9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – December 15th, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• Census as a mirror of past and present

GS Paper 2

• India- China boundary conflict
• Unnecessary Mystery: Judges recusing from cases without specifying reasons hurts the entire judiciary. SC must frame rules
• The silent revolution of Nari Shakti

GS Paper 3

• Why are India’s slowing exports a cause for concern?
• Energy conundrum – Solar power is important for India, but it will not serve every energy need
• Building climate resilience collectively
• Understanding the fusion energy breakthrough announced by the U.S.
• The cost of India’s subsidy spike

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• All about Tripura’s Unakoti, the ‘Angkor Wat of the North-East’ seeking UNESCO world heritage tag
• Geographical Indication tag sought for Beypore Uru
• How J&K’s proposed family ID will work, and why it is being criticized
• Forabot: Fossil-sorting robot to make it easier to study oceans, climate
• 2022 Prison Census: Number of journalists jailed has reached record high: CPJ report
• Year End Review 2022: Ministry of Culture
• India’s imports from China rose sharply post Galwan clash: What trade data show
• Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise “Kazind – 2022” to Commence at Umroi (Meghalaya)
• How gene therapy could cure cancer
• House committee calls for more medical facilities for troops at forward locations

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

Census as a mirror of past and present

News– The article explains the impact of British policy on population related indicators. It also explains the dimensions of living standard shown by census after 1947.

A recent study of India’s experience under colonial rule concludes that between 1880 and 1920 approximately 100 million Indians died due to British policy in India. It is based on the census of India.

The mortality rate in British India rose steadily after 1881. It recorded an increase of close to 20% by 1921. This suggests that the living conditions worsened during this period. The mortality rate dipped in 1931, which was the last census conducted in British India.

What are the arguments by some school of thoughts that justifies colonial rule ?

British arguments for the empire include English forms of land tenure, the English language, banking, the common law, the limited state, representative assemblies, and the idea of liberty.

What are the arguments by Indian economic historians against colonial rule?

Famines started almost at the onset of rule by the East India Company in Bengal. The de-industrialisation happened in India in the nineteenth century. It led to the drain of wealth. Food security worsened as India’s peasants were forced to grow commercial crops for export so that Britain could balance its trade.

What is revealed by the population of India after 1947?

Population recorded after 1947 points to the fact that lives of Indians improved since the end of colonial rule in dimensions other than merely income.

It points to a worsening gender inequality in India. A simple indicator of this would be the ratio of females to males in the population. This ratio has steadily declined after 1947. After declining for four decades from 1951, it started inching up in 1991. But in 2011, it was still lower than what it was in 1951.

Even though life expectancy increased soon after Independence, in the early years at least it increased faster for men than it did for women.

GS Paper 2

India- China boundary conflict

News– The article explains the issue of frequent border conflicts between India and China.

Recently, there was a serious clash between Indian and Chinese troops at Yangtse near Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.

What are the probable reasons for the increasing confrontation on LAC?

Lack of clarification on LAC– LAC has not been jointly delineated or demarcated by India and China. In some parts of this mountainous geography, each side’s perception of the LAC is different from the other’s.

There are pockets where these conceptions overlap. Yangtse is one such pocket where Indian and Chinese perceptions of the LAC differ.

Buffer zones– Another reason is creation of buffer zones. The area in between is currently not patrolled by either side at least until the two sides agree to a methodology for such patrols.

Expansion of territory– It indicates a pre-planned operation to exploit a window of opportunity. The intent seems to have been to seize the post in an area claimed by the Chinese. The LAC would have been permanently altered.

The Tawang incident was not the outcome of a local initiative. This operation could have only been conceived at the highest levels in China.

What are the larger strategic dimensions of Chinese strategy?

Political dimension– The LAC is a political issue in China. Politically, even a small victory over the Indian Army through salami slicing, could have diverted attention from China’s internal economic and social turmoil.

Geopolitics– This incident must also be viewed against a larger canvas. It may be  the political messaging of retaliation against the recent Indo-US military exercises.

It could also have been designed to force a postponement of the IAF exercises to be conducted in the east shortly. Such activities could enable the Chinese to increase its presence in the Indian Ocean Region by diverting India’s attention.

Strategic prioritisation– The apparent priority for China is annexing Taiwan. However, annexing Taiwan militarily requires extensive training and resources. It is also a major political risk. The chances of immediate military action against Taiwan are low.

