9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – April 22nd, 2023

Posted on April 22nd, 2023 Last modified on April 24th, 2023 Comments Views 36

Dear Friends,

We have initiated some changes in the 9 PM Brief and other postings related to current affairs. What we sought to do:

1. Ensure that all relevant facts, data, and arguments from today’s newspaper are readily available to you.
2. We have widened the sources to provide you with content that is more than enough and adds value not just for GS but also for essay writing. Hence, the 9 PM brief now covers the following newspapers:
  1. The Hindu
  2. Indian Express
  3. Livemint
  4. Business Standard
  5. Times of India
  6. Down To Earth
  7. PIB
3. We have also introduced the relevance part to every article. This ensures that you know why a particular article is important.

Since these changes are new, so initially the number of articles might increase, but they’ll go down over time.
It is our endeavor to provide you with the best content and your feedback is essential for the same. We will be anticipating your feedback and ensure the blog serves as an optimal medium of learning for all the aspirants.
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Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

The missing Muslim woman in the workforce

Source: The post is based on the article “The missing Muslim woman in the workforce” published in “The Indian Express” on 22nd April 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Vulnerable actions of the population. GS1- social empowerment

Relevance: Issues related to women’s empowerment.

News: The article deals with the issues of the employment status of Muslim women.

What are the statistics about Muslims in higher education?

AISHE 2021 data on higher education enrolment in the country showed that there were more women than men from the Muslim community in undergraduate courses. Out of 1,000 Muslim students in higher education, 503 are women.

But, there has been an absolute decrease in Muslims in higher education. The number of students from the community in higher education decreased to 19.21 lakh in 2020-21 from 21 lahks in 2019-20.

What are three disturbing trends shown by PLFS related to the employment status of women?

The female labour force participation (FLFP) rate has stagnated at very low levels in our country. Women’s employment is seen as a supplemental source of income.

The share of women employed in unpaid labour has increased even for highly educated women. In 2017-18, 6.2% of women with graduate or higher levels of education worked as unpaid helpers. By 2021-22, this share had increased to 11.2 per cent.

What are the issues with the employment status of Muslim women?

Muslim women are absent from the workforce.

The female labour force participation rate of Muslim women in the country is 15%, as compared to 26.1% for Hindu women.

Over the past three years, Muslim women have had the lowest LFP rate amongst all religious groups in the country.

Only 12.4% of working Muslim women are salaried as compared to 16.2% of Hindu women.

What is the way forward to have more Muslim women in workplaces?

Employers need to ensure women’s inclusion in the workplace. They should also take an intersectional approach.

Research shows that Muslim women face significant discrimination in hiring at entry-level roles. There is a need to incorporate mechanisms to address biases in hiring.

There is a need to avoid faith stereotyping, and design inclusive networking opportunities and company events. It is necessary to promote cultural awareness, create an inclusive schedule for employees with faith-related needs. Women should be offered compassion and support.

Government and policymakers need to make those jobs available that women want. They need to create ecosystems that are supportive of employed women. This involves creating space for women from all communities in policy conversations.

Families and society need to prioritise women’s employment so that women can have agency, express themselves, and expand their sources of happiness.

The stereotype of men being the sole breadwinner of the family puts a lot of pressure on them. Women can be brought in to share this burden.

The LoC agreement of 2007 deserves a relook

Source: The post is based on the article “The LoC agreement of 2007 deserves a relook” published in “The Hindu” on 22nd April 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2- Bilateral groupings and agreements

Relevance: India – Pakistan bilateral issues

News: A former Special Envoy has confirmed in his book that the agreement on the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, was ready to be signed by then Prime MinisterManmohan Singh and Pakistan President General Musharraf. But, the stand-off in Pakistan with the judiciary and the 26/11 attacks in 2008 has halted its progress.

What are some facts about the proposed agreement on LoC?

The agreement proposed a “4-point solution” and a “14 point set of guidelines” for any settlement between the two countries. It includes free flow of trade, ending cross border terrorism, respect for human rights, and bringing down military presence on both sides of the LoC

The Line of Control has to be respected like a normal border between the two countries.

What is the current situation of the bilateral relationship between India and Pakistan?

A series of terror attacks, from Mumbai to Pathankot and Pulwama has spoiled the relationship. The reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, and the amendment to Article 370 have made it difficult for any Pakistani leader to propose a restoration of ties.

There are no political contacts at any level, no trade, no direct travel links and no High Commissioners in each other’s countries.

What are the steps taken by the current government for the normalisation of relations with Pakistan?

