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Journalism of Courage
The Indian Express’ UPSC Essentials brings you a weekly news express, which covers the most important topics of current affairs news from this week.
Why is it in news?
— The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology withdrew an advisory issued by the Aadhaar agency, which cautioned people to not share a photocopy of the document with entities such as hotels and cinema halls owing to the possibility of “misuse”. A ministry statement said the advisory was withdrawn because it could be “misinterpreted”.
— This advisory was issued earlier by the regional office of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) in Bengaluru.
Key takeaways
— The UIDAI is a statutory authority established on 12th July 2016 by the Government of India under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, following the provisions of the Aadhaar Act 2016. It was initially set up in January 2009, as an attached office under the aegis of the Planning Commission. The UIDAI assigns 12-digit unique identification (UID) number (Aadhaar) to all the residents of India.
— Many private players in the country insist on an Aadhaar card, and users are often asked to share the details. However, there’s no clarity on how these entities keep these data private and secure. Recently, sharing Aadhar details was made mandatory with respect to Covid testing.
— In 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that Aadhaar authentication can be made mandatory only for benefits paid from the Consolidated Fund of India.
— AePS is a facility that enables someone who has an Aadhaar-linked account to withdraw money from it, anywhere in India, through biometric authentication. There have been serious abuses of this facility.
Point to ponder: How can we keep Aadhar data safe?
Why is it in news?
— Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (May 29) praised India’s startup ecosystem as he highlighted that the country has reached a landmark figure of 100 unicorns with a valuation of more than $300 billion.
Key takeaways:
— Unicorns are privately held, venture-capital backed startups that have reached a value of $1 billion. The valuation of unicorns is not expressly linked to their current financial performance, but largely based on their growth potential as perceived by investors and venture capitalists who have taken part in various funding rounds.
— During his recent ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio address, PM Modi said that a record 44 unicorns were established in India last year during the pandemic. “Not only that, 14 more unicorns were formed anew in three-four months this year. This means that even in this phase of the global pandemic, our startups have been creating wealth and value,” he added.
— According to Invest India, the government’s national investment promotion and facilitation agency, “The year 2021, 2020, and 2019 saw the birth of the maximum number of Indian unicorns with 44, 11, and 7 unicorns coming each year, respectively.” It adds that between 2015 and 2021, the country’s startup ecosystem has seen a nine-time increase in the number of investors, and a seven-time increase in the total funding of startups.
Point to ponder: Which are some largest unicorns contributing to the financial ecosystem of the country?
Why is it in news?
— The Kerala health department is on alert after the death of a 47-year-old from Thrissur due to the West Nile Virus. Earlier in 2019, a six-year-old boy in Malappuram district had died of the same infection. The virus was first reported in the Alappuzha district of the state in 2006 and then in Ernakulam in 2011.
Key takeaways:
— The West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne, single-stranded RNA virus. According to the WHO, it is “a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the Japanese Encephalitis antigenic complex of the family Flaviviridae”. It is a flavivirus related to the viruses that cause St. Louis encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, and yellow fever.
— Culex species of mosquitoes act as the principal vectors for transmission. It is transmitted by infected mosquitoes between and among humans and animals, including birds, which are the reservoir host of the virus.
—According to WHO, mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds, which circulate the virus in their blood for a few days. The virus eventually gets into the mosquito’s salivary glands. During later blood meals (when mosquitoes bite), the virus may be injected into humans and animals, where it can multiply and possibly cause illness.
— It can also spread through blood transfusion, from an infected mother to her child, or through exposure to the virus in the laboratory.
— WNV is not known to spread by contact with infected humans or animals.
— According to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it does not spread “through eating infected animals, including birds. Always follow instructions for fully cooking meat”.
— The incubation period for WNV disease is typically two to six days, but can range from two to fourteen days, and can be several weeks in immunocompromised people.