In contrast, military action along the LAC with India can be undertaken at a time and place of China’s choice, with fewer resources and calibrated for maximum effect. The political risks are low. Therefore, India is the greater priority for China from a military perspective.

Why have such incidents of physical contact between troops of each side become more frequent?

China has improved the infrastructure on its side to such an extent that the PLA is able to move its troops to the very limits of its claimed territory at quick speeds.

The PLA has been instructed by its leadership to protect every inch of Chinese territory in a proactive manner.

China and its military troops are not merely more assertive, they are also more aggressive.

infrastructure on the Indian side has also improved greatly and the Indian army too is able to move troops and equipment to the border faster than ever before.

But the terrain on the Indian side is higher mountains where both road building as well as transporting men and material are very difficult.

The Chinese side has the Tibetan plateau where both infrastructure development as well as transportation is far less difficult.

Why is China not willing for demarcation of LAC?

There is fear on the Chinese side that once there is a common idea of where the LAC lies, this line would then become the de-facto boundary between the two countries. It may be unacceptable to them.

They desire to achieve such a result unilaterally, through use of force. This is exactly what they attempted in eastern Ladakh.

What is the level of India’s defence preparedness for Chinese aggression?

Our jointness and theatrisation initiatives seem to be lagging despite the new CDS. Our modernisation programmes appear episodic.

The strategic partnership plan to produce submarines has hit a roadblock. The requirement of a lightweight tank for high altitudes is still on paper. There seems to be no comprehensive plan for firepower enhancement.

The difference between the PLA and Indian troops is evident in this incident.

What is the way forward for India?

India needs to rethink national security and focus holistically on the clear and present threat of China.

It needs to rethink the ill-planned Agnipath scheme on an emergency basis.

Unnecessary Mystery: Judges recusing from cases without specifying reasons hurts the entire judiciary. SC must frame rules

News: Many times Supreme Court or high court judges recuse themselves from cases. Recently, a judge recused from hearing Bilkis Bano’s challenge against the premature release of 11 murder-gangrape convicts.

What is the recusal of judges?

Recusal is the removal of oneself as a judge or policymaker in a particular matter. Ordinarily judges recuse over conflict of interest.  However, often judges don’t give reasons for recusal.

What are the concerns associated with the recusal of judges?

a) Judges recusing from cases without specifying reasons hurts the entire judiciary, b) The frequency of recusal pleas are also growing recently. For instance, rarely a month passes without a judge recusing in Bombay HC.

What should be done to reduce recusal of judges?

-A judicial order would make recusal legally contestable at a higher forum but “procedural and substantive rules” were needed.

-Judges should state their reasons for recusal from the cases. Every judge would have to comply to this.

If these changes are implemented, the entire judicial system would greatly benefit from the resultant transparency.

The silent revolution of Nari Shakti

News: On the occasion of the 75th year of India’s independence, the Prime Minister articulated a bold vision that in the coming 25 years, “Nari Shakti” would play a vital role in India’s socio-economic developmental journey.

Note: Kena Upanishad from ancient times mentions that it was the goddess Uma who enlightened the three powerful but ignorant gods, Indra, Vayu, and Agni, to the profound mystery of Brahman.

How is Nari Shakti empowering India at present?

At present, micro and silent revolutions are reasserting the power of Nari Shakti.

Increase in voter turnout: Private research on women voters using historical data has revealed that since 2010, the gender gap in voter turnout has diminished significantly and the recent trends show women voter turnout often exceeds male voter turnout. This is even witnessed in less developed regions of the country also.

The significance of this silent revolution is a) women voters can no longer be marginalised or neglected, b) Women voters demand respect and command attention, c) Compelled political entrepreneurs and grounded leaders to design policies addressing issues that women care about. This is visible from recent poverty reduction programs that are based on amenities such as cooking fuel, sanitation, water, and electricity, and d) Compelled political parties to make law and order a critical political issue in the less developed regions.

Increase in women contesting elections: In the 1950s, in the state assembly elections, women contested elections in approximately 7% of the constituencies, but by the 2010s, women were competing in 54% of the constituencies.

The significance of this revolution is it creates a bottom-up revolution in India and holds lessons for other countries.

What are the challenges faced by Nari Shakti?

Women employment: According to World Bank data, the female labour force participation rate has declined from 32% in 2005 to 19% in 2022. Further, the data does not consider unpaid domestic services. Working women also face double burdens from work and domestic work.

Rising population and its burden on Nari Shakti: Fertility rates have declined dramatically below the replacement rate, the share of the ageing population has increased, and there is an alarming increase in the percentage of kinless elderly.

