Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

• Mark The Sea That Blows Hot & Cold

GS Paper 2

• One nation, one election plan: How the Constitution is amended, when do states get a say
• Status of the Right to Information Act
• Measuring hunger across States
• Court’s order and the ASI survey are flawed

GS Paper 3

GS Paper 4

• Enhance board effectiveness to acquire a competitive advantage

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 1

Mark The Sea That Blows Hot & Cold

News: The article talks about strange weather patterns this year. It asks if El Niño is really causing the Indian monsoon drought. It also points out that predicting monsoons is tricky due to things like global warming and specific sea-surface temperatures.

What is El Niño?

Read hear

What’s different in El Niño this year?

Typical El Niño Patterns: In standard El Niño years, the eastern Pacific gets warmer, leading to decreased rainfall in places like Indonesia.

Western Pacific Temperatures: This year, instead of being cooler, the western Pacific has temperatures that are slightly warmer than normal.

Western Indian Ocean Temperatures: Similarly, the western Indian Ocean is also warmer than what is typically expected during an El Niño.

Rainfall Anomalies: Contrary to usual El Niño patterns which cause rainfall deficits, the Indonesian Seas are receiving more rain.

Indo-Pacific Tripole: This year’s sea-surface temperature patterns, termed the Indo-Pacific Tripole (It refers to the sea-surface temperature (SST) patterns across three key regions: the western Indian Ocean, the Indonesian Seas, and the Eastern Pacific.), are not consistent with what’s usually seen during El Niño.

Impact on Indian Monsoon: The relationship between this year’s unusual El Niño and the Indian monsoon remains uncertain and not fully understood.

What are the reasons for these differences?

Reasons for Differences in El Niño This Year:

Atypical SST Patterns:

Both the western Pacific and the western Indian Ocean are showing temperatures warmer than usual.

This deviates from the typical warm-cold-warm pattern of the Indo-Pacific Tripole expected during an El Niño.

Positive Rainfall Anomalies:

Contrary to usual El Niño conditions that result in rainfall deficits in the Indonesian Seas, there’s an increase in rainfall.

Possible Influence of Global Warming:

A similar atypical pattern was detected in 2009, which was a drought year.

A study from 2012 indicated that this unusual El Niño pattern might overlap with global warming trends.

Unfamiliar Pattern:

The observed pattern isn’t commonly associated with El Niños.

It’s challenging to determine if this unique pattern will become frequent in future El Niños or if there’s another factor at play.

What are its implications for India?

Uncertain Monsoon Impact: The different Indo-Pacific Tripole pattern brings uncertainties about El Niño’s effect on the Indian monsoon.

Forecast Challenges: The unexpected pattern emphasizes the need to predict specific sea-surface temperature patterns, not just the El Niño index.

Economic Preparations: The government has taken proactive measures, regulating exports of grains and onions in anticipation of potential effects.

Anxiety for the Remaining Season: With the unusual patterns observed, there’s anticipation and concern regarding how the rest of the monsoon season will play out.

GS Paper 2

One nation, one election plan: How the Constitution is amended, when do states get a say

News– The Centre has set up a committee to examine various aspects, both legal and logistical, for implementing the “one nation, one election” idea.

What is the process for amending the constitution?

Informally, changes to the Constitution occur through judicial interpretation and established customs derived from practice.

For instance, the procedure for appointing judges to the higher judiciary. The Constitution mentions a “consultation” between the President and the Chief Justice of India. The Supreme Court has construed this to imply “concurrence.”

Article 368 of the Constitution contains procedure for amending the Constitution –

1) Simple Majority: Several clauses of the Constitution can be modified through legislative process applied in passing regular legislation in Parliament. This entails garnering a majority vote from those present and voting.

Article 368 doesn’t explicitly enumerate these “less significant” clauses. Such clauses are expressly exempted from the scope of Article 368..

Article 4 empowers Parliament to make alterations related to the organization of states. It requires a simple majority for amendment.

Actions such as changing state names, admitting new states to the Union, and revising state boundaries fall into this category.

2) Special Majority: Article 368 stipulates that the constitution amendment Bill must be passed by both Houses of Parliament with a majority vote of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.

According to Rule 158 of the Lok Sabha Rules, the term ‘total membership’ refers to the complete number of House members, irrespective of any vacancies or absentees at that moment.

3) Ratification by States: It necessitates not only a special majority for amendment but also requires approval from the legislatures of at least half of the states.

The provisions mandating ratification are explicitly outlined. These pertain to aspects related to the federal nature of the Constitution and are commonly referred to as “entrenched provisions.”

