Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

GS Paper 3

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

A position paper, China’s image, and what it means

News– Recently, China released its position Paper on its policy in Afghanistan. Titled, ‘China’s position on the Afghan Issue’

What are some important points regarding China’s position on its policy in Afghanistan?

The paper delineates the core principles of Beijing’s policy choices. These are ‘Three Respects’ and ‘Three Nevers’.

China respects the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and the independent choice, religious sentiments and national customs of the Afghan people.

These principles are put in opposition to the policies followed by the West. As per Beijing, western policies are influenced by geopolitics and their vested interests.

As per China, Afghanistan is currently transitioning from a period of turbulence to relative stability under the Taliban.

West has failed in fulfilling its commitments to the country. Its decision to intervene militarily and enforce its conception of democracy is blamed for the crisis.

It criticises the U.S. for imposing unilateral sanctions and illegally freezing Afghanistan’s foreign reserves. China calls for a reversal of these actions.

Beijing commits to help Afghanistan move towards a more sustainable form of economy.

China urges the international community to view the Afghan issue in a comprehensive, balanced and objective manner.

China advocates using alternative regional groupings which do not include the U.S. and its allies, such as SCO, the Moscow Format Dialogue, the China-­Afghanistan-­Pakistan Trilateral for discussing the Afghan issue.

This will help Beijing in promoting an alternative model as opposed to the battered approach of the West. It will allow it to focus more on its priorities and form a consensus among Afghanistan’s neighbours.

It calls for a bilateral and multilateral approach to respond to the ‘Three Forces’ of terrorism, extremism and separatism.

China urges the Taliban, regional countries and the international community to crack down on terror groups, specifically the East Turkestan Islamic Movement. They should help Afghanistan in augmenting its counterterrorism capabilities.

The question of refugees and narcotics and their cross border trafficking are also highlighted.

What are reasons behind China focussing on Afghanistan?

China has framed its involvement in purely humanitarian terms, good neighbourliness and mutual respect for its neighbours. Thus, Beijing has avoided acknowledging its own interests in the country.

It blames the current turmoil in the world and presence of multiple crises for its proactive approach. As per China, countries are urging China to take charge as the U.S. has abdicated its responsibility.

China wants stability in Afghanistan. It is also important for Beijing to attain its own security and economic interests in the country and to present a counter to U.S. hegemony. For China, the threat of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan can harm Chinese interests.

Afghanistan is also economically very important for China due to its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and due to the presence of vast mineral resources.

Since the beginning of 2023, China has taken steps to project its image as a major country playing a crucial role in ensuring global governance and providing a ‘moderate and pluralistic environment’ for dialogue.

The release of the concept paper on the Global security initiative and the peace proposal on Ukraine signal Beijing’s quest to modify its image and solidify its role as a responsible mediator.

Its apparent success in bringing Iran and Saudi Arabia to the negotiating table and the visits by leaders from Europe are projected as an indicator of Beijing’s growing influence.

With COVID-19 ‘over’, applying the lessons learnt

News- World Health Organization, on May 5, 2023, declared that COVID­19 was no longer a public health emergency of international concern.

What are the lessons learnt from the COVID management?

Misinformation– There have been knee­jerk and unscientific responses to spikes in COVID­19 cases. The most recent example is the response in March­-April 2023, when there was a rise in viral flu and SARS­CoV­2 cases.

It led to the closure of schools in some Indian cities and States. In some schools, mask wearing was made a mandatory condition for children to attend classes. This, in some instances, happened without a formal government directive.

It was not supported by scientific evidence. There was misinformation, and social media influencers were shaping the public discourse.

Neglect of local contexts– In outbreaks and epidemics, policy interventions and preventive advice need to factor in the local context. The context determines the epidemiological pattern, spread of disease and proposed interventions.

China faced a wave in December 2022. Switzerland, in April 2023, decided not to continue with any more COVID­19 vaccination. Countries have made decisions based on the local context. However, that does not mean every other country should do exactly the same thing.

Approach of influencers– An extremely worrying trend has been the dogmatic stand adopted by self proclaimed experts and influencers. They selectively and use emerging evidence and published literature to support their stand.

A few influencers have positioned themselves as ‘super reviewers’ of scientific studies. They have used social media platforms to find limitations and criticise even the most robust studies. They often fail to factor in that no scientific study is ideal.