The care industry is labour-intensive and, therefore, subject to Baumol Cost Disease, implying that the cost of providing care would keep rising over time.

What should be done to improve the contribution of Nari Shakti?

Account domestic services: A private study reveals that women in the age group of 25 to 59 years spend approximately seven hours daily in unpaid domestic services. If this is accounted then a) The level of India’s GDP would be significantly higher, and b) A truer picture of women’s economic contribution would emerge.

Care industry lessons for India from advanced economies: India should encourage men to share the burden of unpaid domestic services. This would require a break from tradition and the creation of new modern narratives and myths.

When the rest of the world is experiencing a “democratic recession”, India is on track to improve the participation of Nari Shakti and make democracy more progressive.

GS Paper 3

Why are India’s slowing exports a cause for concern?

News: India’s exports declined about 16.7% in October this year. Imports increased and the trade deficit widened by 50% while Vietnam and Philippines saw an increase in the export.

What are the reasons behind the decline in exports?

Sectors such as engineering goods, steel and allied sectors saw a decline in exports.

The reasons are – a) high inflation in the developed region, b) falling demand in the China, US and the EU, c) Russia-Ukraine war, d) export duty levied on steel and allied products to help increase local availability and check the prices, e) leave taken by workers on festivals that impacted the output.

However, despite these reasons, the Indian economy is expected to grow.

What are the positive factors for the Indian economy to grow?

According to the Finance Ministry, domestic demands are enough to increase the growth of the economy. It also expects that a re-invigorated investment cycle will lead to growth and job creation.

The Ministry further said that inflation was due to local factors such as higher food prices rather than imports-based reasons.

Therefore, it expects that inflation will become lower with the easing international commodity prices and the arrival of the Kharif crop.

As per the Ministry, consumer inflation has lowered in the month of November and the same month saw the lowest enrollment in MGNREGS.

Further, private sector capital expenditure will touch six lakh crore this fiscal which would make it the highest of the past six years. Private capex depends on credit or loans from the banking system and this has improved in the past months.

Although forex reserves have seen decline in recent months, the situation is better than 2013 when foreign investors began pulling out of India’s financial markets.

Therefore, these reasons prove that even though the exports have seen a decline but Indian economy is on the right track of growth.

Energy conundrum – Solar power is important for India, but it will not serve every energy need

News: India has committed to source nearly half its energy from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 and source at least 60% of its renewable energy from solar power. However, there are problems associated with generating solar based energy.

What were the plans of the government regarding solar powers and what are problems associated with it?

The government decided to set up large solar parks as small parks lead to higher per-unit production costs.

The government announced the ‘Solar Parks and Ultra-Mega Solar Power Projects’ policy for the creation of large parks in 2014 with an initial plan to set up 25 parks capable of generating at least 20,000 MW by 2019.

The government later increased it to 61 parks with a target of 40,000 MW in 2017.

However, only a fourth of the capacity has been achieved by now which means projects worth 10,000 MW have been commissioned. Four projects have also been cancelled by the Centre due to slow progress.

Further, India had committed to generate 1,00,000 MW from solar power by the end of 2022. However, only around 61,000 MW of such capacity has actually been installed.

There are various reasons behind the slow progress such as challenges in acquiring land, setting up necessary infrastructure, and environmental issues.

What is the way ahead?

These all show that India is lagging behind its commitment and it seems that Solar power may not be enough to cater the demand of the growing India.

Therefore, along with expanding the economy the government should also consider whether renewable power, solar, wind or nuclear will be enough for sustainable economic growth or not.

Building climate resilience collectively

News– The article explains the issue of climate resilience for our cities.

What is needed for improving the climate resilience of cities?

To facilitate implementation of the climate action plan and enable their integration with other missions, a data-driven approach may be useful.

There is a need to demonstrate urban planning strategies aimed at climate resilience through specific actions and interventions and link them to various finance streams accessible to the urban local bodies. It should be backed by sound data.

Cities need effective and efficient planning instruments that translate master plans into transformative business-ready investment projects.

What is the Urban Sustainability Assessment Framework?

It is a decision support tool of UN-Habitat for municipal commissioners and urban practitioners. It supports the sustainable and resilient urban planning and management of Indian cities.

It enables cities to regularly capture inter-sectoral data and corresponding analysis on urban metrics. In this way, it  helps in monitoring the performance of a city in static and dynamic contexts.