Prime Minister continued to seek engagement with Islamabad even after the several setbacks,

Backchannel talks are believed to run between National Security Adviser and Pakistani intelligence. It focuses on preventing hostilities. The LoC ceasefire agreement of 2021 was the result of it.

The two sides have also discussed measures that would lead to the restoration of statehood and elections in J&K, the reappointment of High Commissioners and the restoration of visas and people-to-people ties.

These include initiatives such as the Kartarpur Corridor and the proposed Sharda Peeth Corridor across the temple in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir’s Neelum Valley.

The next step would be to revisit the nearly ready agreement of 15 years ago.

Do the recent moves by the Indian government on J&K have an impact on relations between India and Pakistan?

New Delhi’s moves to revoke J&K’s special status and Statehood did not change the basis for a settlement of the J&K dispute. Article 370 was always a temporary provision, and diluted over the decades. It was never recognised by Pakistan.Article 35(A) has had little to no effect in changing demography thus far.

The move on gender parity in property inheritance had already been implemented in 2002. The move related to downgrading the State to a Union Territory will be reversed.

What is the way forward for India in its relationship with Pakistan?

Unjust arrests and a continuing security crackdown on politicians and civil society in J&K should be stopped. There is a need to relook at measures like internet bans and a stringent lockdown, targeting of journalists and human rights violations.

There is a need to end cross-border terrorism from Pakistan that the people of J&K, have suffered from for decades.

Despite the precarious situation within J&K, the LoC has been more or less stable for more than half a century. Any military operation by either India or Pakistan to reclaim the other side is unlikely to make much headway.

Pakistan is facing internal crises. China at the Line of Actual Control is a bigger challenge for India. So, India needs a more stable Line of Control.

Revisiting the agreement on LoC about a decade and a half ago is eventually the only way forward.

Botanical Gardens and life on Earth

Source: The post is based on the article “Botanical gardens and life on earth” published in “The Hindu” on 22nd April 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Environment and ecology

Relevance: In-situ conservation of ecology.

News: The Tamil Nadu government has decided to establish a large botanical garden (the Chengalpattu Botanical Garden) in the State.

What is the importance of gardens?

Plants form the basis of civilization. Humanity has had a long association with gardens. The tradition of home gardens has been noted in ancient texts and depicted in cave paintings.

Gardens capture a part of the earth’s biodiversity for our enjoyment. Modern academic gardens often have hundreds and thousands of dried plant specimens for research.

Rulers, from ancient civilisations to modern ones owned botanical gardens rich in native plants and plants collected from distant places. A beautiful garden was an important metric of one’s prosperity and administration.

Between the 15th to 17th centuries, European explorations led to the establishment of several academic botanical gardens. The oldest of these, Orto Botanico di Padova in Italy, was founded in 1545.

The most well-known, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew near London, was formally consolidated in 1840.

What are some facts about botanical gardens in India?

The oldest of the Indian Botanic gardens called the Acharya Jagadish Chandra (AJC) Bose Indian Botanic Garden, in Howrah was established in 1787. The Garden is spread over 109 hectares.

Kolkata is also the headquarters of the Botanical Survey of India. It is the country’s major research centre in botanical surveys and documentation.

The exact number of botanical gardens in India is not known. The published number ranges from between 10 to 35.

What are the issues with India’s approach to botanical gardens?

Globally, botanical gardens are important centres for plant exploration, discovery and research, and biodiversity outreach.

Indian botanical gardens have often lacked this wider perspective. Only a few botanical gardens have plant exploration and education programmes.

India is among the countries with a high diversity of plants and animals, with an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 plant species. Yet, our knowledge of our vast botanical heritage is extremely limited.

Our scientific and educational institutions have neglected many aspects of plant biology: taxonomy, ecology, evolution, population ecology and stress biology.

What are some facts about the proposed botanical garden in Tamil Nadu?

The ₹300 crores Chengalpattu Botanical Garden is being planned across 138 hectares. It will be India’s largest botanical garden.

The CBG has the potential to become a major centre for the exploration and discovery of India’s plant wealth. It will be a centre of research, education, citizen science, and outreach in plant biology. It will be a forceful voice in conservation.

The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew has been chosen as a key partner for technical expertise on what plants to use and how to maintain them.

What measures can be taken for the success of the proposed botanical garden?

Many institutions and individuals in India also have relevant and appropriate expertise in the design and development of gardens. It can be used.

In the past two decades, the botanical gardens in Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia, have set new standards in their research and outreach programmes. Collaboration with such gardens could be immensely beneficial.