In late April 2023, the not for profit Foundation for People ­Centric Health Systems Analysed the trends and stance of influencers and experts on social media platforms and in newspaper reports on the COVID­19 linked mask enforcement for school children.

Those based out of India were analysed into three sub­groups: trained or practising public health experts and epidemiologists; other medical doctors  and super­specialists; and everyone else.

The fourth group was of those who had had an opinion about India but living abroad, irrespective of their education.

In the subgroup of trained public health experts and epidemiologists, there was near consensus that schools should not be closed, and  there was no role in making mask wearing mandatory for children.

Most clinicians and infectious diseases were a bit more supportive of masking, but very few supported universal masking for any age group.

In the sub­group of super­specialists, there was greater endorsement of mask wearing for children and of school closure.

Experts’ and influencers living outside India were making stronger arguments for school closure and mask wearing for children in India.

COVID foreverers– There exist  groups of ‘COVID­ foreverers. They keep insisting on the enforcement of restrictions such as universal masking.

What is the way forward for a sound approach on epidemic management in the present context?

COVID­19 has ‘officially’ transitioned from a population level challenge to more of an individual health concern. It is time for calm assessment, to shift the gears and also apply the lessons from the last three years.

The government should offer formal training courses on the principles and practice of epidemiology to prepare India for more nuanced responses to outbreaks and epidemics and to curb misinformation.

The government needs to integrate the COVID­19 response to general health services. There is no role of universal measures against COVID­19 to be enforced.

India’s response to surges, outbreaks, and epidemics should be guided by a nuanced understanding of epidemiology and not unduly derailed by ‘social media influencers’.

Therefore, in future, schools should not be closed for a COVID­19 uptick. Wearing masks in order to attend school should never again be made mandatory.

It is time to drop the COVID­19 fixation and move on to tackle other more pressing health challenges in the country.

The UN needs structural reform to establish its relevance again

News: The article discusses the declining role of the United Nations (UN) in international politics.

How has the role of the UN declined?

The UN once played an important role in international diplomacy.

The United Nations Security Council was the big forum of discussion of the happenings around the world. It was so powerful that even the unchallenged superpower of the day still found it necessary to make its case to the Council.

The UN was so important that even the US diplomacy after 9/11 and its decision to invade Iraq and Afghanistan required proper justification in the UN.

However, the UN, in recent times, has become a non-playing character (NPC) in international diplomacy because it has been unable to solve the issues of ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan among others.

What measures are being taken to bring reforms in the UN and what are the concerns with those reforms?

A paper published by the Geneva Centre for Security Policy says that the UN is attempting to bring changes in its system.

The initiatives that are being adopted to bring changes by the UN contain ideas on conflict prevention, peacekeeping, nuclear risk reduction, arms control, artificial intelligence and autonomous weapon systems, climate change and gender equity.

However, it is very likely that the UN will fail in these areas even if world leaders approve of the agenda.

This is because none of them addresses the reforms required in its political structure, which is the main reasons for the UN’s growing irrelevance.

The UN political structure reflects the balance of power of the Industrial Age of 1945 while that power has not only massively shifted in the past three decades, but human civilization itself has entered the Information Age.

Power, interest, authority, responsibility and accountability are extremely mismatched, and until this is fixed, the UN cannot reverse its course of increasing ineffectiveness.

Must Read: United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Reforms – Explained

What can be the solution for the declining role of the UN?

First, there is a need that India must invest in creating alternative platforms for global governance and the formation of the G20 in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis is a viable option.

India is heading the G20 this year and it is required that India must sustain the momentum even after the presidency is passed on to other countries. 

Second, Some of the UN’s specialized agencies like Unicef and UNHCR do an admirable job under difficult circumstances which cannot be done by others. They need to be strengthened while adopting other necessary reforms in the UN.

Without data, the government’s policy prescriptions are just guesswork

What are issues with data collection in India?

India has always conducted a single decennial Census between 1881 and 2011, including in 1941 at the height of World War II.

HCE surveys that provides data on consumption of food and non-food items were carried out every five years or less — in 1972-73, 1977-78, 1983, 1987-88, 1993-94, 1999-2000, 2004-05, 2009-10 and 2011-12.

However, there’s been no Census after 2011. The National Statistical Office did an HCE survey in 2017-18, but its findings were not released.