Cities can enhance vertical integration by pulling together the missions’ objectives at the central level, State policies and projects, and local implementation.

What shows the effectiveness of nature based solutions?

Bhopal case– In the case of Bhopal, transportation makes up for 19% of the city’s GHG emissions. Bhopal favours non-motorised transport . But, it provides access to public bike docking stops to only 24% of its population. Only half of its streets have footpaths.

The city has immense potential to reduce its carbon footprint designing shared streets for personal vehicles, public transport, NMT and pedestrians. They can be linked with future economic activity zones and underserved areas.

These streets can also be used for native plant species and groundwater recharge by integrating water-sensitive urban design features with a potential of reducing GHG emissions.

Jaipur case-Jaipur has only 1.42 sq.m per capita of open space against a benchmark of 12 sq.m per person. Residential areas were found to be at least 1.25°C cooler than neighbourhoods with less green pockets. In industrial pockets, the urban heat island impact was greater with temperatures higher by 1.1°C.

Simple yet effective solutions that can increase Jaipur’s resilience include community recharge pits in neighbourhood parks, and increasing permeable spaces along mobility corridors.

What are the components of nature based solutions for climate change adaptation?

The planning approach for building climate resilience needs comprehensive stakeholder participation towards building climate resilience.

Active involvement from various tiers of government, non-governmental, community-based organisations, and academic institutions is desirable at each step.

Movements on the city performance indicators communicate the impact of these interventions to the decision-makers and the community at large.

Cumulative benefits and efficient use of public resources from various central and State missions, and on-ground convergence are parts of this approach.

This evidence-based approach aims at making cities sustainable, resilient and inclusive with no one and no place left behind.

Understanding the fusion energy breakthrough announced by the U.S.

News: Recently, United States government officials announced that a the National Ignition Facility (NIF) had achieved a significant milestone in nuclear fusion research. It produced 153% as much energy as went into triggering it.

About the nuclear fusion research

Ways to achieve nuclear fusion: There are three ways to trigger nuclear fusion.

1) Setting off a fission explosion: The explosion momentarily creates conditions that trigger a fusion explosion. For instance, the hydrogen bomb. This process is not used to create commercial power.

2) Inertial confinement: It puts fusion material in a chamber made of a material that absorbs energy. The chamber is bombarded with high-energy lasers and it absorbs energy until destroyed in a fusion reaction. For example, the NIF.

3) Magnetic confinement: It involves trapping hydrogen plasma (electrically charged gas) within a magnetic field to safely apply heat and pressure. It is considered to be more technologically mature than inertial confinement. For example, International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).

Condition for chain fusion reaction: For a fusion chain reaction, the energy released by the initial reaction needs to set the stage for more reactions.

Significance of fusion energy: Nuclear fusion fuel is usually isotopes of hydrogen such as deuterium which is abundantly available, or relatively easily produced.

What are the challenges associated with the recent achievement?

–The NIF fusion facility is a highly sophisticated system with tiny moving parts. Even small changes in input conditions can lead to large variations in output. So, replicating the same in other places is challenging.

-For fusion to be truly gainful, the energy released by the reactions needs to be greater than the energy going into the lasers and not just the energy delivered to the hohlraum. This hasn’t yet been achieved.

Note: At the NIF lasers fire at a hohlraum not at the capsule directly.

-The road to a power plant from the NIF’s current achievement isn’t well-understood.

What are the challenges associated with nuclear fusion?

-As stars mature, other elements are also produced via fusion. But simulating stellar conditions on Earth is hard.

-Complex, expensive machinery using massive power is needed to safely create conditions of intense pressure and temperatures of above 35 million degrees Celsius.

-Creating the above two situations and controlling fusion to produce stable power is even more difficult.

What is the significance of the recent achievement in nuclear fusion?

a) The research infused a hope that nuclear fusion could be commercially viable, although it is still at least 15 to 20 years in the future, b) It should lead to more investments, including private sector investments, in fusion research and development, especially at ITER.

American achievement has been described as a ‘civilizational pivot’ by some scientists. However, Indian scientists must clean up India’s energy mix cheaply and safely by expanding wind, solar and other sources.

The cost of India’s subsidy spike

News: The government has received the Lok Sabha’s approval to spend an additional Rs 2.14 lakh crore towards subsidies on the 3Fs — food, fertiliser and fuel — in the current fiscal.

The recent increase will take the total expenditure in 2022-23 to Rs. 5.32 lakh crore. This would be the second-highest outgo on major subsidies after the Rs 7 lakh crore in 2020-21.

