology, aerospace cooperation and Chinese language and cultural cooperation.

Following are some of the initiatives launched

Global Security Initiative

A comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement  

The statement stressed the importance of deepening joint cooperation with regard to the BRI and on attracting Chinese expertise in Saudi megaprojects.

The two sides signed ‘a harmonising plan’ between the KSA’s Vision 2030 and the BRI.

What is the importance of west Asia for India and Its policy towards this region?

Apart from historical linkages, the region is in India’s proximate neighbourhood and within its security parameters. It is the principal source of hydrocarbon imports, and investments.

It is also an important destination for manpower exports apart from being a major trading partner including projects.

India’s reaction to this development has been restrained. The official policy has focused on bilateral relations and avoidance of involvement in bilateral and regional disputes.

India has consciously refrained from participation in alternate security architectures.  The region should not be viewed in competition with China. India should not consider itself a surrogate for western powers in power games.

Shaking Up The Rule Of Lawyers – Bar Council’s nod to entry of foreign law firms, even if the scope is restricted, will likely drain large Indian law firms of both talent & clients

News: The Bar Council of India (BCI) recently permitted foreign lawyers and law firms to practice in India.

About the BCI decision to permit foreign law firms

What are the advantages of BCI’s decision to permit foreign law firms?

Not impact majority of Indian lawyers: The regulations do not adversely affect more than 99% of the 20 lakh strong Indian lawyer population.

Permitted Limited Liability: Indian law firms (ILFs) are not allowed to be Limited Liability Partnerships. Instead, they can only do partnership firms with unlimited liability. This was a major roadblock for foreign law firms to set up offices in India. But the new regulations have permitted FLFs to be constituted as LLPs.

Enlarge FLFs in India: MNCs always prefer to use the same law firms worldwide. Hence, MNC clients in India will migrate as soon as such FLFs set up in India. This will compel FLFs to rethink having a presence in India.

Further, Fees charged by ILFs are likely to come down.

What are the challenges in BCI’s decision to permit foreign law firms?

Increase surrogacy of FLFs: Some FLFs that had set up offices in India were compelled to exit, following adverse court judgments. Some of them have established surrogate models in India. Such a surrogate firm would be manned only by Indian lawyers and satisfy the criteria for being classified as an Indian firm. Under the new BCI regulations, this surrogacy may proliferate.

Brain drain from ILFs: In most ILFs, only about 50-plus attorneys constitute the A-team or the super performers, who are the most precious asset of the firm. FLFs will target these A-teams, with substantial increase in tax-efficient remuneration; opportunities to move to foreign offices; participation in the international profit pool, etc.

Impact ILFs: Corporate India will be willing to pay high fees if the service is excellent. Many such corporates will therefore move to foreign firms to avail a better quality of service. Many large Indian transactional law firms are likely to lose both their star players and their star clients.

Reforming multilateral lenders is an uphill task

News: The G20 expert group, co-chaired by N.K. Singh and Larry Summers, are on the view of reforming multilateral development banks (MDBs), such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. But the group said that reforming MDBs would need a closer look at both geopolitics and the domestic political dynamics of the world’s leading nations.

About the G20 expert group on strengthening multilateral development banks(MDBs)

A nine-member G20 expert group, under the aegis of India’s Presidency, has been set up to suggest ways to strengthen multilateral development banks (MDBs) like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

What are the challenges in reforming MDBs?

– The indebtedness of poor countries escalated during the pandemic and became unmanageable after the Russia-Ukraine war. For example, Zambia defaulted on its external debt.

– Chinese challenge: China’s negotiating strategy and its role as a significant creditor country. According to 2020 data, the Chinese state and its subsidiaries have lent over $1.5 trillion—over 5% of global GDP—to about 150 nations worldwide. China’s bargaining tactics on the restructuring of loans have all the hallmarks of the sovereign commercial debt crisis of the 1980s.

With sovereign debt defaults now a reality, there were demands for China to take hair-cuts and provide some concessions to indebted countries. But China demands MDBs to take hair-cuts.

-The nature of partisan and combative domestic politics in the US. This is because any change in the MDGs will require US Congress approval.