There are claims and counterclaims about poverty levels without any real data on consumption by different classes of the population.

Even the CMIE’s longitudinal Consumer Pyramids Household Survey only tracks monthly values and not actual quantities consumed of some 153 items.

The attitude of the government agencies responsible for undertaking the Census and HCE surveys is problematic.

What is one major example highlighting the unreasonableness of statistical exercises undertaken in India?

The unreasonableness of the statistical exercise can be highlighted through statistics relating to milk consumption and official production estimates.

As per 2011-12 HCE survey, the monthly per capita consumption of milk was 4.33 litres for rural and 5.42 litres for urban India. These translated into a daily per capita of 149 gm and 186 gm respectively or a simple average of 167.5 gm.

The 167.5 gm average consumption was well below the daily per capita milk production estimate of 289 gm for 2011-12 by the department of animal husbandry and dairying.

The difference can partly be attributed to the HCE survey covering only milk consumed by households. It excludes the milk consumed by businesses such as tea shops and hotels.

But even if such consumption was taken at 50% over and above that by households, it would add up to just over 251 gm.

The gap between the survey-based per capita household consumption and estimated per capita production has increased over times.

The production data on milk shows the country’s milk production has an average annual growth rate of 6.1%. During the same period, however, average liquid milk sales of cooperative dairies have grown by just 3.6 per cent per year.

Production data is not reflected in consumption. There is a mismatch between supply grow and demand growth.

What is the importance of the census?

The Census isn’t a mere population enumeration exercise. It contains information on everything from housing conditions, inter and intra-state migration flows, gender, age, linguistic and religious profiles. It is vital for effective policy formulation and economic analysis.

China Shops – India’s multilateralism comes up against the reality of Beijing-Islamabad, Beijing-Moscow compacts

News: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting was held recently in Goa. During the meeting, India explained that neither China nor Pakistan should expect normal relations till their hostile approaches are rolled back.

What are the issues with India being a member of China-dominated forums?

The China-Russia strategic compact has forced India to re-evaluate its investment in China-dominated forums such as SCO and BRICS. This is because,

-China is using these forums for its own zero-sum strategic tussle with the US.

-Ultranationalist dispensation in China is politically unable to resolve the border dispute with India.

-China’s pitch for multipolarity is not in consonance with India’s goals.

What India should do instead of being a member of China-dominated forums?

-India’s multi-alignment strategy so far did not leverage any of the forums to obtain a better deal with the West or Russia. This should be followed in future also.

-Instead of China-dominated organisations, India should focus on platforms like the Quad, BBIN (Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal) and I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-US).

GS Paper 3

Improve technology to detect IEDs – on Left Wing Extremism

News– Ten jawans and a civilian driver, who were returning in a van following an anti­Maoist operation, were killed in a blast caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Chhat-

tisgarh’s Dantewada on April 26.

What IED use by Maoists is a challenge for security forces?

IEDs are among the most potent tools deployed by the Maoists. Even a small formation of the Maoists can cause huge damage to the security forces by using an IED.

The technical equipment used by the security forces to detect IEDs has its limitations. If the quantity of metal in the IED is low or the IED is planted deep under the road, mine detectors may fail to find it.

Hundreds of IEDs are detected and diffused every year. But, the search party could always miss a few due to technical reasons.

Ground Penetrating radar, which can detect recent disturbances in the soil subsurface, has also not proved successful.

What are issues with the use of IED by Maoists?

The Maoists deliberately and grossly violate international humanitarian laws. The use of landmines is banned internationally as they are non­discriminatory, lack precision and cause unnecessary or excessive suffering.

It is well known that in addition to the security forces, many civilians, including children, and animals have also been victims of IED attacks.

What are the changed tactics used by Maoists regarding use of IED?

The latest reports indicate that the current focus of the Maoists is to intensify the use of booby traps, and remote IEDs. The technical department of the Maoists seems to have gradually developed technology to remotely blast the IEDs.

There is disrespect of the Maoists even for slain jawans. In January 2013, during the autopsy of a jawan, an IED was found implanted as a booby trap inside the abdomen.

India is a signatory to the Geneva and Hague Conventions which regulate the means employed during warfare, so that casualties are checked.

What is the way forward to manage the threats of use of IEDs by Maoists?

