UPSC Weekly Quiz — January 1 to 7, 2023

Amid the criticism, however, what might be missed is that sometimes, a conversation simply needs to be kept alive and for that a symbolic gesture may be enough. Explaining the decision, Kern said, “Women are still paid less for their work than men, certain occupations are forbidden to them, and their place in the public space is not always well received by men.” In France, for example, despite progress on political representation and maternal care, sexism remains rife and the glass ceiling is a reality. In a report by the French government’s High Council for Equality last year, 46 per cent of women said they had encountered sexist comments or action in the workplace and 43 per cent in the home.

The renaming of a town is an opportunity to reflect on all the ways in which systems and spaces, technologies and infrastructure are designed by and for men, from car safety tests being done primarily on male-sized dummies to the fact that voice recognition softwares “hear” male voices more easily than female voices. Calling a town “Pantine” for a year will not start or cement a feminist revolution. It will, however, underline that a lot still needs to change, if in the 21st century, this is still a man’s world.

Question 

Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

(1) Calling a town by the feminised version of its name is a symbolic gesture and thus a futile decision.

(2) The renaming of a town reflects that in France women are at the receiving end on all fronts.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

(Source: A French town renamed, for gender equality)

ANSWERS

1 (d)

All the statements are correct.

FYI

Several parts of Europe witnessed an unprecedented winter heat wave over New Year’s weekend, The Washington Post reported on Monday. Calling it an “extreme event”, experts said that temperatures increased 10 to 20 degrees Celsius above normal.

What is a heat dome?

A heat dome occurs when an area of high-pressure traps warm air over a region, just like a lid on a pot, for an extended period of time. The longer that air remains trapped, the more the sun works to heat the air, producing warmer conditions with every passing day. Heat domes generally stay for a few days but sometimes they can extend up to weeks, which might cause deadly heat waves.

Scientists suggest that any region of high pressure, whether a heat dome or not, forces air to sink and once it reaches the ground, it gets compressed and becomes even warmer. Moreover, when air sinks, it gets drier and further raises the temperature of the area.

What is the relationship between heat domes and the jet stream?

The heat dome’s formation is related to the behaviour of the jet stream — an area of fast-moving air high in the atmosphere. The jet stream is believed to have a wave-like pattern that keeps moving from north to south and then north again. When these waves get bigger and elongated, they move slowly and sometimes can become stationary. This is when a high-pressure system gets stuck and leads to the occurrence of a heat dome.

2 (d)

FYI

The Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is found only in the Brahmaputra valley, parts of North Bengal, and parts of southern Nepal. It has a single black horn that can grow up to 60 cm, and a tough, grey-brown hide with skin folds, which gives the animal its characteristic armour-plated look.

The Indian rhino is listed as vulnerable (better than endangered, worse than near threatened) in the IUCN Red List; it was earlier placed in the endangered category.

On September 22, World Rhino Day, in 2021, almost 2,500 rhino horns were burnt publicly in Bokakhat in KNP to “bust myths about rhino horns”, and to send “a loud and clear message to the poachers and smugglers that such items have no value”.

3 (a)

FYI

Archaeological Survey of India was formed in 1861 by a statute passed into law by Lord Canning.

Fifty of India’s 3,693 centrally protected monuments have gone missing, the Ministry of Culture has told Parliament. The submissions were made by the ministry on December 8 to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture as part of a report titled ‘Issues relating to Untraceable Monuments and Protection of Monuments in India’.

FYI

Walter Cunningham was one of three astronauts aboard the 1968 Apollo 7 mission, an 11-day spaceflight that beamed live television broadcasts as they orbited Earth, paving the way for the moon landing less than a year later.

6 (b)

FYI

The government has formally approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission, with a stated aim of making India a global hub for the production of green hydrogen.

The sources and processes by which hydrogen is derived are categorised by colour tabs. Hydrogen produced from fossil fuels is called grey hydrogen, which constitutes the bulk of the hydrogen generated today. Hydrogen generated from fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage options is called blue hydrogen, while hydrogen generated using electrolysers powered by renewable power sources is called green hydrogen.

Hydrogen is an energy carrier, not a source of energy. Hydrogen fuel must be transformed into electricity by a device called a fuel cell stack before it can be used to power a car or truck.

7 (c)

FYI

Who was Savitribai Phule?

A Dalit woman from the Mali community, Savitribai was born on January 3, 1831, in Maharashtra’s Naigaon village. Married off at the tender age of 10, her husband Jyotirao Phule is said to have educated her at home. Later, Jyotirao admitted Savitribai to a teachers’ training institution in Pune. Throughout their life, the couple supported each other and in doing so, broke many social barriers.

Along with Jyotirao, Savitribai started the Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha (‘Home for the Prevention of Infanticide’) for pregnant widows facing discrimination. This was inspired by a turn of events wherein a young Brahmin widow was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Andamans after she killed her newborn child. The man who had raped the illiterate widow refused to take up any responsibility for the child, driving the widow to infanticide.

Savitribai Phule also advocated inter-caste marriages, widow remarriage, and eradication of child marriage, sati and dowry systems, among other social issues. The Phules also adopted Yashwantrao, the child of a widow, whom they educated to become a doctor.

In 1873, the Phules set up the Satyashodhak Samaj (‘Truth-seekers’ society’), a platform open to all, irrespective of their caste, religion or class hierarchies, with the sole aim of bringing social equity. As an extension, they started ‘Satyashodhak Marriage’ – a rejection of Brahmanical rituals where the marrying couple takes a pledge to promote education and equality.

The couple also set up ‘Balyata Pratibandak Gruha’, a childcare centre for the protection of pregnant widows and rape victims. Urging women to break free of caste barriers, Savitribai encouraged them to sit together at her meetings.

At her husband’s funeral procession on November 28, 1890, Savitribai again defied convention and carried the titve (earthen pot). Walking ahead of the procession, Savitribai was the one who consigned his body to the flames, a ritual which is still predominantly carried out by men.

Setting an extraordinary example of living a life of compassion, service and courage, Savitribai became involved in relief work during the 1896 famine in Maharashtra and the 1897 Bubonic plague. She herself contracted the disease while taking a sick child to the hospital, and breathed her last on March 10, 1897.

8 (c)

Part of Home Minister Amit Shah’s programme in Manipur on Friday was the inauguration of a 122-foot-tall statue of a polo player astride a Manipur Pony in Imphal, a project that has been in the works for several years now.

Answer to the CSAT Comprehension: (d)

FYI