Why Chinese argument on reforming MDGs is flawed?

a) MDG loans are concessional in nature and are earmarked for nations in trouble with no other borrowing option. On the other hand, Chinese loans are essentially commercial, with market-linked coupons and repossession clauses.

b) It is an unfair comparison for China to put itself on the same pedestal as MDBs.

GS Paper 3

How food inflation can be managed keeping El Nino in mind

News– Reserve Bank of India Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) paused the raising repo rates in its last meeting.

RBI is not blindly following the US Fed in raising interest rates to tame inflation. It reflects RBI’s confidence in containing inflation below 6 per cent.

What are the recent numbers on inflation in India?

The CPI data of March 2023 reveals that inflation has dropped to 5.66%. It is below the upper limit of 6%.

This drop in inflation has been significantly brought about by food inflation.

However, even in food, inflationary concerns remain high in case of cereals, milk and milk products.

What is the future scenario of inflation in India?

Milk and milk products have the highest weight in CPI. Milk production in the country suddenly came to a halt in FY23.

This has been attributed to lumpy skin disease. Although the growth in milk production is gaining momentum, it will take time to cool down milk prices.

The only logical option in the short term to contain milk prices seems to be reducing import duties on skimmed milk powder and butter to about 15%.

In the medium to long run, the GoI should augment good quality fodder supplies and raise productivity of milch animals.

Wheat inflation is still roaring at about 20%. It is likely to come down in the next two months as harvesting and procurement picks up in Punjab-Haryana belt. The unseasonal rains in March has created uncertainty about the wheat output.

In this situation, the government can lower import duties on wheat and allow imports. There should be ample supplies in the country to avoid any distressed situation.

The prospect of El Nino has created a new uncertainty about kharif crops. Several crops could be under stress. However, rice stocks in the country are more than three times the buffer stock norms. So, there is no need to panic on that front.

Edible oil prices are already collapsing due to cheaper global prices of palm and other oils. So, there is no need to worry on that account as well.

But pulses, especially tur and urad, can create problems. So, imports of 2 to 3 mt of kharif pulses by NAFED or through private trade cannot be ruled out.

What is the way forward for inflation management in India?

Knee jerk reaction when prices go up does more harm than good. A good idea is developing commodity futures markets.

India needs to invest in building trust in futures markets. There is a need to improve their efficiency with information symmetry. Bringing transparency through better technologies and regulatory institutions needs to be a priority.

The RBI and Centre jointly need to enhance their tool kit to contain inflation below 5%.

On democratising tiger conservation

News– The tiger number was recently released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is the minimum estimate based on the tigers photographed during the survey.

What are issues faced in conserving the tigers in India?

India is now losing tigers in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, the Eastern ghats and from the Northeastern forests. Genetic diversity unique to these geographical regions is lost. It is not good for maintaining long-term population viability and natural recovery.

A tool that is being used to overcome this reduction in tiger numbers is to reintroduce tigers from central Indian forests. However, if this is done too often, re-introduction will homogenise tiger genetic structure across the country. This needs to be looked at more seriously.

Why does the current approach to tiger conservation in India need to have a relook?

The tiger was considered an “umbrella species”. Saving the tiger meant saving the entire ecosystem. Habitats that have the highest tiger numbers are typically those with a high prey abundance.

But in the absence of proper scientific oversight, the focus stayed on boosting tiger numbers rather than their habitat. The most common interventions were to manipulate ecosystems to support high densities of the tiger’s principal prey species.

In most cases, this involved improving habitat for the cheetal. It also required provisioning water. This has resulted in the “cheetalification” of tiger reserves.

For example, in the Kanha Tiger Reserve, the explosion in the cheetal population resulted in the habitat becoming unsuitable for the endangered barasingha, which depends on tall grass. Managers then had to create exclosures free of cheetal so that the barasingha could reproduce and their numbers recover.

In other parks, the excessive provisioning of water during the dry season led to reduced natural, climate driven variations in populations of wildlife. This is likely to have unknown and unintended consequences for these habitats in the long-term.

What are issues related to the policy framework for conservation of species in India?

Conservation in India depends entirely on a network of Protected Areas. This is an exclusive conservation model and suffers from a “sarkaar” complex. Ordinary Indians, especially those living closest to wildlife have very little say in conservation.