For instance, the Constitution (Ninety-ninth Amendment) Act established the National Judicial Appointments Commission. This Act was passed by both Houses of Parliament and ratified by 16 state legislatures.

In the 1992 Supreme Court case of Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillu, the issue of ratification emerged as a crucial consideration. One of the challenges to the constitutionality of the Tenth Schedule, was that the amendment was not ratified by the states.

The amendment aimed to exclude the jurisdiction of courts in matters related to the disqualification process. The Supreme Court invalidated this aspect of the amendment while upholding the validity of the Tenth Schedule.

What are entrenched provisions in Article 368?
Article 368 lists six parts of the Constitution that have an additional safeguard for amending them. These are:

1. Article 54 and 55, dealing with the election of the President of India.
2. Article 73 and 162, dealing with the extent of executive power of the Union and states.
3. Articles 124–147 and 214–231, which deal with powers of the Supreme Court and the High Courts
4. Article 245 to 255, dealing with the scheme of distribution of legislative, taxing, and administrative powers between the Union and the states.
5. Article 82-82, dealing with the representation of states in Parliament.
6. Article 368 itself.

Status of the Right to Information Act

News– The article explains the undermining of the RTI Act by the government.

What are some facts about the RTI Act?

The Right to Information Act of 2005 facilitated citizens in acquiring information and data from both Central and State institutions that are not easily accessible to the public.

This legislation enables any citizen to submit requests for accessing data, documents, and other information held by the government.

India’s RTI Act has often been recognized as one of the most comprehensive laws worldwide for granting public access to official records.

How amendments to the RTI Act have undermined it?

The Right to Information Act includes an exemption that prohibits the government from disclosing the personal data of citizens, except when there is a compelling public interest to do so.

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023 has modified this exemption from a qualified prohibition to an absolute prohibition.

There are concerns that powerful public officials can avoid accountability by invoking this blanket ban on disclosing personal information.

Previous amendments to the RTI Act have also raised concerns. The Right to Information (Amendment) Act of 2019 granted the Union Government unilateral authority to determine the duration of service and salary of information commissioners.

How else is the RTI Act undermined?

The effectiveness of the RTI Act also depends on the subordinate rules established by both the Union Government and State Governments.

For instance, payment methods accepted by a public authority are left to the discretion of individual states.

Some states, like Tamil Nadu, don’t accept Indian Postal Orders (IPOs). These are checks that can be purchased at post offices and attached to an application for payment.

IPOs are typically the most accessible payment method. In contrast, other payment options can be less convenient or come with additional burdens.

Furthermore, delayed appointments to information commissions have also eroded confidence in the RTI framework.

Appeals can languish for months or even years before they are heard.

What is the effectiveness of online portals for filing RTI applications?

Online filing of RTI applications represents a significant step in eliminating certain obstacles. Citizens can simply submit their requests online and make payments using UPI.

However, several states do not have an online RTI portal. Many State Government agencies are often not registered on these portals.

The Union Government’s RTI portal was launched in 2013. Numerous public authorities under the Union Government are listed on the portal. But, the process of submitting applications has become more cumbersome.

Previously, having an account on the RTI Online portal allowed citizens to have their personal information pre-filled in each application by default.

However, the option to create an account has now vanished. The site requires all users to manually input their details each time they file an application.

Measuring hunger across States

News– The article provides details about the State Hunger Index and performance of states in the State Hunger Index.

What are statistics related to the prevalence of hunger in India?

India continues to face significant challenges related to food insecurity, hunger, and child malnutrition. In the 2022 Global Hunger Index, India was ranked 107th out of 121 countries, trailing behind Nigeria (103) and Pakistan (99).

According to the 2022 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, India is home to 224.3 million individuals experiencing undernourishment. Furthermore, disparities in food security and nutrition are clearly evident across different states within India.

What are some facts about the State Hunger Index?

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is determined using four key indicators: the prevalence of calorie undernourishment, stunting, wasting, and mortality among children under five years of age, along with the under-five mortality rate.

In contrast, the State Hunger Index (SHI) employs the same indicators, except for calorie undernourishment. It is replaced by assessing body mass index (BMI) undernourishment among the working-age population.

To calculate the SHI, data for stunting, wasting, and child mortality below the age of five are obtained from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5).

The prevalence of BMI undernourishment is computed using data from NFHS-5 (2019-21) and Wave 1 of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (2017-18).

The SHI score is determined by combining the normalized values of these four indicators using methodologies recommended by the GHI.

The resulting SHI scores fall within a range of 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater hunger levels.

Scores below 10 indicate low hunger, 10-20 signify moderate hunger, 20-30 represent a serious hunger situation, 30-40 denote an alarming hunger level, and scores of 50 or above are classified as extremely alarming hunger levels.