— The disease is asymptomatic in 80 per cent of the infected people. The rest develop what is called the West Nile fever or severe West Nile disease. In these 20 per cent cases, the symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, body aches, nausea, rash, and swollen glands.
— Severe infection can lead to neuro-invasive diseases such as West Nile encephalitis or meningitis or West Nile poliomyelitis or acute flaccid paralysis.
— WNV-associated Guillain-Barré syndrome and radiculopathy have also been reported. It usually turns fatal in persons with co-morbidities and immuno-compromised persons (such as transplant patients).
Points to ponder: What is the treatment for West Nile Virus? Where do we find the cases in India?
Why is it in news?
— Addressing the three-day 39th Annual Commanders’ Conference of the Indian Coast Guard here on its first day, Rajnath Singh said that there has been a shift in India’s maritime security needs due to the ever-evolving global situation.
Key takeaways:
— On Monday, Rajnath Singh stressed the need to maintain maritime preparedness in the constantly-changing global scenario as well as create a rule-based, peaceful environment in the Indian Ocean Region which is essential for regional and global prosperity.
— Addressing the three-day 39th Annual Commanders’ Conference of the Indian Coast Guard here on its first day, Singh said that there has been a shift in India’s maritime security needs due to the ever-evolving global situation.
— Speaking about the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific, Singh termed the region as an important aspect of India’s maritime security. “The growing regional and global trade in this region has brought forth new challenges. Geopolitical tensions and a clash of strategic interests have led to traditional security challenges. Terrorism, drug trafficking, and piracy are some non-traditional challenges in front of us today. Being a responsible maritime power, we have a clear interest to create a rule-based, peaceful and stable environment. Such a rule-based environment is essential for both regional and global prosperity. In such a situation, the ICG has a big role to play.”
— He stated that India’s geographical location in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is crucial from a strategic and economic point of view. “Our long coastline with deep-water ports, a prosperous Exclusive Economic Zone, and islands at both ends present a unique position…The safety of these sea routes is not only directly connected to our economic interests, but it also establishes India as a Net Security Provider in IOR,” he said.
— The Coast Guard’s role, he said, is not only limited to coastal areas, and called it the protector of India’s national interests and sovereign rights in the territorial seas and Exclusive Economic Zone. “There have been no reports of any breach in coastal security in the last 14 years due to the ICG’s dynamic strategy and its cooperation with the Indian Navy and local administration,” he said.
— Importance of the Indian Ocean for India:
With a coastline of over 7,500 km, India has a natural interest in enhancing maritime security. In the Indian Ocean, three major Sea Lanes Of Communication (SLOCS) play a crucial role in the energy security and economic prosperity
1) SLOC connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean through the Bab al-Mandab.
2) SLOC connecting the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean through the Strait of Hormuz.
3) SLOC connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans through the Straits of Malacca.
— The Indian Ocean region transports 75 per cent of the world’s maritime trade and 50 per cent of daily global oil consumption.
Point to ponder: What are some of the initiatives of India in the maritime area?
Maharashtra is India’s top sugar producer state
Why is it in the news?
After a five-year break, Maharashtra has reclaimed its status as India’s top sugar producer, surpassing Uttar Pradesh (UP). The state expects to produce 138 lakh tonnes in the crushing year 2021-22 (October-September) . This is a new high, surpassing the previous record of 107.21 lt in 2018-19.
Key takeaways:
— Maharashtra has been experiencing abundant rainfall since the start of the 2019 southwest monsoon season (June-September). Farmers have been encouraged to grow more sugarcane due to the filling of reservoirs and recharged groundwater aquifers.
— Sugarcane is a crop that lasts 12-18 months. In 2021-22, the benefits of ample water and enlarged acreage were fully realised. Farmers that take additional care of their crops, produce bigger yields.
— In 2020-21, the state reported cultivating cane on a total area of 11.42 lakh hectares (lh). While the sugar commissioner’s office estimates the area to be 12.4 lh this year, millers estimate it to be at least one lh higher — and this is cane that farmers haven’t “registered” to provide to any plant. Due to the enormous “unregistered” area, there is still unharvested cane in the fields, and mills will crush until the first week of June.