GS Paper 3

Heatwaves & Cool Heads – We shouldn’t panic about summer extremes, because there are well-understood solutions. The trick is to implement them smartly

Source: The post is based on the article “Heatwaves & Cool Heads – We shouldn’t panic about summer extremes, because there are well-understood solutions. The trick is to implement them smartly” published in The Times of India on 22nd April 2023.

Syllabus: GS-3: Disaster Management.

Relevance: About the impact of heatwaves.

News: Heatwaves have forced schools to close in parts of Meghalaya and Tripura. Indian Meteorological Department has also issued warning to nine states facing heatwaves simultaneously.

What are heat waves?

Read here: Heat strokes in India: Reasons and Impacts – Explained, pointwise

How can heat waves be fatal?

Read here: In Maharashtra heatstroke deaths, the critical factor of humidity

How heat waves are increasing along with climate change?

Heatwaves have increased every decade since the 1980s, and they now engulf most of the country. With climate change, temperature and humidity are rising together, leading to high wet-bulb temperatures.

At 1. 5°C warming, there will be more severe heatwaves. At 2°C, “deadly” heatwaves would frequently cross 35°C wet-bulb temperatures, which is the limit of human survivability.

What are the various Geoengineering solutions to combat climate change?

Must Read: Geoengineering Technologies: Applications and Concerns – Explained, pointwise and Geo-engineering and climate control

Can Geoengineering solutions mitigate heatwave impacts?

Geoengineering solutions have enormous uncertainty and unintended consequences to manage extreme heat. For instance, Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) would not immediately cool the area or save lives. It would take months before the planet starts cooling due to sulphur spray.

Note: SAI involves spraying sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere to mimic the cooling effect of a volcanic eruption.

What are the ideal solutions for heat waves?

Reducing carbon emissions: This is the cheapest and the best option to limit warming and deadly heat waves. Further, this can be done by deploying existing technologies – solar and wind energy, energy-efficient appliances, green buildings, electric vehicles, and reducing wasteful consumption. This will also support green growth and jobs.

Redesign cities and buildings to adapt to heatwaves: This entails incorporating more open spaces, green areas, and water bodies into urban landscapes. Also, buildings must be energy-efficient, with well-insulated walls and roofs and effective shading and ventilation systems to maintain a cool interior.

Need a new heat code based on the wet-bulb temperature: This is because many regions in India are now experiencing wet-bulb temperatures exceeding 30°C during certain parts of the year. But Indian guidelines are based on dry-bulb temperature hence, they do not capture this.

Both the Global countries and India are moving in the right decarbonisation trajectory. This will aid in mitigating climate impacts with active youth participation.

Proposed changes in gas pricing fail to adequately address the needs of the consumer

Source: The post is based on the article “Proposed changes in gas pricing fail to adequately address the needs of the consumer” published in “The Indian Express” on 22nd April 2023.

Syllabus: GS3- Infrastructure: Energy

Relevance: Issues related to the gas pricing.

News: The government of India has modified the October 2014 pricing mechanism for domestically produced natural gas. 8-10 per cent price reductions announced for CNG and PNG respectively by the major CGD players.

What are the issues with the energy sector in India?

India’s per capita commercial energy consumption has remained around a third of the global average. It is at par with sub-Saharan levels. India cannot achieve geopolitical standing in a multi-polar world, without addressing her energy poverty.

India accounts for just under 6% of global commercial energy consumption. It consumes under 23% of the commercial energy consumed by China in both absolute and per capita terms.

India’s share of global gas consumption is just 1.5%. Gas accounts for only 6.3% of India’s commercial energy basket.

What are the issues with the revised gas pricing mechanism for domestically produced gas?

Deny benefits to Indian consumers: The revision comes at a time when Natural Gas and LNG prices have fallen by 70%. The current Henry Hub price for natural gas is just above 2$/MMBTU (million British Thermal Units). There is a surplus of Russian natural gas.

Spot LNG is trading well below $13/MMBTU. The proposed changes deny Indian consumers the benefit of these falling prices.

No reason for differential treatment of KG Basin: The changes proposed do not impact the pricing of gas from the KG Basin fields. For the KG Basin fields, the price is capped at the full energy equivalent of alternate imported fuels. The logic behind this differential treatment and the magnitude of the difference imposed remains unclear.

Not universally applicable: The floor price of $4/MMBTU and the ceiling price of $6.5/MMBTU for domestic natural gas is applicable only to the gas produced from the nominated fields of ONGC/OIL. It is not applicable to all-natural gas fields covered by government-administered prices.

Again, the basis for choosing the floor of $4 and the ceiling of $6.5 and applying it selectively to only certain public sector natural gas fields remains unclear.