What is the performance of states in the State Hunger Index (SHI)?

Bihar, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh achieved a score of 35, categorizing them as ‘alarming.’

Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Maharashtra, and West Bengal all scored higher than the national average of 29. The performance of these states is comparable to that of countries in Africa.

Sikkim, Puducherry, and Kerala scored below 16. These states, along with Manipur, Mizoram, Punjab, Delhi, Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Tamil Nadu, fall into the ‘moderate hunger’ category.

The remaining states, scoring below the national average but above 20, face a ‘serious hunger’ issue.

No state falls into the ‘low hunger’ category. The impact of COVID-19 on the SHI is not accounted for here as post-pandemic estimates are not yet available.

What are the reasons for the worsening GHI score of India?

Over the past five years, India’s GHI score has worsened primarily due to the rising prevalence of calorie undernourishment.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the proportion of calorie undernourishment in India has been on the rise since 2017. It was 16.3% in 2020.

India’s subpar performance in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) is primarily linked to its significant rates of undernourishment and child malnutrition.

India fares poorly in terms of child wasting, even performing worse than several low-income African countries.

According to the NFHS-5, approximately one-third of children under the age of five in India experience stunted growth and are underweight, while one in five children faces the issue of wasting.

Court’s order and the ASI survey are flawed

News: The author discusses the Supreme Court of India’s interpretation of the “Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991” in the Ram Janmabhoomi temple case and expresses concern about the recent Supreme Court decision allowing the Archaeological Survey of India to investigate the Gyanvapi mosque’s origins. The author fears this could set a precedent for questioning the historical origins of many religious sites in India, potentially causing religious tensions and disputes.

What is the constitutional basis for the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991?

Constitutional Basis for the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991:

Preamble’s Objective: The act aims to prevent the conversion of any place of worship and maintain its religious character as of August 15, 1947.

Defined by Supreme Court: The law addresses two primary concerns:

1. a) It bars the conversion of any place of worship, thereby addressing the future.
2. b) It mandates the upkeep of the religious nature of places as they were on India’s Independence Day.

Specific Exceptions: Only the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid is exempted from this mandate.

Upholding Constitutional Values: The act was described by the Supreme Court as protecting and upholding the core values of the Indian Constitution.

Healing Past Injustices: The act sees independence from colonial rule as a foundation to rectify past injustices, assuring every religious community of the protection of their places of worship.

What was the recent controversy?

In August 2023, the Supreme Court did not stop a decision allowing the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to study the Gyanvapi mosque.

The author questions the purpose of this study since the mosque’s religious nature has been established for centuries.

What are the implications of the recent Supreme Court decision on the Gyanvapi mosque?

Overlooked Precedent: The Supreme Court’s decision seemed to overlook the binding precedent set in the Ram Janmabhoomi temple case, especially one Justice Chandrachud was part of.

Potential Character Change: There’s an absolute bar against changing the mosque’s character. Any Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) inquiry into its nature challenges this principle.

Futility of the Inquiry: The mosque has been a worship place for Muslims for centuries. The purpose and potential outcome of the ASI survey are questioned.

State Obligations: The decision disregards obligations the act placed on the state and every citizen.

Cultural Harmony at Risk: With elections approaching, this decision can cause misgivings in minority communities.

Setting a Precedent: This might open a Pandora’s box where multiple sites could be questioned, further stirring religious tensions.

GS Paper 3

The impact of food on climate

News: The article talks about how agriculture affects climate change, comparing big industrial farming with small subsistence farming. It focuses on the problems caused by methane emissions from livestock and rice farming. It also notes that global policies avoid these problems because of strong meat and farming industries.

How does agriculture and the food we eat contribute to changes in the world’s climate?

Agriculture and food consumption significantly affect the world’s climate:

Emissions from Food Production: In 2018, the food we produced was responsible for 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Livestock’s Role: About 40% of these emissions come from livestock digestion. For example, the digestion process in cattle releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Waste and Manure: Livestock manure, either applied to fields or discarded, adds 26% to the emissions, mainly in the form of nitrous oxide.

Use of Fertilisers: Synthetic fertilisers contribute an additional 13% to the emissions.

Rice Cultivation: Growing rice, especially in waterlogged fields, results in methane emissions, accounting for 10% of agricultural emissions.

India’s Livestock: With the largest livestock population, India’s methane emissions from livestock digestion constitute 8% of its total greenhouse gases.

Why are farmers the first victims of climate change?