Why does the government’s subsidy bill increase recently?

External factors: The last three years have been extraordinary in terms of external shocks. Such as the pandemic (2020-21 and 2021-22), climate calamities (2021-22) and the Russia-Ukraine war (2022-23) and each seamlessly transitioning to the other. This led to increase in the government’s subsidy bill.

Internal factors: a) India saw millions die during the 1943 Bengal Famine or the great drought of 1899-1900. So, the government wants to ensure poor and vulnerable got access to free/near-free grain without any hurdles, b) The government by increasing subsidies has ensured no significant shortage of urea and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) for Indian farmers, despite the disruptions to the global fertiliser trade following the war.

What are the challenges in the higher government’s subsidy bill?

a) The market distortions created by increasing subsidies might be incurred excessively even in normal years, b) Unlike fossil fuels which are net taxed than subsidised, fertilizer and foods are not, c) The retail price of urea and DAP has been raised just once. This forced fertiliser companies to heavily under-price them, and d) The issue prices of wheat and rice through the regular public distribution system were frozen at Rs 2-3/kg since July 2013.

High subsidy bills entail costs, create market distortion. Hence, the government needs to revise these policies and introduce direct benefit transfers to reduce the government’s subsidy bill.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

All about Tripura’s Unakoti, the ‘Angkor Wat of the North-East’ seeking UNESCO world heritage tag

Source: The post is based on the article “All about Tripura’s Unakoti, the ‘Angkor Wat of the North-East’ seeking UNESCO world heritage tag” published in Indian Express on 15th December 2022

What is the News?

Unakoti, famously known as the ‘Angkor Wat of the North-East’ is vying for a UNESCO World Heritage Tag.

What is Unakoti?

Unakoti is located in Tripura. It is a ‘Shaiba’ (Saivite) pilgrimage site with gigantic rock cut sculptures.

The site displays almost the same mystical charm as the Angkor Wat temple of Cambodia. Hence, it is called the Angkor Wat of North-East.

Meaning: Literally, Unakoti means ‘one less one crore’ in Hindi and Bengali and it is believed that these many rock carvings (ninety-nine lakh ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine) are present here.

– In the local Kokborok language, Unakoti is called Subrai Khung 

Mythological significance: According to Hindu mythology, when Lord Shiva was going to Kashi along with one crore gods and goddesses, he made a night halt at this location. He asked all his fellow gods and goddesses to wake up before sunrise and proceed for Kashi. 

– It is believed that in the morning, except Shiva, none of them could wake up so he set out for Kashi alone, cursing others to become stone images. 

– As a result of this curse, ninety-nine lakh ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine stone images and carvings continue to be present at Unakoti.

What is Angkor Wat Temple?

Angkor Wat literally means ‘city of temples’. It is a temple complex in Cambodia and is the largest religious monument in the world.

The temple was built by king Suryavarman II who is regarded as the Khmer empire’s greatest kings. 

The temple was originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu. But it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. As such, it is also described as a “Hindu-Buddhist” temple.

Geographical Indication tag sought for Beypore Uru

Source: The post is based on the article “Geographical Indication tag sought for Beypore Uru” published in The Hindu on 15th December 2022

What is the News?

The District Tourism Promotion Council, Kozhikode (Kerala) has applied for a Geographical Indication(GI) tag for the famous Beypore Uru(boat).

What is Beypore Uru?

Beypore Uru is a wooden dhow (ship / sailing boat / sailing vessel) handcrafted by skilled artisans and carpenters in Beypore, Kerala.

Made of: The Beypore Urus are purely made of premium wood without using any modern techniques. The wood used to build the Uru is still sawed the traditional way which requires immense expertise. It takes anywhere between 1-4 years to build each Uru and the entire process is done manually.

Historical significance: Beypore has been a legendary maritime hub for traders from across the world since the 1st Century C.E and the iconic Uru ships have been in high demand for around 2000 years. 

Communities associated with Beypore Uru: There are several communities traditionally associated with Uru-making. 

– The prominent people among them are Odayis. They manage the technical matters of ship building. 

– The Khalasis are another prominent class associated with Uru-making after the Odayis. They are world-famous for their skill and expertise in launching the completed Urus into the water by using only traditional methods. 

How J&K’s proposed family ID will work, and why it is being criticized

Source: The post is based on the article “How J&K’s proposed family ID will work, and why it is being criticized” published in Indian Express on 15th December 2022

What is the News?