Other issues: The nominated fields of ONGC/OIL that are subject to a floor price and a ceiling price will be eligible for an arbitrary 20% premium for natural gas produced from “new wells”. The reasoning for these arbitrary provisions, applied selectively to certain fields, also remains unclear.

What will be the impacts of the new gas pricing mechanism?

The different formulations for pricing the same commodity are further complicated by the proposed new and unprecedented variations. This is prone to gaming and creates a non-level playing field.

The high well-head prices in India for domestic natural gas ensure a continued high price for LNG exports to India.

Note: The well-head price is the price without transportation costs charged by the producer for petroleum or natural gas.

Quantum Jump: GoI does well to fund R&D in computing’s next revolution

Source: The post is based on the article “Quantum Jump: GoI does well to fund R&D in computing’s next revolution” published in The Times of India on 22nd April 2023.

Syllabus: GS – 3: Science and Technology – Indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Relevance: About National Quantum Mission.

News: The government’s recent announcement for National Quantum Mission (NQM) for 2023-24 through 2030-31 is a fillip to R&D in quantum tech.

About National Quantum Mission

Read here: Cabinet approves National Quantum Mission to scale-up scientific & industrial R&D for quantum technologies

What is quantum computing, and what are its applications?

Must read: Quantum computing technology and associated applications – Explained, pointwise

What is the significance of quantum entanglement?

The ground-breaking research of the 1970s and 1980s into the phenomenon of quantum entanglement was recognised with a Physics Nobel only in 2022. Their research has shown that entangled particles (physically apart yet linked) can ferry information over massive distances. This is the heart of quantum science.

What are the challenges in developing quantum computing technologies?

Lack of technology: India only has a basic quantum computer Qsim that allows researchers to simulate quantum computation.

Lack of skills: In 2021, for 290 quantum tech masters’ grads globally, there were 851 jobs. Barely 16% of the world’s universities offer degrees in the field.

What should be done?

India’s public-funded research institutes must collaborate with startups and firms to develop the initial intermediate-sized supercomputers.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

PRAYAG Platform For Real-Time Analysis Of Yamuna, Ganga & Their Tributaries Launched

Source: The post is based on the article “PRAYAG Platform For Real-Time Analysis Of Yamuna, Ganga & Their Tributaries Launched” published in PIB on 21st April 2023

What is the News?

During the 11th meeting of the Empowered Task Force of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the Ministry of Jal Shakti launched the PRAYAG Platform.

What is PRAYAG Platform?

PRAYAG stands for Platform for Real-time Analysis of Yamuna, Ganga and their Tributaries.

Purpose: It is a real-time monitoring centre for planning and monitoring projects and river water quality through various online dashboards.

What is the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)?

Hakki Pikkis caught in Sudan conflict: Why this tribe of bird catchers travels to Africa from Karnataka

Source: The post is based on the article “Hakki Pikkis caught in Sudan conflict: Why this tribe of bird catchers travels to Africa from Karnataka” published in

What is the News?

More than 181 members of the Hakki Pikki tribal community from Karnataka are stuck in violence-hit Sudan, even as the government is making efforts to bring them back.

What is Hakki-Pikki Tribe?

‘Hakki-Pikki’ is one of the major tribal communities in Karnataka.

In Kannada, the word ‘Hakki’ stands for ‘bird’ and ‘Pikki’ stands for the verb ‘to catch’. Therefore, the community is known as the ‘bird catcher,’ which is their traditional occupation.

The community migrated from Northern India – mainly Gujarat and Rajasthan to Karnataka. According to the 2011 census, the Hakki Pikki population in Karnataka is 11,892.

Language: Despite being surrounded by Dravidian languages and living in southern India, the community speaks an Indo-Aryan language. Their mother tongue was designated ‘Vaagri’ by scholars.

– UNESCO has listed ‘Vaagri’ as one of the endangered languages.

Rituals and Customs: Hakki Pikkis in Karnataka follow Hindu traditions and celebrate all Hindu festivals. They are non-vegetarians. The eldest son in a family is not supposed to cut his hair so that he can be identified easily.

– The tribe prefers cross-cousin marriages. The society is matriarchal, where the groom gives dowry to the bride’s family

Occupation: Hakki-Pikkis are renowned for their indigenous medicines. The community resided in the dense jungles for a long time and created its own plant and herb-based medicine systems.

-Their herbal oil business took off, and now the tribe members go to many places across the globe to sell their products.

– In 2021, the Hakki-Pikki tribes came into the limelight after they survived the Covid-19 pandemic.