Farmers are the first victims of climate change due to:

Cost and Infrastructure: The increasing cost of agricultural inputs, combined with the lack of public infrastructure like irrigation, adversely affects their livelihood.

Food Import: With rising food costs, governments often import from intensive farming systems, pushing local farmers out of competition.

Extreme Weather Events: Farmers are directly impacted by events like floods, droughts, pest attacks, and unseasonal cold and heat, leading to lost crops and income.

Double Impact: While dealing with the challenges of changing climate, they also grapple with the pressure from industrial-agricultural models.

How does industrial farming differ from subsistence farming?

Scale and Setup: Industrial farming is large-scale with factory farms, while subsistence farming involves smaller landholdings.

Purpose: Industrial farms produce for a broader market, whereas subsistence farming mainly serves personal or local consumption.

Chemical Usage: Industrial operations use vast quantities of chemical inputs, whereas subsistence farming often uses fewer or organic inputs.

Ownership: Industrial-agriculture can be corporate-driven, contrasting with the individual ownership in subsistence farming.

Livestock Handling: In industrial farming, livestock is often kept in large, concentrated numbers for mass production. In contrast, subsistence farmers typically have fewer livestock, crucial for their personal sustenance and local economy.

How is the international community reacting to emissions from the agriculture sector?

UN’s Stance: The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) hasn’t strongly addressed food production’s impact on climate.

Netherlands’ Initiative: When the Netherlands tried to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, requiring major changes in farming, it faced massive protests, even leading to governmental changes.

New Zealand’s Proposal: The country considered a “burp” tax based on cattle numbers and feed, but faced resistance. As a result, the proposal was deferred.

Agriculture vs. Meat: Globally, confronting the meat industry’s impact on emissions remains challenging, with its influence comparable to the fossil fuel sector.

Unabated global warming will wipe penguins off this planet

News: The article talks about how global warming is making sea ice melt sooner in Antarctica. This is causing baby emperor penguins to die. It says we should save animals even if it doesn’t help humans directly.

Why are penguins in danger?

Global Warming: The main threat is global warming causing early sea ice melting in Antarctica.

Breeding Challenges: Emperor penguins need sea ice to breed and raise their chicks. Without stable ice, chicks face risks:

Drowning: Chicks aren’t ready to swim until December. Melting ice leads to their premature exposure to water.

Freezing: In 2010, after an unusual rainstorm, wet chicks froze before their feathers matured. Hundreds died as observed by geographer Peter Fretwell of the British Antarctic Survey.

Breeding Failures: Research from Nature Communications, Earth and Environment revealed alarming data:

In the Bellingshausen Sea, 19 out of 62 colonies failed to breed last year.

Penguins need consistent successful breeding. Young penguins have a high mortality rate, so continuous failures threaten colony survival.

Why should we care about penguins?

Natural Ecosystem: Penguins help us understand the balance and intricacies of the natural world.

Indicator Species: Their struggles signal broader environmental issues, like global warming.

Food Chain Impact: Losing sea ice affects krill, the base of the food chain in the Southern Ocean. This could lead to a collapse in fish populations that humans rely on for food.

Intrinsic Value: As highlighted by Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” creatures enhance life on Earth in intangible ways. Their mere presence adds to the world’s richness.

Legacy for Future: Protecting penguins ensures a diverse and vibrant ecosystem for future generations.

Current green transition solutions disregard social and political realities, both international and domestic

News H.L. Mencken’s quote, “For every complex problem, there is an answer that is simple, clear, and wrong,” applies to the green energy transition. However, the solution provided for green energy transition falls short in addressing the issue effectively.

What solutions have been proposed for the green energy transition?

The solutions provided for the green transition include electrifying industrial and transportation systems with green energy, cutting generation and storage costs through technology, upgrading infrastructure, and implementing innovative financing.

However, these solutions may not be sufficient to prevent global temperatures from exceeding 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels because they overlook international dynamics and domestic political and social factors.

What are the international, social and political factors associated with shifting towards green energy transition?

First, global leaders recognize climate change as a global issue requiring global solutions, but governments are promoting resource nationalism by encouraging green energy investments within their borders.

For instance, the US Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 offers $365 billion in incentives, while Europe and India (PLI schemes) also have similar schemes.

Second, the green energy transition will have distributional consequences in the form of winners and losers. Those who lose their job may resist the transition, so governments need to make choices on how to distribute the costs and benefits.

Moreover, the lack of governance institutions in green energy transitions is also a major problem.

What factors contribute to the absence of governance institutions in the green energy transition?

First, the term “green energy transition” lacks clarity as it implies a complete shift from fossil fuels to clean energy, which is not the case. The transition will be gradual, with fossil fuels still prominent in the energy mix.