The use of technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles and drones may be useful to check suspicious movement. But, the security forces need to improve their tactics too.

The use of vehicles should be permitted only after securing the road from ambushes and IEDs.

A visual search must be carried out cautiously or up to about 100­-150 metres on both sides of the road, to check the presence of suspicious elements or wire ends. Every effort needs to be made to detect, diffuse or avoid these brutal devices.

India must raise the issue of the use of IEDs by the Maoists at appropriate international platforms so that the Maoists are forced to respect international humanitarian laws and stop using these devices.

Central government and industry must join hands to improve technology to detect IEDs. The details printed on boxes containing detonators are not sufficient to trace the source of the detonators and punish the guilty.

The Central government must amend rules and make the manufacturers accountable for unique identifi­cation of detonators.

Open banking is helping revolutionize access to credit

News: The article discusses issues with MSMEs in accessing credit from banks and measures adopted by the government to address those.

What are concerns with MSMEs in getting access to credit?

Read Here: What is MSMEs & issue of MSMEs? and MSMEs: Significance, Challenges and Solutions

How has the government tried to solve the credit problems for MSMEs?

India has expanded the credit guarantee scheme for MSMEs.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) along with smartphone-driven participation in the digital economy has revolutionized digital payments in India.

Moreover, the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) has recently announced to offer pre-sanctioned credit on UPI. This could help underserved segments to access credit.

Further, the government has also democratized access to data by taking efforts to boost the adoption of the Account Aggregator network to make financial transactions including lending faster and cheaper.

The government has also added the goods and services tax network (GSTN) as a financial information provider to the Account Aggregator network. It helps banks and other regulated lenders extend credit to small businesses.

These developments have helped all credit seekers and enhanced competitiveness among regulated lenders.

How the development to democratize the data is helping credit seekers and regulators?

Simpler customer consent mechanism: The process of obtaining customer consent to access both banking and GST data on the Account Aggregator network is now simpler and secure. Consent is required just once and lenders can also seek consent for data-sharing in the future.

Moreover, MSMEs no longer need to rely on multiple data aggregators to share their GSTN data with financial institutions through API services for a fee.

Boost for risk-based pricing and cash flow-based lending: Lenders now can get insight into the actual cash flows of a business through their bank statements along with regular GST data feeds on an MSME’s month-over-month sales, gross profits, regional revenue distribution, and sales turnover.

These insights can enable risk-based pricing and cash flow-based lending, benefiting both the lender and MSME.

Creating a level-playing field: The Account Aggregator framework will offer a level playing field for NBFCs because banks have had an edge over NBFCs in terms of access to key customer data because of current accounts.

Further, GST data may provide NBFCs and other lenders with insightful information that they can utilize to create more competitive and contextualised solutions for MSMEs.

Value-added services: Financial institutions, by actively monitoring GSTN data feeds and cash flow dashboards, would be able to provide value-added services like GST compliance, tax planning, and consultancy to help MSMEs optimize their GST-related spending.

The data can also be used for fraud detection and prevention, and help lenders cross-sell better to MSMEs.

What can be the way ahead?

Banks and NBFCs need to reorient and enhance their data capabilities by linking existing data sources such as bank statements and income tax returns with new sources such as GST and e-invoice data.

This will improve the efficiency and efficacy of their credit evaluation mechanisms.

Maoism should be seen as a social and economic problem

News: Recently, the Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district claimed the lives of ten police personnel and a civilian driver.

What is Left Wing Extremism?

About the Maoist evolution in independent India

The government had twice concluded that the Naxal problem had been sorted out.

The first time was after the arrest of Charu Majumdar in 1972 followed by his death and division in the party. But, the movement revived in 1980 with the formation of the People’s War Group.

The Maoism again disintegrated in the mid-nineties when Kondapalli Seetharamaiah was arrested and operations by the police and central paramilitary led to the arrests and surrender of almost 10,000 party activists.

But, the movement had another resurrection in 2001 when the Naxals formed the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA). It aims to “seize political power”. In 2009, the then-Prime Minister described it as “the gravest internal security threat to our country” and took steps to control it. Since then the movement has been on a decline with considerable attrition.

According to the Home Ministry’s data, fatalities inflicted on civilians and security forces by left-wing extremists fell below 100 in 2022, the lowest in four decades.