— Maharashtra isn’t the only state affected. This year, Karnataka is on track to produce a record 60 lt of sugar, while Gujarat’s 12 lt would be the most since the 12.35 lt produced in 2010-11. Output in all three states has rebounded dramatically from drought-affected levels in 2019-20, a year in which UP’s output reached a record high of 126.37 lt.
— This year, mills are diverting an anticipated 12.60 lt equivalent of sugar from cane crushed for ethanol production, compared to 7.19 lt in 2020-21, 4.81 lt in 2019-20, and 0.31 lt in 2018-19. Uttar Pradesh has become India’s top ethanol producer, with the greatest ethanol-to-petrol ratio of any state. Crop loss and waterlogging in numerous low-lying cane-growing districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
— The third reason is that a single variety, Co-0238, is planted on around 87 per cent of UP’s cane land. While that variety helped enhance cane yields and sugar recovery in UP from 2013- 2014, it is now susceptible to the red rot fungal disease.
— The state of Uttar Pradesh’s sugar output fell to a five-year low in 2021-22, whereas Maharashtra and Karnataka’s sugar output soared to all-time highs. As a result, India’s production hit a new high of 355.5 lt. However, this hasn’t resulted in any price drop. Exports are the reason this isn’t occurring this time. These have surpassed the 71.9 lt record set in 2020-21 and are on track to surpass 100 lt in the current sugar year.
Point to ponder: What are climatic conditions for sugarcane production? Locate the areas in the map of India for sugarcane production.
Why is it in news?
— India, Pakistan discuss river water issues at Permanent Indus Commission meeting. The last edition of talks was held in Islamabad on March 1-3, 2022, in which Pakistan had assured India of “all necessary actions” to ensure the free flow of Fazilka drain into the Sutlej river.
Key takeaways:
— Permanent Indus Commission is a bilateral commission of officials from India and Pakistan, created to implement and manage the goals of the Indus Waters Treaty, of 1960. According to the treaty, it shall meet regularly at least once a year, alternately in India and Pakistan.
— The functions of the Commission include: studying and reporting to the two Governments on any problem relating to the development of the waters of the rivers, solving disputes arising over water sharing, arranging technical visits to projects’ sites and critical river head works, undertaking, once in every five years, a general tour of inspection of the Rivers for ascertaining the facts, take necessary steps for the implementation of the provisions of the treaty.
— Indus Water Treaty, 1960 is a treaty brokered by the World Bank and signed by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan’s President Ayub Khan which administers how the waters of the Indus and its tributaries that flow in both the countries will be utilised. According to the treaty, waters of the eastern rivers — Sutlej, Beas and Ravi — had been allocated to India, while the western rivers — the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — to Pakistan.
— Under the treaty, India has been given the right to generate hydroelectricity through a run of the river projects on the western rivers subject to specific criteria for design and operation. India has cleared several hydropower projects in Ladakh: Darbuk Shyok (19 MW), Shankoo (18.5 MW), Nimu Chilling (24 MW), Rongdo (12 MW), Ratan Nag (10.5 MW) for Leh; and Mangdum Sangra (19 MW), Kargil Hunderman (25 MW) and Tamasha (12 MW) for Kargil.
— It also gives Pakistan the right to raise concerns on the design of Indian hydroelectric projects on western rivers. The treaty also provides an arbitration mechanism to solve disputes amicably.
— There have been disagreements and differences between India and Pakistan over dams. For eg. In 2010, Pakistan instituted international arbitration proceedings over India’s 330-megawatt hydropower project on a small Indus tributary, the Kishenganga (known as Neelum in Pakistan).
Why is it in news?
This term is often seen in news with connection to ED raids, arrests and summons. Without going into the political debate let us see what is relevant as per the UPSC syllabus. We covered this issue in our UPSC Essentials section.