For instance, the shift from coal to oil in the 20th century provide that coal was not completely replaced.

Moreover, according to a recent IMF data, governments provided $1.5 trillion in fossil fuel subsidies in 2022.

Additionally, when factoring the hidden costs associated with air pollution and global warming, this support amounted to approximately 7.1% of global GDP. This justifies the dependence on fossil fuel for energy security and economic growth.

Second, a divide has emerged between China and the West due to their differing strengths. While China dominates the supply of essential minerals, the West dominates in advanced technology.

Both sides aim to avoid dependence while recognizing their interdependence. As a result, they are opting for a “de-risking” approach rather than complete “decoupling.”

Must Read: Financing the Green transition: initiative and challenges – Explained

What is the way ahead?

There’s an urgent need to expedite the energy transition by creating institutions that promote global cooperation, skill development, technology transfer, and conflict resolution.

Onward, sunward – Aditya-L1 gives India’s space programme one more boundary to push

News: Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched the Aditya-L1 Mission. It is India’s first space mission dedicated to studying the sun.

About Aditya L-1 Mission

Aditya-L1 will study the sun from the L1 Lagrange point, which is 1.5 million kilometers from Earth.

It aims to study the sun using seven instruments, which include both remote-sensing and in situ tools.

It will study the nature of the solar wind, which affects space weather and spacecraft components and the coronal heating problem, which involves explaining why the sun’s upper atmosphere is much hotter than its surface.

Its findings could have a major impact on the understanding of space weather and the evolution of stars.

Read More: Not Just Moon: Isro’s Aditya-L1, India’s first Solar mission, reaches spaceport

What is the way ahead?

Aditya-L1 may seem simple mission, but it presents significant challenges that will test both the Indian space program and the national solar physics community.

Moreover, after Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing, this mission is important for evaluating ISRO’s ability to study the Sun.

GS Paper 4

Enhance board effectiveness to acquire a competitive advantage

News– The article explains the the essential element to boost the effectiveness of the board of a company

What are some facts about the board of a company?

It pertains to the individuals who have been ‘chosen to oversee a company on behalf of its shareholders.’

Traditionally, boards have primarily emphasized conformity with regulations and rules. Recently, they have also emphasized transparency and the principles of corporate governance.

What are the ingredients that are critical for enhancing the effectiveness of a company’s board?

Familiarity with the Context: It is essential that they possess a good understanding of the business context.

Implementing a structured induction plan for board members is crucial. The operational team should provide them information about the company’s purpose, strategy, and values.

It is vital for the board to gain insights into the company’s performance in comparison to its competitors and engage with industry experts.

This process equips board members with the necessary background information for company discussions and decisions. It enables them to apply their expertise within the appropriate business context.

Clarity of Roles: The board’s role, beyond the regulatory responsibilities, encompasses owning the corporate strategy, risk oversight, succession planning, and guiding the management.

It is imperative to establish a deliberate and limited overlap between the board and management roles. It should be clearly defined.

The effective practice  involves creating role descriptions, identifying areas of overlap, and then establishing clear agreements within the board, CEO and management team. This process should be revisited annually.

The selection of the right team, starting with the CEO, is likely the most pivotal function of the board.

Composition of the Board: Alongside role clarity, the composition of the board is a pivotal factor in determining its effectiveness.

A diverse and relevant blend of skills, experiences, and perspectives significantly enhances the decision-making process.

The initial step involves clearly identifying the capabilities and experiences required by the company. Subsequently, establishing a distinct board-member value proposition is crucial.

Board composition should be viewed holistically, as a team with complementary individual capabilities that can function effectively when working together.

Conduct of Meetings: The practical aspects of conducting board meetings play a significant role in enhancing board effectiveness.

Considerations include the frequency of board meetings, time allocation during these meetings, and the quality of board discussions.
There is a need to ensure that the same voices don’t dominate every time, and the management team feels challenged and motivated, rather than criticized and demoralized.

Some effective practices include involving all CXOs in board meetings, shorter presentations, conducting structured briefings by committees to the entire board, and delivering periodic updates on business performance to the board between meetings.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Centre’s DIKSHA e-education platform to offer AI help

Source: The post is based on the article “Centre’s DIKSHA e-education platform to offer AI help”  published in The Hindu on 4th September 2023

What is the News?

The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in India is planning to integrate Personalized Adaptive Learning (PAL) into its existing Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) platform.

What is Personalized Adaptive Learning(PAL)?

It is a software-based approach that will allow each student to have an individualized learning experience over the course of the curriculum based on their unique needs and abilities.

What is DIKSHA Platform?