What are the anti-Naxal strategies followed by governments?

What are the flaws in India’s anti-Naxal strategy?

There are few fundamental flaws in India’s anti-Naxal strategy.

Firstly, in most states, there is a tendency to outsource the operations against Naxals to the central armed police forces. The states must use the local police, who know the language and terrain, in anti-Naxal operations to address the issues altogether.

For example, in Punjab, the battle against terrorism has been won because, apart from other factors, the Punjab Police was always at the forefront of operations.

Secondly, according to an expert group of the Planning Commission recommendation in 2008, “the development paradigm pursued since independence has always been ‘imposed’ on the tribal communities and has been insensitive to their needs and concerns”.

For example, when the tribals want schools and hospitals, the government focuses on capital-intensive plants or factories, which are inevitably accompanied by deforestation and displacement.

As a result, government plans have “ended up in destroying their social organisation, cultural identity, and resource base and generated multiple conflicts.”

Thirdly, there is no overall strategic plan against the Naxals. States have been carrying out anti-Naxal drives according to their individual understanding.

How India should revamp its anti-Naxal strategy?

The Maoist problem is multi-dimensional; it has social and economic aspects. The security forces can take care of the law and order aspect of the problem. Unless the problem is tackled in its entirety, it is unlikely to go away.

-Security forces’ territorial domination should be followed by the administrative apparatus establishing its network in the affected areas.

-The government should make conscious efforts to win the hearts and minds of the people.

–Pursue dialogue: If the government can have peace talks with the Nagas and several other insurgent outfits in the Northeast, then the government should follow similar approach with Maoist leadership.

De-dollarisation: Will the greenback still be green?

News: As China, India, and Russia trying to trade using partner currencies for payment instead of the U.S. dollar, various media are also speculating that the demise of the dollar as world reserve currency.

What is de-dollarisation, what are the global efforts towards the De-dollarisation of trade, and How is India pursuing the de-dollarisation of trade?

How dominant is US Dollar in global trade?

China itself has substantial U.S. dollar reserves earned from its trade with the U.S. over the past three decades. China has used these dollar reserves to fund its strategic investments abroad.

The benefit of dollar premium: Being a supplier of international reserve currency confers a distinct advantage to the U.S. Such as, the US has the ability to borrow at a low interest rate.

This a) relaxes the fiscal constraint substantially, b) boosts the debt ­issuing government’s capacity to borrow more without having to deal with the negative effects of such borrowing on the domestic economy.

This phenomenon is often referred to as the dollar premium

About the present share of Forex reserves in the world

According to reports from the International Monetary Fund, the dollar’s share of foreign exchange reserves has fallen over time from 80% in the 1970s to about 60% in 2022. The euro has made up for about 20% of the remaining 40%.

Other currencies such as the Chinese Yuan, Australian and Canadian dollars, Swedish krona, and South Korean won have claimed their share in the portfolios of various countries’ foreign exchange reserves making up most of the remaining gap of 20%.

Note: China runs a closed capital account. So, it still does not feature as a prominent choice as reserves. Most of the Renminbi reserves that are held outside China are by Russia. 

What are the negative impacts of de-dollarisation?

Can the Chinese Yuan replace the US Dollar?

Why does India hold US Dollar as Forex reserves and not the Russian Ruble?

This is because a) Even though, India’s biggest supplier of oil is Russia, India’s biggest trading partner is still the U.S., b) Russia’s importance as an oil supplier is a result of the deep discounts offered by its oil suppliers to Indian refiners. Such discounts will not be sustainable in the long run.

This creates doubt on the long-term viability of a common currency or a reciprocal trading arrangement between India and Russia.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

CSTT: 10 Indian languages to get technical-term dictionaries

Source: The post is based on the article “10 Indian languages to get technical-term dictionaries” published in The Hindu on 8th May 2023

What is the News?

The Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology(CSTT) is working to create technical and scientific terminology in 10 Indian languages underrepresented in the learning landscape. 

It aims to bring out fundamental (basic) dictionaries with 5,000 words per language, in three to four months. These will be in a digital, searchable format and free of cost. 

What is the Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology(CSTT)?

Established in: 1961

Nodal Ministry: Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.

The Commission was established under clause (4) of Article 344 of the Constitution of India as a follow-up of recommendations of a Committee in this regard.