The WLPA is a restrictive law. It describes in great detail what you can’t do. However, the law and associated policies have done very little to enable conservation.

There is no policy framework and incentive for ordinary citizens to aid in conservation. As a result, conservation has not reached beyond these PAs.

In other countries, natural lands are owned or managed by individuals, communities, farmers, ranchers, corporates, charities, and the government. Each one of them is incentivised to conserve these lands according to their interests.

As a result, several conservation models operate simultaneously. But in India, all natural habitats are managed by one agency. The approach to conservation is singular, and exclusive.

What is the way forward for species conservation in India?

India needs to have frameworks that allow local communities, citizens, scientists, non-governmental organisations, and businesses to participate meaningfully in conservation.

Large tracts of forest land are “Reserved Forests” under the jurisdiction of State Forest Departments. Such areas can be co-managed with an inclusive approach. It also provides economic benefits for local communities.

In many landscapes, degraded agricultural lands adjoining these forest areas can be restored to enhance connectivity between Protected Areas.

The Indian economy, across sectors, is dominated by duopolies

News– The article discusses the issues of monopoly in Indian markets.

What is the nature of market concentration in the manufacturing sector?

Automobile sector- It in India is dominated by Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai. Both are foreign-owned. Together, they account for six out of every 10 cars sold in the country.

If Tata Motors is added, these three players control almost 70% of the total car market. It is the third largest player. Mahindra which ranks fourth in terms of market share

Two-wheelers segment. Three players — Hero MotoCorp, Honda and TVS Motor — account for nearly three-fourths of the total market. Two of these – Hero and TVS – are Indian-owned and Honda is a subsidiary of a Japanese firm.

Gadgets segment– The mobile phone market in India is dominated by the Chinese brands Xiaomi, Vivo and Realme, and Samsung.

Vivo, Realme, Oneplus and Oppo are reportedly linked to the same Chinese company. Together these companies controlled roughly 70% of the market in 2022.

The smart TV market is similarly dominated by the likes of Xiaomi, Samsung and LG.

Similar patterns can be observed in other consumer appliance markets as well as in various segments of the FMCG market.

Core infrastructure- Indian players exercise more control here. In steel, the four biggest companies — JSW Steel, SAIL, Tata Steel and JSPL — control more than half the market. Three of these are domestic private-sector firms, while one is a public-sector enterprise.

Similarly, the four biggest Indian cement firms command half of the market share in the country.

Other areas- Such examples of market concentration can also be seen in other segments, especially in certain commodities and related segments.

The lines of demarcation between foreign and domestic players across markets are not exactly clear. There are examples of companies such as Asian Paints, Amul and Pidilite who hold a commanding position in markets where foreign competition is limited.

There are state-sanctioned monopolies in the provision of utilities such as electricity and water. These markets are largely the preserve of the public sector.

What is the nature of concentration of ownership in the service sector?

Similar patterns of market concentration can be observed here. Online markets tend to be dominated by foreign players or by firms heavily financed by foreign funds. Other service segments are more titled towards domestic players.

The telecom sector is dominated by two large players called Jio and Airtel and a weak third player. Together, Jio and Airtel account for more than two-thirds of the market. Both are controlled by Indian promoters.

The airline industry is also now dominated by two players — Indigo and Tata. The two airline groups accounted for more than 80% of the domestic market share in the current year.

In the private banking space, HDFC, ICICI and AXIS account for a significant share. All of them have sizable foreign ownership. Concentration is also evident in airports and ports.

Similar patterns can be observed in online markets as well. The retail market is dominated by Amazon and Flipkart. The payments market has been cornered by PhonePe and Google Pay. Food delivery is split between Zomato and Swiggy; and transportation between Ola and Uber. Most of these companies are either foreign-owned or majorly backed by foreign players.

What are the impacts of market monopolies?

The concentration of ownership in the hands of a few big firms has been linked to higher prices for consumers, a declining share of labour income and rising wage inequality.

There is also the possibility of the more dominant firms influencing government policy to restrict competition. This can be done by high entry barriers and distorting the playing field to the disadvantage of their competitors.