DIKSHA is an initiative of the Ministry of Education for digital online education.

It provides quality e-content for school education in States/UTs and QR coded Energized Textbooks for all grades.

It also has embedded assistive technologies for learners with visual or hearing impairments. 

Apart from this, DIKSHA also hosts 2.43 lakh contributions by 11,624 academics by way of teaching videos, explainers and practice questions. 

How will integration of PAL with DIKSHA platform help?

The integration of PAL into DIKSHA is expected to revolutionize the platform by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to cater to the specific learning needs of students.

For example, if a student of Class 9 is learning the Pythagoras theorem and makes a calculation mistake, the AI learning system flags it and loops the student back to a basic video of how to make the calculation.

What are the challenges in integration of PAL with DIKSHA platform?

Building PAL is a massive exercise.Content from across subjects will have to be categorized and different chunks will have to be tagged.New content may also have to be created.

The initial focus of the government is likely to be on subjects like chemistry, mathematics, and physics for Classes 9 to 12.

Several states like Andhra Pradesh, Assam, and Haryana have experimented with PAL with the help of private players but are facing budget constraints.

Aarogya Maitri Cube: India Builds World’s First Portable Hospital to Keep 200 Survivors Alive for 48 Hrs

Source: The post is based on the article “Aarogya Maitri Cube: India Builds World’s First Portable Hospital to Keep 200 Survivors Alive for 48 Hrs”  published in News18 on 4th September 2023

What is the News?

India has built the world’s first disaster hospital that can be airlifted, packed in 72 cubes.It has been named as ‘Aarogya Maitri Cube’.

What is Aarogya Maitri Cube?

Aarogya Maitri Cube is the world’s first disaster hospital that can be airlifted.

It has been developed indigenously under the Project BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri). 

It has been developed as part of India’s ‘Aarogya Maitri’ initiative to provide essential medical supplies to friendly countries.

Key Features: Aarogya Maitri Cube is packed in 72 cubes.These cubes contain essential equipment and supplies, such as an operation theater, a mini-ICU, ventilators, blood test equipment, an X-ray machine, a cooking station, food, water, shelter, a power generator, and more. 

– The special cage can hold 36 mini-cubes filled with supplies needed for 100 people to survive for two days. 

– There are two of these cages, called master cubes, which can be joined to support 200 survivors.One of the major features of these cubes is their ability to handle various severe injuries, including bullet injuries, major bleeds etc.

G20 THINQ

Source: The post is based on the article “G20 THINQ”  published in PIB on 4th September 2023

What is the News?

The Indian Navy has launched the second edition of The Indian Navy Quiz “G20 THINQ”.

What is G20 THINQ?

G20 THINQ is a national and international quiz competition that brings together youth from different regions and geographies, and enables them to build lasting friendships in the spirit of ‘Vasudaiva Kutumbakam’ – world is one family.

Conducted by: Indian Navy under the aegis of the G20 Secretariat and in partnership with NWWA (Navy Welfare and Wellness Association) and will have two levels National and International.

Levels: The competition comprises two levels: the national round and the international round.

– The National Round of the G20 THINQ will see participation of school children studying in Classes IX to XII.

– The International Round will see the participation of teams from G20+9 nations, each team comprising two students. 

Significance: G20 THINQ will serve as a remarkable finale to India’s Presidency that witnessed many unique achievements of the G20 at the global level.

As UPI crosses 10 billion transactions-mark, a look at India’s key foreign policy sell: Digital public infra

Source: The post is based on the article “As UPI crosses 10 billion transactions-mark, a look at India’s key foreign policy sell: Digital public infra”  published in Indian Express on 4th September 2023

What is the News?

Digital public infrastructure (DPI) has been a key part of the government’s overall narrative about India throughout its G20 presidency. 

During the G20 digital economy ministers’ meeting in Bengaluru earlier this month, Prime Minister said that India is an “ideal testing lab” for solutions that can be replicated globally anywhere in the world.

What is Digital public infrastructure(DPI)?

Digital public infrastructure (DPI) refers to blocks or platforms such as digital identification, payment infrastructure and data exchange solutions that help countries deliver essential services to their people, empowering citizens and improving lives by enabling digital inclusion.

What is India’s Digital public infrastructure (DPI)?

India’s Digital public infrastructure (DPI) is known as India Stack.It is the name used to describe a collection of disparate technology products and frameworks.The components of this collection are owned and maintained by different agencies.

The overall architecture of India Stack has three key layers – identity, payments, and data management.

Digital Identity: It is centered around Aadhaar, India’s national identity program.It can be used to remotely authenticate via two-factor or biometric authentication, receive digitally signed records such as driver’s licenses, educational diplomas, and insurance policies, and sign documents or messages using a government-backed digital signature service.