Mandate: To evolve technical terminology in all Indian languages.

Functions: To evolve and define scientific and technical terms in Hindi and all Indian Languages and publish technical glossaries, definitional dictionaries etc.

– To see that the evolved terms and their definitions reach to students, teachers, scholars, scientists, officers etc.

– To encourage technical writings in Hindi and other Indian Languages by sponsoring Seminars/Conferences/Symposia on scientific and technical subjects.

– To coordinate with all states to ensure uniformity of terminology in Hindi and other Indian languages. (Through State Government/Granth Academies/University Cells/ Glossary Clubs or other agencies).

– To encourage the publication of books, magazines and journals in Hindi and Indian Languages to popularize the usage of standard terminology evolved by the Commission.

Headquarters: New Delhi

Why is CSTT working to create technical and scientific terminology in 10 Indian languages? 

Bodo, Santhali, Dogri, Kashmiri, Konkani, Nepali, Manipuri, Sindhi, Maithili, and Sanskrit are a part of the list of 22 official languages of India’s Eighth Schedule. 

However, there is a paucity of study material created in them, primarily because of a lack of words to describe scientific phenomena and technical terms. 

The sparse content available was confined to the primary school level which used English words when regional vocabulary was unavailable.

Hence, the CSTT is working to create technical and scientific terminology in 10 Indian languages underrepresented.

Significance: This move assumes importance as the National Education Policy 2020 has espoused the use of regional languages as a medium of education in both school and college.

START: ISRO to start online training programme for PG and and final-year UG students

Source: The post is based on the article “ISRO to start online training programme for PG and and final-year UG students” published in The Hindu on 8th May 2023

What is the News?

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced a new introductory-level online training programme called Space Science and Technology Awareness Training (START).

What is the Space Science and Technology Awareness Training (START) programme?

Launched by: ISRO

Purpose: To provide students with introductory-level training in Space Science and Technology.

Target group: The program is aimed at postgraduate and final-year undergraduate students of Physical Sciences and Technology.

Features: The programme will cover various domains of Space Science, including Astronomy and Astrophysics, Heliophysics and Sun-Earth interaction, Instrumentation, and Aeronomy. 

– The programme will be delivered by scientists from Indian academia and ISRO centres.

– Academic institutions can submit applications for the programme through the Jigyasa portal.

Significance: The programme is part of the ISRO’s efforts to enable Indian students to become professionals in Space Science and Technology, as the organization’s Space Science exploration programme continues to expand into new domains.

– It is also expected to help build a human capacity that will lead Space Science and research in the future.

While ADAS shifts down the price range, self-drive tech on an uphill climb

Source: The post is based on the article “While ADAS shifts down the price range, self-drive tech on an uphill climb” published in Indian Express on 8th May 2023

What is the News?

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technology has been increasingly integrated into modern vehicles with the aim of improving driver safety and making roads safer for everyone.

What is Advanced Driver Assistance Systems(ADAS) Technology?

ADAS encompasses a variety of technologies that provide drivers with warnings, alerts, and even automatic interventions to help them avoid accidents and prevent potential danger. 

These systems work by using sensors, cameras, and radar to monitor the surrounding environment and provide the driver with visual and audio warnings.

It includes features such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, blind spot collision warning, blind spot collision-avoidance assist, lane-keeping assist, driver attention warning and adaptive cruise control.

Benefits: One of the key benefits of ADAS is that it can help reduce the number of accidents caused by human error as studies have shown that 90% of car accidents are caused by driver error, so it’s crucial to have technology that can help reduce this number. 

– For example, a lane departure warning alerts drivers when their vehicle is leaving its lane without the use of a turn signal, while a forward collision warning provides an alert when a potential collision is detected ahead.

What are Autonomous Vehicles?

Click Here to read

Explained | What did India’s first national water-body census find?

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained | What did India’s first national water-body census find?” published in The Hindu on 8th May 2023

What is the News?

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has released the report of India’s first water bodies census, which provides a comprehensive database of ponds, tanks, lakes and reservoirs in the country.

What are the key findings of the first water body census?

Most water bodies in the country are very small: The vast majority of India’s water bodies are less than one hectare (ha) large. This means locating and keeping track of them is likely to remain a challenge. 