Key takeaways:
— Money laundering is the illegal process of making large amounts of money. This money is generated by a criminal activity but may appear to come from a legitimate source. Criminal activities include drug trafficking, terrorist funding, illegal arms sales, smuggling, prostitution rings, insider trading, bribery, and computer fraud schemes that produce large profits.
— Some of the national efforts to combat money laundering are- The Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), PMLA (Amendment) Act, 2012.
— Financial Intelligence Unit-IND: It is an independent body reporting directly to the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC) headed by the Finance Minister.
— Enforcement Directorate (ED): It is a law enforcement agency and economic intelligence agency responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting economic crime in India. The main function of ED is to Investigate offenses of money laundering under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002(PMLA).
Note: India is a full-fledged member of the FATF and follows its guidelines.
— Some of the global efforts against money-laundering are The Vienna Convention, The 1990 Council of Europe Convention, The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), The Financial Action Task Force (It has been set up by the governments of the G-7 countries), IMF, The United Nations office on Drugs and Crime.
Why is it in news?
The Indian government placed order for first indigenous BVR missile. A Defence Ministry statement said Astra Mk1 has been designed and developed “based on the staff requirements issued by the Indian Air Force catering for beyond visual range as well as close combat engagement, reducing the dependency on foreign sources”.
Key takeaways:
— Astra and its variants: The missile has been designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for deployment on fighter jets such as Sukhoi-30 MKI and Tejas of the IAF and the Mig-29K of the Navy.
— BVM missiles are capable of engaging beyond the range of 20 nautical miles or 37 kilometers. AAMs are fired from an airborne asset to destroy an airborne target. DRDO officials told The Indian Express that the Astra project was officially launched in the early 2000s with defined parameters and proposed future variants. Around 2017, the development phase of Mk-1 version was complete.
— Several successful tests have been conducted since 2017 from Sukhoi-30 MKIs. While the range for Astra Mk-1 is around 110 km, the Mk-2 with a range over 150 km is under development and Mk-3 version with a longer range is being envisaged. One more version of Astra, with a range smaller than Mk-1 is also under development.
— Strategic significance0: The missile has been designed based on requirements specified by the IAF for BVR as well as close-combat engagement, reducing the dependency on foreign sources. AAMs with BVR capability provides large stand-off ranges to own fighter aircraft which can neutralize adversary airborne assets without exposing themselves to adversary air defense measures. Stand-off range means the missile is launched at a distance sufficient to allow the attacking side to evade defensive fire from the target.
— The MoD has said that Astra is technologically and economically superior to many such imported missile systems. The missile can travel at speeds more than four times that of sound and can reach a maximum altitude of 20 km, making it extremely flexible for air combat.
— The missile is fully integrated on the Sukhoi 30 MKI I and will be integrated with other fighter aircraft in a phased manner, including the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. The Indian Navy will integrate the missile on the MiG-29K fighter aircraft which are deployed on the Navy’s aircraft carriers, thus adding to the lethality of India’s Aircraft carriers.
Why is it in news?
India’s Delhi Airport has introduced RFID tags to track check-in luggage.
Key takeaways:
— Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a technology that uses radio waves to automatically identify various tagged objects. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a wireless tracking method that uses tags and readers to track objects. The transponder, receiver, and transmitter are the three components of an RFID system.
— The RFID reader continually sends radio waves of a specific frequency in RFID system. If the object to which the RFID tag is attached is within the range of the radio waves, it provides feedback to the RFID reader, which then identifies the object based on the feedback.
— Passive tags, semi-passive tags, and active tags are the three types of RFID tags that are commercially available.
— There is no power supply for passive tags. They acquire their power from the readers’ incoming radio waves. Semi-passive tags comprise an internal circuit with a power source but rely on the radio waves received from the reader to transmit the response. The internal circuit of active tags is powered by a power source.