J&K Lt Governor’s announcement to introduce a family Pehchan Patra (identity card) for residents of the UT has been criticized by the opposition parties in Kashmir as a surveillance tool.

What is Family Pehchan Patra(FPP)?

It will be an identity card with a unique 8-digit alphanumeric number, which will contain details of all members of the family, including their names, ages, qualifications, employment status, etc.

The card will be linked with the Aadhaar and bank account number of the head of the family.

While Aadhaar contains information about an individual, the family ID card will collate a database about families, with the consent of the family.

No consent is likely to attract practical difficulties because benefits such as subsidized rations will be linked with the family ID card.

What is the significance of this initiative?

The FPP aims to create an authentic, verified, and reliable database of families in J&K to ensure speedy and transparent doorstep delivery of welfare schemes to eligible beneficiaries. Such a system would facilitate the direct transfer of benefits to their bank accounts with minimum human interference.

The database will also help in identifying and weeding out duplicate ration cards and Aadhaar and will help the government identify families that have a number of educated youth, but without jobs.

What are the criticisms against this initiative?

The opposition parties have criticized the idea of FPP describing it as a ‘surveillance tool’ to keep a watch on Kashmiris. They claim the “unique family IDs” as a symbol of the widening trust deficit among the people of J&K.

Further, it has also been criticized as a waste of time and resources as a similar system – Aadhar – already exists.

There are also concerns regarding the ability of the government in protecting the personal data of the residents in the wake of recent cyber and ransomware attacks by Chinese entities.

Which other states have similar initiatives?

Haryana was the first state to introduce the concept of the family Pehchan Patra and Punjab introduced it last year.

UP Parivar Kalyan Card, Rajasthan’s Jan Aadhaar and MP’s Samagra ID are other examples.

Forabot: Fossil-sorting robot to make it easier to study oceans, climate

Source: The post is based on the article “Fossil-sorting robot to make it easier to study oceans, climate” published in Down To Earth on 15th December 2022

What is the News?

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed and demonstrated a robot called Forabot that is capable of sorting, manipulating and identifying microscopic marine fossils.

What is Forabot?

Forabot is a robot for the identification and sorting of foraminifera (single-celled organisms with shells). 

It is capable of identifying six different types of foram and processing 27 forams per hour. The robot’s AI uses images to identify the type of foram and sorts it accordingly.

Significance: Currently, physical inspection and sorting of forams require human time and effort. With an accuracy rate of 79%, Forabot automates this tedious process.

What is Foraminifera?

Foraminifera (forams) are very simple microorganisms that secrete a tiny shell.

They have existed on the ocean floor for more than 100 million years.

Importance: Different types of foram species thrive in the ocean environment. They leave behind their shells when they die.

Examining these shells gives scientists an insight into the characteristics of the oceans from a time when the forams were alive.

2022 Prison Census: Number of journalists jailed has reached record high: CPJ report

Source: The post is based on the article “Number of journalists jailed has reached record high: CPJ report” published in The Hindu on 15th December 2022

What is the News?

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has released a report titled “2022 Prison Census”.

Note: The Committee to Protect Journalists(CPJ) is an American independent non-profit, non-governmental organization based in New York with correspondents around the world.CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.

What are the key findings of the report?

Journalists Jailed: The number of journalists jailed around the world for practising their profession has touched a record high with 363 reporters deprived of their freedom as of December 1, 2022. This figure is a new global high that overtakes last year’s record by 20%.

Countries with the most journalists jailed: The top five jailers of journalists were Iran, China, Myanmar, Turkey, and Belarus respectively. 

Reason for jailing Journalists: The key driver behind authoritarian governments’ increasingly oppressive efforts to stifle the media was the intent to keep the lid on broiling discontent in a world disrupted by COVID-19 and the economic fallout from Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Repression of Minorities: In Iran and Turkey – both classified as “worst offenders” – it was Kurdish journalists who bore the brunt of the government crackdown. In China, too, many imprisoned journalists were Uighurs from Xinjiang.

What does the report say about India?

India continues to draw criticism over its treatment of the media, in particular for the use of the preventive detention law, the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act(PSA). This law has been used to keep Kashmiri journalists behind bars after they were granted court-ordered bail in separate cases.

Moreover, six out of the seven jailed journalists are being investigated under or charged under the anti-terrorism law Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Of these seven journalists, three have been in jail for more than a year.