Real-time fast payment system: UPI forms the second layer as it is designed to enable interoperability between money custodians, payment rails and front-end payment applications.The technology, which is in the custody of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has been licenced to several third-party private entities such as PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm.

Data Management: It focuses on creating a new model for data governance.It operates as per a policy called the Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA), which at its core has the institution of a consent management system — which will allow the sharing of the information — with a view to provide better financial, health and telecom-related products and services to individuals and firms.

How is India Stack part of India’s Foreign Policy?

India has launched the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) partnership to enable countries, especially low and middle-income brackets, to learn from its experiences in harnessing technology to improve governance, and for social, economic, digital and sustainable development.

India also introduced the idea to form an alliance of countries called One Future Alliance which would allow like-minded nations to use technology to improve people’s lives.

India signed MoUs with Armenia, Sierra Leone, and Suriname to share its successful digital solutions implemented at scale through the India Stack.

Draft Public Key Infrastructure(PKI) Mutual Recognition Framework has also been released by the Ministry of Electronics & IT, Government of India with an aim to take the lead on the subject of implementation and adoption of India’s DPI beyond the country’s borders

“Sunshine moment for India,” says Union Minister as PSLV-XL launches India’s first Solar Mission

Source: The post is based on the article “Sunshine moment for India,” says Union Minister as PSLV-XL launches India’s first Solar Mission”  published in PIB on 4th September 2023

What is the News?

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL) has launched India’s first Solar Mission, – Aditya L1 from Sriharikota Range.

What is Aditya L1?

Source: TOI

Aditya L1 is the first space-based Indian mission to study the Sun.

Placed at: It shall be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth.

– A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses. This will provide a greater advantage of observing the solar activities and its effect on space weather in real time.

Payloads: The spacecraft carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors.

– Using the special vantage point L1, four payloads directly view the Sun.The remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1, thus providing important scientific studies of the propagatory effect of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium.

Significance: The Aditya L1 Mission is expected to provide the most crucial information to understand the problem of coronal heating, coronal mass ejection, pre-flare and flare activities and their characteristics, dynamics of space weather, propagation of particles and fields etc.

How will Aditya L1 be placed in the L1 orbit?

Initial Orbit: The spacecraft was initially placed in a Low Earth Orbit.

Elliptical Orbit: The orbit will then be adjusted to become more elliptical.

Exit from Earth’s Gravitational Sphere of Influence (SOI): The spacecraft will be propelled towards the L1 point using onboard propulsion.As the spacecraft moves towards the Lagrange point, it will exit Earth’s gravitational Sphere of Influence.

Cruise Phase: After leaving Earth’s SOI, the cruise phase of the mission will commence.

Halo Orbit: Subsequently, the spacecraft will be injected into a large halo orbit around the Lagrange point (L1).

Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying lays the Foundation Stone for the establishment of Multi-Purpose Seaweed Park in Tamil Nadu

Source: The post is based on the article “Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying lays the Foundation Stone for the establishment of Multi-Purpose Seaweed Park in Tamil Nadu”  published in PIB on 4th September 2023

What is the News?

On the third day of the Sagar Parikrama, the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying laid the Foundation Stone for the establishment of a Multi-Purpose Seaweed Park in Tamil Nadu.

What is Seaweed?

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What is a Multi-Purpose Seaweed Park?

Established in: Tamil Nadu

Announced in: In the Union Budget 2021, the Finance Minister had announced the proposal to set up ‘Multipurpose Seaweed Park in Tamil Nadu’.

Objectives: To promote seaweed cultivation for creation of employment opportunity for coastal fisher youth and fisher women. 

– To develop value-added seaweed products by encouraging private sector/ entrepreneurs and supporting them in setting up seaweed processing units in the seaweed park.

– Development of seaweed seed bank in collaboration with research institutes, universities, private entrepreneurs and fisheries department

– Exploration of untapped seaweed potential in the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu through scientific and traditional seaweed farming and development of R&D centres for production of quality seaweed.

Key Features: The seaweed park will  provide a single window support for the entrepreneurs, processors etc. to access information on schemes, licenses/approvals required, while also providing space to set up processing centres.

DPIIT holds review meeting for wider adoption of PM GatiShakti National Master Plan in States/UTs

Source: The post is based on the article “DPIIT holds review meeting for wider adoption of PM GatiShakti National Master Plan in States/UTs”  published in PIB on 3rd September 2023

What is the News?

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has conducted a review meeting with States and Union Territories to promote broader utilization of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP).