— Passive RFID tags do not have a battery and are powered by the reader. Batteries are being used to power active RFID tags. It also utilises its own power supply to send the response to the reader. The Low Frequency, High Frequency, and Ultra-High Frequency bands are used by RFID systems.
Point to ponder: How is RFID different from barcode?
Why is it in news?
— The developed countries must take lead in the global transition towards net-zero and low carbon industry transition, said Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.
Key takeaways:
— The Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) gathers countries and companies that are committed to action to achieve the Paris Agreement. It was launched by the governments of Sweden and India at the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019 and is supported by the World Economic Forum. LeadIT members subscribe to the notion that energy-intensive industries can and must progress on low-carbon pathways, aiming to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Management Board is made up of representatives from Sweden, India, and the World Economic Forum. The Secretariat is responsible for managing the work of the Leadership Group and is hosted by Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).
— “The developing world needs not just an industrial transition, but rather an industrial renaissance – a flowering of industries and sectors that will together create jobs, prosperity, and a clean environment. The transition trajectory will vary for different countries based on their national circumstances. The developed countries with their historical experiences must take lead in the global transition towards net-zero and low carbon industry transition. The green premium associated with zero or low carbon technologies must be compensated to trigger demand at a required scale in appropriate ways,” said the minister.
Point to ponder: What is Stockholm +50?
Why is it in news?
Supreme Court rejects pleas against excavation around Puri temple.
Key takeaways:
— The case in the Supreme Court comes at a time when the Orissa High Court is already hearing a plea against construction by the state government along the 800-year-old Puri Jagannath temple. Puri residents had moved the High Court alleging that the structural safety of the temple could be in jeopardy if land around the temple were dug up. The District Court in Puri is also hearing cases seeking to stop the construction.
— Conceived in 2016, the ambitious Puri Heritage Corridor Project has become the centre of a political slugfest between the BJP and the BJD-ruled state government. It involves redevelopment of Puri into a heritage site at a cost of Rs 3,200 crore. The construction has been taken up by the Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation (OBCC) under the state’s Works Department, while Tata Projects is running it on the ground.
— The project includes 22 schemes redeveloping major portions of the temple town. The first phase of work, the cost of which is estimated at Rs 800 crore, began in February 2020. Following this, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) approved the architectural design plan of the project.
— The 12th-century temple is a centrally protected monument, with the ASI as its custodian. As per the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, the National Monuments Authority (NMA) grants approval for construction and mandates that a heritage impact assessment study must be carried out before developmental work around any monument of archaeological importance with a built-up area over 5,000 square metres. The Jagannath temple is spread over 43,301.36 square meters.
— The NMA, which functions under the Union Ministry of Culture, was set up for the protection and preservation of monuments and sites through management of the prohibited and regulated area around the centrally protected monuments.
— The Puri Heritage Corridor Project was unveiled in December 2019 to transform the holy town of Puri into an international place of heritage. The project includes redeveloping major portions of the holy town and in the vicinity of the Jagannath temple for visitors and tourists.
— Jagannath Temple is believed to have been constructed in the 12th century by King Anatavarman Chodaganga Deva of the Eastern Ganga Dynast. Jagannath Puri temple is called ‘Yamanika Tirtha’ where, according to the Hindu beliefs, the power of ‘Yama’, the god of death, has been nullified due to the presence of Lord Jagannath. This temple was called the “White Pagoda” and is a part of Char Dham pilgrimages (Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri, Rameswaram). There are four gates to the temple- Eastern ‘Singhdwara’ which is the main gate with two crouching lions, Southern ‘Ashwadwara’, Western ‘Vyaghra Dwara’ and Northern ‘Hastidwara’. There is a carving of each form at each gate. In front of the entrance stands the Aruna stambha or sun pillar, which was originally at the Sun Temple in Konark. The World famous Rath Yatra (Car Festival) & Bahuda Yatra are two important attractions.
Point to ponder: How is the temple at Puri important from the perspective of Art and Culture?