The water bodies show regional patterns that correlate with rainfall:  In general, in drier states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, water bodies tend to be larger and publicly held.

– In the wetter parts of the country, like Kerala, West Bengal, and states in the northeast, more than three-quarters of the water bodies are privately owned. 

– In drier states, the water bodies are primarily used for irrigation and groundwater recharge. 

– In wetter states, domestic use and pisciculture dominate. Mid-sized water bodies are largely panchayat-owned.

Most water bodies have never been repaired or rejuvenated: Several water bodies were classified as “not in use”, meaning despite the recent interest in rejuvenating water bodies, most of them have never been repaired or revived.

What are the key drawbacks of the first water body census?

Gaps in conducting census: Water bodies have an important role in supporting biodiversity. They harbour fish that birds feed on and provide roosting and breeding spaces for resident and migratory birds. 

– These ecological functions are related to the size and location of the water bodies. But the water body census does not address questions about this.

– The report itself noted in its preamble that water bodies “support healthy ecosystems”, yet the focus was exclusively on human use, which means only pisciculture or fish farming, which is seeded and does not reflect natural biodiversity is featured.

Inconsistencies: The census groups water bodies into five types: ponds, tanks, lakes, reservoirs, and water conservation schemes. 

– Its glossary defines a pond as a smaller water body than a tank, while “water conservation structures” might include check dams and percolation tanks. 

– However, these categories are not mutually exclusive: many tanks that were traditionally used directly for irrigation primarily serve as recharge structures today.

No standardized data across states: Some states like Gujarat don’t show any water bodies not being in use, whereas Karnataka reports almost 80% of its water bodies as being in a state of disuse. This suggests differences in interpretation by the enumerators.

Arab League readmits Syria as relations with Assad normalize

Source: The post is based on the article “Arab League readmits Syria as relations with Assad normalize” published in Economic Times on 8th May 2023

What is the News?

Foreign ministers from Arab League member states have agreed to reinstate Syria’s membership after its suspension more than 10 years ago.

What is the Arab League?

The Arab League is an intergovernmental organization of Arab states in the Middle East and Africa.

Formed in: 1945 following the adoption of the Alexandria Protocol in 1944.

Objective: To draw closer the relations between member states and coordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries.

Members: The league currently has 22 members which includes countries like Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen, and Palestinian Authority among others.

Observer countries:  Brazil, Eritrea, India, Armenia and Venezuela.

– Note: Observer states have been invited to participate during select Arab League sessions, but do not hold voting privileges.

Each member state has one vote in the Council of the Arab League, and decisions are binding only for those states that have voted for them.

Administrative Headquarters: Cairo, Egypt

What are the criticisms against the Arab League?

The Arab League has been criticized for its internal conflicts and collective inaction on important international issues. 

Some observers hail the league’s actions during the 2011 revolution in Libya, where it supported the ouster of Muammar al-Qaddafi, but others criticize its failed diplomacy in Syria and its fractured response to the rise of the self-proclaimed Islamic State. 

Many analysts say that sectarian divisions and power rivalries among members will continue to hamstring the league in the years ahead.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV): FDA approves first vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus

Source: The post is based on the article “FDA approves first vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus” published in The Hindu on 6th May 2023

What is the News?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first vaccine — Arexvy — for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to lower respiratory tract disease in people older than 60 years. This is the first RSV vaccine to be approved anywhere in the world.

The trials have shown that a single dose of the Arexvy vaccine reduced the risk of people, older than 60 years, developing lower respiratory tract disease caused by the RSV virus by 82.6% and reduced the risk of developing severe disease by 94.1%.

What is Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)?

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) also called human orthopneumovirus is a common contagious virus that causes infections of the respiratory tract. 

It is a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. Its name is derived from the large cells known as syncytia that form when infected cells fuse.

It is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants and young children, and it can also affect older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

RSV is highly contagious and spreads through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or by touching a surface contaminated with the virus and then touching one’s face.

Symptoms of RSV can range from mild to severe, including runny nose, coughing, sneezing, fever, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, bronchiolitis, or death.

What is the cause of Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)?

In 2013, Barney Graham at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia and other scientists identified the key protein—protein F, which is yet to fully fuse with a human cell — responsible for the RSV virus infecting human cells. 

They found that this protein, introduced in humans, elicited neutralizing antibodies against the virus.