What is the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP)?

Launched in: 2021

Aim: To break the inter-ministerial tangles and silos and foster cooperation and integration in the fasttrack implementation of projects. 

Objectives: 1) smooth multimodal connectivity 2) enhanced prioritization and optimal usage of resources to create capacities on time and 3) resolution of issues like standardization, disjointed planning and clearances.

Targets: 

– The national highway network will be extended to expand the limit of roadways and touch the 2 lakh-km mark.

– Making of around 200 new airports, heliports, and water aerodromes to support aviation.

– The limit of railways to move cargo will be expanded to around 1,600 tons by FY25.

– The transmission network for power will be extended to 454,200 circuit km for easy access.

– Increment renewable capacity to 225 GW by FY25 and complete around 17,000 km of gas pipelines.

What are the benefits of PM Gati Shakti?

– It lays out a centralized portal to unite the infrastructural initiatives of 16 central ministries and departments.

–  Optimized Route Planning

– Enhanced visibility of intersections from forest, economic zones, archaeological sites etc.

– Enabling time and cost saving for planning and implementation of infrastructure projects, such as, use of digital surveys on NMP to streamline the preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPR) with higher accuracy.

– It will create employment potential for a large number of individuals.

The northern plains of India is the most polluted region

Source: The post is based on the article “The northern plains of India is the most polluted region”  published in The Hindu on 4th September 2023

What is the News?

The Air Quality Life Index 2021 has been released.

What is the Air Quality Life Index?

Released by: Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) 

Purpose: It is a pollution index that quantifies the relationship between long-term exposure to particulate pollution and life expectancy.

What are the key findings of the Air Quality Life Index?

Pollution and Life expectancy: Pollution remains the foremost external threat to human health around the world.

– Its impact on life expectancy rivals that of smoking, surpassing alcohol use, unsafe water, and even exceeding car crash injuries.

– If the world were to permanently reduce fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guideline, the average person would add 2.3 years onto their life expectancy.

South Asia: South Asia is home to the four most polluted countries in the world and nearly a quarter of the global population.

– Between 2013 to 2021, particulate pollution in South Asia surged by 9.7%, which is estimated to reduce life expectancy in the region by an additional six months.

Most polluted countries in the world: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan where 22.9% of the global population lives are the four most polluted countries in the world.

– In Bangladesh, people potentially lost an average of 6.8 years of life due to air pollution not meeting WHO guidelines.In contrast, the average person from the U.S. lost just 3.6 months.

China: China stands out due to its success in reducing pollution by a staggering 42.3% from 2013 to 2021 and extending the average life expectancy of its population by 2.2 years.This reduction can be attributed to the country’s policy initiatives to combat pollution in 2014.

India: India is the second-most polluted country in the world in 2021.

– The average Indian resident is set to lose 5.3 years of life expectancy if WHO guidelines remain unmet.In contrast, cardiovascular diseases reduce the average Indian’s life expectancy by about 4.5 years, while child and maternal malnutrition reduces it by 1.8 years.

– Delhi is the world’s most polluted city.If the PM2.5 level in Delhi is reduced to meet the WHO guideline, a resident in Delhi could gain 11.9 years in life expectancy.

– Northern plains, which is home to over half a billion people and 38.9% of India’s population, is the most polluted region. 

– The northern plains include the States and Union Territories of Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

– In the northern plains, the average resident is set to lose about 8 years of life expectancy if pollution levels persist and policies do not succeed in reducing pollution to levels as prescribed by the WHO.

Thrissur rocks to the rhythm of Pulikkali

Source: The post is based on the article “Thrissur rocks to the rhythm of Pulikkali”  published in The Hindu on 3rd September 2023

What is the News?

The traditional folk dance of Kerala ‘Pulikkali’ was performed on the occasion of Onam.

What is Pulikkali?

Pulikkali (Tiger Dance) is one of the folk art forms of Kerala.

The artists wear a tiger mask, paint their bodies like tigers and dance to the rhythm of traditional percussion instruments such as thakil, udukku and chenda.

It is performed on the fourth day of Onam festival.

It is believed to have originated two centuries ago as a street dance form and became part of Onam celebrations later.

It is said to have been introduced by the erstwhile ruler of Cochin, Maharaja Rama Varma Sakthan Thampuran.

The main theme of this folk art is tiger hunting with participants playing the role of tiger and hunter.

Usually, men and children perform this art form.For the first time, 3 women among a 51-member team participated in the Pulikali at Thrissur in 2016.

The following today’s current affairs articles have been covered in 7 PM Explained section of the day:

7 PM Editorial of the day: G20 and its Significance – Explained, pointwise