Misinformation Combat Alliance: Indian fact checking network focuses on fake news on ruling party, government

Source: The post is based on the article “Indian fact checking network focuses on fake news on ruling party, government” published in The Hindu on 22nd April 2023

What is the News?

The Misinformation Combat Alliance has approached the government to act as a self-regulating body to flag fake news online in line with the IT Rules, 2021.

What is the Misinformation Combat Alliance?

MCA is an alliance of media companies set up in March 2022 to combat misinformation and build tools to aid fact-checking.

It is currently a network of 14 digital publishers which includes publications such as Boom Live, Factly, The Logical Indian, Vishwas News and The Quint.

Membership in the MCA is open to any organization that applies.

What is the proposal given by the Misinformation Combat Alliance to the government?

The Misinformation Combat Alliance has approached the government to act as a self-regulating body to flag fake news online in line with the IT Rules, 2021.

MCA’s proposal is to regulate misinformation that is unrelated to the Union government, which is reportedly due to the Government of India’s unwillingness to hand this mandate to an international network like the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN).

Note: Recently, the IT ministry, through an amendment to the Information Technology Rules of 2022, introduced a provision for the establishment of a government-run body to fact-check any misinformation about the government.

Ministry of Civil Aviation Launches UDAN 5.0

Source: The post is based on the article “Ministry of Civil Aviation Launches UDAN 5.0” published in PIB on 22nd April 2023

What is the News?

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched the fifth phase of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik).

What is the UDAN Scheme?

Click Here to read

What is UDAN 5.0?

UDAN 5.0 aims to raise the momentum, connect new routes and bring us closer to the target of operationalizing 1000 routes & 50 additional airports, heliports and water aerodromes in the near future.

Key features of UDAN 5.0:

UDAN 5.0 focuses on Category-2 (20-80 seats) and Category-3 (>80 seats).

Viability gap funding(VGF) will be provided at a 600 km stage length for both Priority and Non-Priority areas which were earlier capped at 500 km.

Airlines can now propose routes they want to fly under the UDAN 5.0. The move replaces the previous system in which the Ministry predetermined the routes airlines could operate on.

The airlines would be required to submit an action/business plan after 2 months from the issuance of LoA wherein they submit their aircraft acquisition plan/availability of aircraft, crew, slots, etc. at the time of the Technical Proposal.

The same route will not be awarded to a single airline more than once, whether in different networks or in the same network.

Exclusivity will be withdrawn if the average quarterly Passenger Load Factor(PLF) is higher than 75% for four continuous quarters, to prevent exploitation of the monopoly on a route.

Airlines must start up their operations no later than four months after the route has been awarded; the previous limit was six months.

Bengal tops list of States with most ponds and reservoirs: first-ever waterbody census

Source: The post is based on the article “Bengal tops list of States with most ponds and reservoirs: first-ever waterbody census” published in Indian Express on 22nd April 2023

What is the News?

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has released the report of the first census of water bodies.

What is the Census of Water Bodies?

Objective: To develop a national database for all water bodies by collecting information on all important aspects of the subject including their size, condition, the status of encroachments, use, storage capacity, the status of filling up of storage etc.

Definition: The census defines a waterbody as “all natural or man-made units bounded on all sides with some or no masonry work used for storing water for irrigation or other purposes (example industrial, pisciculture, domestic/drinking, recreation, religious, groundwater recharge etc).

The water bodies census was conducted along with the 6th Minor Irrigation Census for 2017-18.

What are the key findings of the Census of Water Bodies?

Source: Indian Express

Waterbodies: India has 24.24 lakh water bodies like ponds, tanks and lakes.

– West Bengal accounts for most of the water bodies and Sikkim the least.

– West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas has been ranked as the top district having the highest (3.55 lakh) number of water bodies across the country.

Classification of waterbodies: Around 59.55% of water bodies are ponds, followed by tanks(15.7%), reservoirs(12.1%), water conservation schemes/percolation tanks/check dams (9.3%), lakes (0.9%) and others (2.5%).

– West Bengal has the highest number of ponds and reservoirs whereas Andhra Pradesh has the highest number of tanks.

– Tamil Nadu has the highest number of lakes and Maharashtra is the leading state with water conservation schemes.

Encroachment of water bodies: The census also collected data on the encroachment of water bodies for the first time, revealing that 1.6% of all enumerated water bodies are encroached, with 95.4% of encroachments in rural areas and the remaining 4.6% in urban areas.

What is the significance of the census of water bodies?

The census provides a comprehensive overview of the distribution of water bodies in India, highlighting the states and districts with the highest number of water bodies.

The data on the encroachment of water bodies can help in identifying areas where conservation efforts are needed to protect these valuable resources.