Year End Review 2022: Ministry of Culture

Source: The post is based on the article “Year End Review 2022: Ministry of Culture” published in PIB on 14th December 2022

What is the News?

The Ministry of Culture has launched several initiatives and schemes in 2022.

What are the schemes and initiatives launched by the Ministry of Culture in 2022?

Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav: It is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of Independence and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements.

– It has five pillars namely Freedom Struggle, Ideas at 75, Achievements at 75, Actions at 75 and Resolves at 75.

Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya

Installation of statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

Har GharTiranga(HGT) campaign: It aims to encourage people to hoist/display the National Flag at their homes to celebrate the 75th year of India’s independence. 

India International Centre for Buddhist Culture

Holy Kapilvastu Relics of Lord Buddha in Mongolia

Mangarh Dham ki Gaurav Gath: It is a programme held to pay homage to the sacrifices of the unsung tribal heroes and martyrs of the freedom struggle. During the programme, the Prime Minister paid homage to Bhil freedom fighter Shri Govind Guru and also addressed a gathering of Bhil Adivasis and other tribal populations of the region.

Hyderabad Liberation Day: The 75th ‘Hyderabad Liberation Day’ was celebrated in Telangana on 17th September. The purpose was to revive the history of this great war of liberation from the Raj of Nizam and revive the tales of anonymous martyrs by reviving the flame of patriotism in the minds of the younger generation.

400th Prakash Parv of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Singh

Alluri Sitarama Raju

Sri Aurobindo

Raja Ram Mohun Roy

UNESCO inscribed ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2021.

Nominated site: The Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas has been submitted to the World Heritage Committee for the cycle 2022-23. It is a serial nomination consisting of three monuments namely; a) Hoysaleshwar temple; Halebedu, b) Somanathpur temple c) Channakeshava temple, Belur, in Karnataka.

Tentative List of UNESCO: Three monuments namely: 1) Geoglyphs of Konkan region, 2. Jing KiengJri, Living Root Bridge Cultural Landscapes, Meghalaya and 3. Sri Veerbhadra Temple and Monolithic Bull (Nandi) have been included as World Heritage in the Tentative List of UNESCO. 

Devayatanam: an odyssey of India Temple Architecture

Kala Kumbh

Kalanjali: Under this, Cultural performances such as Storytelling, dance, theater, Puppetry are organized at Central Vista every week.

Jyotirgamaya: To celebrate World Music Day, Sangeet Natak Akademi organized Jyotirgamaya – a musical event to showcase rare musical instruments from across the nation and performances by various artists and performers. 

Sankalp Se Siddhi was planned between the Ministry of Culture and Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) to develop an Industry-Citizen Charter for Vision 2047. 

Badhe Chalo

Celebration of Bathukamma

India’s imports from China rose sharply post Galwan clash: What trade data show

Source: The post is based on the article “India’s imports from China rose sharply post Galwan clash: What trade data show” published in Indian Express on 14th December 2022

What is the News?

Amid fresh demands for snapping of trade ties with China in the wake of the Tawang clash, official data show that India’s imports from China spiked sharply post the Galwan clash, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

China-India Trade

China is India’s second-biggest trading partner after the United States. 

In 2021-22, India-China bilateral trade stood at $115.83 billion, which was 11.19 per cent of India’s total merchandise trade of $1,035 billion. The US was just a notch above, with 11.54 per cent ($119.48 billion) share.

Till 20 years ago, China figured at the 10th position (2001-12) or lower (12th in 2000-01). However, from 2002-03, it started an upward march and became India’s top trading partner in 2011-12. Since then, China has remained one of the top trading partners of India.

What is the difference between China and the US as a trading partner of India?

China and the US have both been India’s top trading partners in recent years. But there is a big difference between the trade with the world’s two largest economies. 

While with the US, India had a trade surplus of $32.85 billion during 2021-22, with China, it had a trade deficit of $73.31 billion, the highest for any country. 

In fact, India’s trade deficit with China during 2021-2022 was double the previous year’s level ($44.02 billion) and it was an all-time high.

What has been the trend in India’s trade deficit with China?

India’s trade deficit with China has increased from $1 billion to $73 billion in the past 21 years. It is expected to rise further this year. 

The rising gap between imports and exports from China is evident from the fact that two decades ago, India’s imports accounted for about 60% of the total bilateral trade between the two countries, but now it is over 80%.

What does India import and export from China?

Imports: During 2021-22, 15.42% ($94.57 billion) of India’s total imports ($613.05 billion) came from China. 