This can be achieved by raising import duties, tight regulations or licensing requirements, changing the rules of the game to restrict competitors or even making it difficult to sign beneficial free trade agreements.

Blink, It’s Not Gone – Ecommerce labour protests speak to the larger problem of not enough regular non-farm jobs

News: The delivery executive of Blinkit has gone on strike in the National Capital Region. The strike is over Blinkit’s revised rates and benefits that drastically reduce minimum earnings on orders.

What are the issues with tech-driven commerce platforms?

Most of the commerce platforms aren’t profitable and depend on investor capital.

When investors demand profits or cash runs thin, these companies cut pay and benefits for their delivery executives. This ultimately affects the earnings of delivery agents and makes gig jobs less attractive.

Why are gig jobs preferred in India?

People often prefer gig platforms due to the lack of steady non-farm jobs.

As per Periodic Labour Force Survey 2021-22, most additional jobs in the country are being created in the self-employed category. This implies that there are not enough salaried jobs.

Hence, the young workforce in India is left with the choice between accepting low-paying gig work with poor working conditions or returning to their villages for unproductive farm work.

What can be the way ahead?

The economy needs to create many more regular jobs for the burgeoning workforce, especially in the manufacturing and services sectors. This will provide better working conditions for the young workforce.

Prelims-Oriented Articles (Factly)

Toque Macaque: Cash-strapped Sri Lanka considers exporting 1 lakh endangered monkeys to China

Source: The post is based on the article “Cash-strapped Sri Lanka considers exporting 1 lakh endangered monkeys to China” published in Telegraph on 17th April 2023

What is the News?

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka is exploring the possibility of exporting 1,00,000 endangered Toque Macaque monkeys to China, one of its largest bilateral lenders.

What is Toque Macaque?

It is a reddish-brown-coloured Old World monkey.

It is native and endemic exclusively to Sri Lanka where it is locally known as the ”rilewa” or ”rilawa”.

They generally occupy three types of habitat, hence can be divided into three subspecies. These are: 1) Common toque macaque occurring in dry habitat, 2) Pale-fronted toque macaque inhabiting wet areas and 3) Hill-zone toque macaque, found at high elevations.

Features: The most characteristic feature is the toque-like swirl of hair on its head top. These physiological characteristics vary greatly, depending on climatic conditions. 

– They exhibit sexual dimorphism: males are physically larger than females, and males are fitted with larger canine teeth.

IUCN Status: Endangered

G-7 Ministers commit to work for carbon-free electricity by 2035

Source: The post is based on the article “G-7 Ministers commit to work for carbon-free electricity by 2035” published in The Hindu on 17th April 2023

What is the News?

The G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment was held in Sapporo, Japan.

India’s Environment Minister also participated in the summit with India being invited as a ‘guest’, in the context of its presidency of the G-20.

What is G7?

Click here to read

What are the key outcomes of the G7 Ministers’ meeting?

Carbon-free electricity: Participating leaders committed to work towards ensuring carbon-free electricity production by 2035 and accelerating the phase-out of coal.

– A proposal to have a 2030 deadline for phasing out coal was shot down. The final text also gives leeway for continued investment in gas, on the grounds that it could be a stopgap against energy shortfalls.

Solar and wind power: The participants agreed to accelerate solar and wind energy investments to produce 1,000 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 from solar power and 150 GW of wind power from offshore platforms.

Fossil Fuel subsidies: The countries expressed their commitment to the elimination of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2025.

What did India say at the G7 Ministers’ meeting?

On emissions target: Developed nations must take on larger and more rapid CO2 emission cuts to meet carbon neutrality goals before 2050 while providing developing countries like India the legitimate carbon space to grow.

On Finance: Developing countries too needed finance, technology and assistance from developed countries for transitioning away from fossil fuels. 

– Reaching targets on carbon neutrality and increased ambition “will not fly” unless they were made keeping principles of equity and climate justice at their centre.

A big fat problem in milk: What’s driving up prices?

Source: The post is based on the article “A big fat problem in milk: What’s driving up prices?” published in Indian Express on 17th April 2023

What is the News?

Milk is one of the most essential commodities in India, and it has been a part of the Indian diet for centuries. However, recently the prices of milk have seen a rise.  

What are the factors that are leading to higher milk prices in India?

Shortage of Fat: The current price inflation in milk has mainly to do with a shortage of fat. It has led dairies to increase full-cream milk prices more or to cut down fat content through the rebranding of existing products. There have even been reports of branded ghee and butter disappearing from store shelves.

Rise in exports: While India consumes the bulk of its milk products, exports have also been rising.

– Increased exports came at a time when milk production was taking a hit from farmers underfeeding their animals and shrinking herd sizes — due to low prices received during the Covid lockdowns, escalation in fodder and livestock feed costs, and lumpy skin disease outbreak among cattle.

Rise in Animal Feed Prices: Another factor is the increase in the prices of cereals and rice bran, ingredients used in animal feed, which is discouraging farmers from feeding their cattle sufficiently and is reflected in milk prices that have risen 12%-15% during winter months.

Adverse weather: Unseasonal rain and heat waves have also contributed to this jump in feed prices. 

Disease: Lumpy skin disease, a deadly viral infection, assumed epidemic proportions last year and is estimated to have killed nearly 185,000 cows and buffaloes in eight states. 

Increase in labour cost: Another reason for the increase in milk prices is the increase in the cost of labor. Dairy farming is a labor-intensive activity, and the wages of labourers have been increasing due to inflation and the implementation of minimum wage laws. 

– The cost of transportation and storage of milk has also been increasing which has added to the overall cost of production. 

What is the step the government should take to avert higher milk prices?

Fix GST Anomaly: Milk doesn’t attract any goods and services tax. But skim milk powder (SMP) is taxed at 5% and milk fat at 12%. 

So while dairies pay no tax on milk procured from farmers, they have to shell out GST on solids. Thus, input tax credit cannot be claimed, as there’s no GST on milk itself. Moreover, the tax incidence goes up as the fat in the reconstituted milk increases.

One way to avoid this is by doing away with GST on milk solids used for reconstitution purposes.

Alternatively, the GST on milk fats can be reduced to 5%. Differential rates on SMP and fat probably make no sense, when both are derived directly from milk. A 12% GST on milk fat is also an anomaly when vegetable fat (edible oils) is taxed at 5%.

FAO: Closing gender gap in agri-food systems can boost global economy by $1 trillion

Source: The post is based on the article “FAO: Closing gender gap in agri-food systems can boost global economy by $1 trillion” published in Down To Earth on 15th April 2023

What is the News?

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) report titled “The Status Of Women In Agrifood Systems”, closing the gender gap in farm productivity and the wage gap in agri food-system employment would increase global gross domestic product (GDP) by 1% or nearly $1 trillion. 

About The Status Of Women In Agrifood Systems report

The report is the first of its kind since 2010 (State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2010–11: Women in Agriculture – Closing the gender gap for development).

It goes beyond agriculture to provide a comprehensive picture of the status of women working across agri-food systems.

What are the key findings of the Status Of Women In Agrifood Systems report?

Almost four billion people rely on agri-food systems for their livelihoods and around half of them (are women) are prevented from realizing their potential.

They are often held back by: 1) Inequality and discrimination – Rigid gender norms and roles, unequal power dynamics and discriminatory social structures, 2) Marginalized and denied agency, 3) Work in poorer conditions with lower wages and 4) Carry a greater burden of care and unpaid work.

These impediments are compounded by additional challenges – climate, economic and price shocks, conflicts and the increasing risks of gender-based violence.

Even though women have gained more access to some resources (digital technology, financial services), gaps are either unchanged or growing especially for rural women.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the gap between women’s and men’s food security has grown to 4.3%.

Men have a larger share in agricultural households compared with women owning land in 40 out of the 46 countries reporting on SDG Indicator 5.a.1. 

Women earn 82 cents for every dollar earned by men and closing these gaps would greatly improve food security, nutrition and increase economic growth. 

What are the recommendations given by the Status Of Women In Agrifood Systems report?

-Close the gender gaps related to access to assets, technology and resources.

-Access to childcare has a large positive effect on mothers’ employment, while social protection programmes have shown to increase women’s employment and resilience.

-Address the continued lack of high-quality data disaggregated by sex, age, and other forms of social and economic differentiation which is paramount to monitoring and accelerating progress towards gender equality in agrifood systems.

Why are Sudan’s army and paramilitary forces fighting each other?

Source: The post is based on the article “Why are Sudan’s army and paramilitary forces fighting each other?” published in Indian Express on 17th April 2023

What is the News?

At least 56 civilians have been killed and 595 people including combatants have been wounded in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, since fierce fighting broke out between the country’s army and paramilitary forces.

What is the cause of conflict in Sudan?

 The roots of the ongoing conflict in Sudan go back to April 2019, when Sudan’s long-serving authoritarian President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown.He was overthrown by military generals following a countrywide uprising against him.

Despite Bashir’s ouster, civilians continued their demonstrations, seeking democratic elections and the establishment of a civilian government.

This led to the constitution of the Sovereignty Council, a power-sharing body of military officers and civilians.This council would lead Sudan to elections at the end of 2023 and Abdalla Hamdok was appointed Prime Minister for the transitional period

However, the military overthrew Hamdok’s government in October 2021.The military announced that it would hold power until elections are held in July 2023.

Soon after this coup, relations between the military and the RSF deteriorated. (RSF was founded by Bashir to crush a rebellion in Darfur that began more than 20 years ago due to the political and economic marginalization of the local people by Sudan’s central government.The RSF has been accused of widespread atrocities).

One of the main sticking points between the military and RSF is over the plans to include the 100,000-strong RSF into the army and who would then lead the new force.

The violence erupted as members of the RSF were redeployed around the country in a move that the army saw as a threat.

What’s at stake in the Sudan conflict?

Sudan is in a volatile region bordering the Red Sea, the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa. 

Its strategic location and agricultural wealth have attracted regional power plays, complicating the chances of a successful transition to civilian-led government.

Western powers fear the potential for a Russian base on the Red Sea, which Sudanese military leaders have expressed openness to.

Madhya Pradesh’s Gond painting gets GI tag

Source: The post is based on the article “Madhya Pradesh’s Gond painting gets GI tag” published in The Print on 15th April 2023

What is the News?

The Gond painting of Madhya Pradesh has received the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

What is Gond Painting?

Gond painting is a traditional art of Madhya Pradesh that belongs to the Gond tribe.

Patangarh village of Dindori district is famous for Gond paintings, where there is an artist in every house.

Their work is famous in the state and abroad for its unique style, theme, and motifs.

Features: Initially, Gond Paintings started as a traditional art form that could be seen on the mud walls of the houses. However, by the early 1980s, it gradually shifted to canvas and paper. 

– Gond Painting is often described as an “On Line Work” as it is created out of meticulously drawn lines which convey a sense of movement to the still images.

– The paintings showcase the beauty of nature, including trees, plants, animals, the moon, sun, river, drains, God, and Goddesses.

– It also portrays daily life activities such as food, plough making, and even how the king used to fight.

– Another interesting feature of this art form is the use of bright colours, such as yellow, red, white and blue. 

India to acquire another 250 Pralay missiles; will neutralize advantage of China, Pakistan

Source: The post is based on the article “India to acquire another 250 Pralay missiles; will neutralize advantage of China, Pakistan” published in TOI on 17th April 2023

What is the News?

The Indian armed forces are prepared to place orders for two more Pralay ballistic missiles, at a cost of more than Rs 7,500 crore.

What are Pralay Missiles?

Pralay’ is a quasi-ballistic surface-to-surface missile.

Purpose: The missile has been developed to defeat interceptor missiles as it has the ability to change its path midair.

– The missile is designed to destroy enemy radar, communication installations, command centres and airfields.

Developed by: Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) 

The Indian Air Force would be the first to receive the missile, and then the Indian Army.

Features: The missile can hit targets 150-500 kms away.

– The missile guidance system has integrated avionics and cutting-edge navigation.

– The missile is powered by a solid propellant rocket motor. The composite propellant is highly efficient and generates more energy compared to the propellant used in Agni missile series.

– Additionally, like most tactical ballistic missiles it is mobile which means it can be used quickly on the battlefield.

Significance: Pralay will be India’s first tactical quasi-ballistic missile and will give the armed forces the capability to hit enemy positions and key installations in actual battlefield areas.