A look at the item-wise list of the imports shows that the most-valued Chinese item in the Indian import basket was the personal computer (laptop) followed by ‘monolithic integrated circuits-digital, lithium-ion, solar cells and urea.

As far as the US is concerned, India imported petroleum crude, coking coal, LNG, diamonds, almonds, turbo-jets, etc.

Exports: In 2021-22, India’s exports to China stood at $21.25 billion, which was 5% of India’s total shipments ($422 billion). 

Among the top commodities, China bought from India included: Ores, slag and ash followed by organic chemicals, minerals and iron and steel.

As far as the United States is concerned, diamonds, gold jewellery, vannamei shrimp and turbo-jets were among the top items India exported to the US.

Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise “Kazind – 2022” to Commence at Umroi (Meghalaya)

Source: The post is based on the article “Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise “Kazind – 2022” to Commence at Umroi (Meghalaya)” published in PIB on 14th December 2022

What is the News?

The 6th Edition of India – Kazakhstan joint training exercise “KAZIND-22” is scheduled to be conducted at Umroi (Meghalaya).

What is Exercise KAZIND?

Exercise KAZIND is an annual bilateral military exercise between India and Kazakhstan.

Started in: This exercise was instituted in 2016 as Exercise Prabal Dostyk which was later upgraded to a company-level exercise and renamed as Ex Kazind in 2018.

Aim: To build positive military relations, imbibe each other’s best practices and promote the ability to operate together while undertaking counter-terrorist operations in semi-urban / jungle scenarios, under a UN peace enforcement mandate.

Significance: The exercise will enhance the level of defence cooperation between the Indian Army and the Kazakhstan Army which will further foster the bilateral relations between the two nations.

How gene therapy could cure cancer

Source: The post is based on the article “How gene therapy could cure cancer” published in The Hindu on 15th December 2022

What is the News?

Scientists in the United Kingdom have tested a new form of experimental gene therapy technique called Base Editing to create cancer in a teenage girl.

About T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL)

The was suffering from a blood cancer known as T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL). 

In this form of blood cancer, the T-cells, which are a class of white blood cells, equipped to hunt and neutralize threats to the body, turn against the body and end up destroying healthy cells that normally help with immunity. 

What is ‘base editing?’

A person’s genetic code is several permutations of four bases: Adenine (A), Guanin (G), cytosine (C) and thymine (T). 

Sequences of these bases, akin to letters in the alphabet, spell out genes that are instructions to produce the wide array of proteins necessary for the body’s functions. 

In the girl’s case, her T-cells — perhaps because of a mis-arrangement in the sequence of bases — had become cancerous. A way to correct this mis-arrangement could mean a healthier immune system. 

How did base-editing work?

After spending a month in remission, she was given a second donor transplant to regrow her immune system which would contain healthy T-cells.

How effective was the treatment?

It has been 1.5 years since she was first diagnosed with the disease and whether the treatment has reliably and entirely fixed her immune system, remains to be established.

House committee calls for more medical facilities for troops at forward locations

Source: The post is based on the article “House committee calls for more medical facilities for troops at forward locations” published in The Hindu on 14th December 2022

What is the News?

The Public Accounts Committee(PAC) has released a report titled “Provisioning, procurement and issue of High Altitude Clothing, Equipment, Ration and Housing”.

What are the key observations made by PAC in the report?

There should not be any “gap” in supply of clothing, equipment, ration and provisioning of accommodation for soldiers engaged in safeguarding the country’s borders under difficult weather conditions in high-altitude regions. To bridge this gap, it has given the following recommendations:

Firstly, Complete the Computerised Inventory Control Project(CICP): It is an automated centralized database created for effective inventory management and procurement for the Indian Army.

The Phase III of the project is yet to be completed. On completion of this phase, computerisation of all India inventory visibility will be achieved. 

Secondly, overhaul the contracting process between the Defence Ministry and vendors with built-in contractual responses and contractual liabilities on them; and outcome-oriented monitoring of expenditure and revenue and capital procurement. This would also aid in the reduction of procurement timelines.

Thirdly, the Defence Ministry should collaborate with friendly countries with similar terrain/ geographical conditions and learn from their experiences for technical specifications. 

Fourthly, It should periodically review and get feedback from troops deployed in high-altitude areas in terms of taste, quality and hygienic conditions of rations.

Fifthly, Comprehensive medical facilities should be available for troops at forward locations.

Sixthly, Oil PSUs could construct more underground storage tanks as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities