UPSC Key-26 June, 2023: What you should read in the news today

India, Egypt sign pact on strategic partnership as Modi, El-Sisi hold talks

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- INDIA AND Egypt signed a strategic partnership agreement as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi held one-on-one talks in Cairo on Sunday. The strategic partnership agreement is a follow-up to the decision arrived at after the two leaders met in January this year, when El-Sisi visited India as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations this year. At that time, they had decided to elevate India-Egypt bilateral relationship to “strategic partnership”.

• India and Egypt-Know the historical background

• India and Egypt-Know the area of cooperation

• India and Egypt-Know the bone of contention

• What is the meaning of strategic partnership agreement?

• How strategic partnership is different from the bilateral partnership?

• The strategic partnership will have broadly four elements-what are they?

• For Your Information-The strategic partnership will have broadly four elements: political, defence and security; economic engagement; scientific and academic collaboration; and cultural and people-to-people contacts. The Egyptian President also honoured Prime Minister Modi with the Order of the Nile – the highest civilian honour of Egypt. Past recipients include South African leader Nelson Mandela, US President Jimmy Carter and Queen Elizabeth II among others.

• The Prime Minister met leaders of the Bohra community, who are actively involved in the upkeep of this Fatimid era Shi’a mosque and highlighted the strong people-to-people ties between India and Egypt-Who are the Dawoodi Bohras?

• What is the order of the Nile in Egypt?

• What are the similarities of Egypt and India?

• ‘Mahatma Gandhi and Saad Zaghloul shared common goals’-What common goals?

• Gamal Abdel Nasser, Jawaharlal Nehru and Non-Aligned Movement-Connect the dots

• ‘Egypt has traditionally been one of India’s most important trading partners in the African continent’-Know the data and figures regarding the same

• India, Egypt and Global South- Connect the dots

• Do You Know-Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay his respects at the Heliopolis (Port Tewfik) Memorial in the Heliopolis War Cemetery in Cairo, Egypt, where the names of nearly 4,000 Indian soldiers who fought in World War 1 in Egypt and Palestine are commemorated. The Heliopolis Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery also commemorates 1,700 Commonwealth soldiers who died in World War 2.

• What is the significance of Heliopolis (Port Tewfik) Memorial?

• What was the role of Indian Army in West Asia in First World War?

• Which are the Indian regiments which are commemorated at the war memorial?

• Is any prominent Indian soldier commemorated at the war memorial?

• What are the names of some of the other soldiers commemorated at the war memorial?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍PM Modi at Egypt war memorial: honouring Indian soldiers killed in World War 1

Monsoon reaches Delhi, Mumbai on same day — a first in 6 decades

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Heavy rain lashed Delhi and Mumbai on Sunday as monsoon arrived in both the cities on the same day — the first such occurrence since 1961. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the monsoon began two days earlier than usual in Delhi while its entry over Mumbai was delayed by two weeks. Between Saturday night and Sunday evening, Delhi’s primary weather observatory at Safdarjung recorded 50.7 mm rainfall. While the minimum temperature was 23.1° Celsius, five degrees below normal, the maximum was 29° Celsius, eight degrees below normal.

• Monsoon arrived in the Delhi and Mumbai on the same day-why?

• Monsoon mechanism in India-Know in detail

• For Your Information-Delhi and Mumbai last witnessed the arrival of the monsoon on the same day on June 21, 1961. Based on data collected between 1961 and 2019, the normal onset of monsoon in Delhi has occurred on June 27.

• What is the arrival and departure of monsoon?

• What is the all India monthly and seasonal rainfall?

• What do we mean by long period average (LPA) of rainfall?

• What is large excess, excess, normal, deficient, large deficient rainfall?

• What is the role of monsoon trough?

• Do You Know-According to IMD website, Monsoon Trough is an elongated low-pressure area which extends from heat low over Pakistan to Head Bay of Bengal. This is one of semi-permanent feature of monsoon circulation. Monsoon trough may be a characteristic of east west orientation of Himalayan ranges and north south orientation of Khasi-Jaintia Hills. Generally eastern side of monsoon trough oscillates, sometimes southwards and sometimes northwards. Southward migration results in active/vigorous monsoon over major part of India. In contrast, the northward migration of this trough leads to break monsoon condition over major part of India and heavy rains along foothills of Himalayas and sometimes floods in Brahmaputra river.

• What is heat low? What are its impacts on monsoon rainfall?

• What is Tibetan High? How is it related with monsoon rainfall?

• What is Mascarene high? How does it influence monsoon rainfall?

• What is the difference between monsoon depression and depression forming in pre-monsoon season and post-monsoon season?

• Why don’t we get cyclones during main monsoon months like July and August?

• For Your Information- According to IMD website, Tropical cyclogenesis requires several favourable precursor environmental conditions. Warm Ocean waters (of at least 26.5℃ throughout sufficient depth at least on the order of 50 m). Relatively moist layers near the height of 5 km. Nonnegligible amount of Coriolis force, pre-existing near surface disturbance. Low values of vertical wind shear between the surface and upper troposphere. In July and August winds on the surface are westerly/south-westerly to the south of monsoon trough and south easterly/ easterly to its north and are generally stronger over the seas than the Land areas. The upper winds are westerly/south-westerly to the south and south easterly/ Easterly to the north of this trough region. Westerly winds increase with height and reach a maximum speed of 20-25 knots between 900 to 800 hPa levels. Easterly winds strengthen with height from 200 hPa reaching a maximum at 100 hPa. Speeds are between 60 to 80 knots over peninsula at 150 /100 hPa level or even at lower height (around 200 hPa) in the southern latitude. This results in high values of vertical wind shear which is unfavourable for Tropical cyclogenesis. So, we don’t get cyclones during main monsoon months like July and August.

• How does rainfall vary during monsoon season? Is there any periodicity.

• Do You Know-During monsoon, considerable variability in rainfall is seen with space and time. The following are reasons which contribute to this. Onset, Advancement and Withdrawal of monsoon. They decide the duration, period of monsoon current at different places. Position of monsoon trough: It can oscillate 5º to north and 5º to south within 24 hours. If this trough is in south of normal position, strong monsoon conditions are observed over India. If this trough is in north of normal position or if it runs to foothills of Himalayas or not seen at all, then break monsoon conditions are observed. Synoptic systems like cyclonic circulations, lows, depressions move along trough and contribute to rainfall. Formation and movement of synoptic systems and number of days of systems: Low frequency oscillations considerably change the rainfall distribution over different parts of India. 40-day mode or northward propagation of maximum cloud zone from equator to 30ºN. This mode is also seen as northward propagation of trough and ridges in wind field with periodicity of 0.75º of longitude per day. Westward propagating biweekly oscillation of 14 to 15 days.

• How Arabian Sea branch and Bay of Bengal branch are associated with Indian monsoon?

• What is difference between Arabian Sea branch and Bay of Bengal branch?

• A cyclone is all set to form in the Arabian Sea, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said. What cyclone is IMD warning about?

• Does a delayed onset mean cascading delays across the country and for the rest of the season?

• Does it therefore mean that an early onset would not necessarily mean a good
monsoon?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What ‘onset’ of monsoon means, and why a delay is not always bad news

📍Frequently asked Questions (FAQs) on Monsoon

THE CITY

An emperor’s dream, a saint’s curse: The legend of Delhi’s third city

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: History of India and Indian National Movement.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-With a history of over 700 years, the story of Tughlaqabad Fort is as fascinating as the remains that are left of the structure built in 1321 by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq — the first ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty that went on to rule for nearly a century.

• Why has Delhi been the focus of a succession of magnificent empires and powerful kingdoms, making it one of the world’s longest serving capitals and one of the oldest inhabited towns?

• What are the seven cities of Delhi?

• Who was Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq?

• Who was founder of Delhi Sultanate?

• How did Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq contribute to the Delhi Sultanate?

• The Tughlaq dynasty took over from the Khaljis in 1320-True or False?

• For Your Information-The story goes that Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, whose original name was Ghazi Malik, was a governor under the rule of Alauddin Khalji. Historians say when Mubarak Khalji succeeded his father’s throne, Malik suggested he build a fortified city. Mubarak laughed off the proposition, telling Malik to do it himself if he became king. In 1320 AD, as Malik took over the throne and became Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, he began work on his ambitious plan. The fortress of Tughlaqabad stands on a rocky hill, about 8 kilometres from the Qutub Minar, and is the third of the seven cities of Delhi.

• The history of Tughlaqabad Fort would be incomplete without the legend of Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya- Know in detail about Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya and Sufism

• Do You Know-Another legend with regard to Auliya says when Ghiyasuddin was on his Bengal campaign, he learned that the workers had defied his orders and were working on the Sufi saint’s water tank. The ruler became so angry that he vowed to punish the saint on his return. On hearing this, Auliya let out a curse: “Hunuz Dilli dur ast” (Delhi is far off yet). On his return, a pavilion erected to honour Ghiyasuddin’s success from the campaign collapsed, causing his death and that of his younger son. He could never make it to Delhi.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Once lost in history, walls of Tughlaqabad Fort get a facelift

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

The new deal

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Sanjaya Baru writes: Fifteen monsoons ago as rain clouds arrived over New Delhi, the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh faced turbulent political weather. The Bharatiya Janata Party joined hands with the communist parties to table a no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha seeking to unseat Dr Singh’s government and prevent him from signing the India-United States civil nuclear energy agreement. It was an agreement that was truly “historic” and symbolised the beginning of a “strategic partnership” between the two nations. Ironically, though, last week the BJP celebrated enthusiastically Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking yet another step forward in furthering that very partnership.

• The defence and technology deals struck last week by PM Modi are a consequence of India’s inability as yet to indigenise the manufacture of much-needed defence equipment-How far you agree with the author of this article?

• Buying more from the US and less from Russia is not a matter of any great national pride, except that the US offers better technology, for a few dollars more-Analyse India and Russia bilateral relations in this context

• It is also ironic that Indian politicians, diplomats and media routinely celebrate the easing up on visas issued by the US to Indians. Rather than facilitate US support for India’s emergence as a knowledge-based economy and society, a liberal US visa regime contributes further to what I call the “secession of the successful”-What actually this paragraph means?

• “secession of the successful”-How you see this phrase?

• What do you understand by ‘brain drain’?

• What then does all the pomp and show of PM Modi’s “state” visit to Washington DC, and the enthusiastic reception on Capitol Hill, represent?

• The US-India relationship will continue to grow because it stands firmly on all three legs of a bilateral relationship-Can you name those?

• India and US bilateral ties-Analyse the changing dynamics between the two countries

• India and US-Evolution of bilateral ties between the two nations

• What are the key takeaways from recent state visits by Prime Minister Modi?

• What are the important points of US relations with India?

• What are the areas of cooperation between India and USA?

• What is India-US Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X)?

• India-US Relations-Know the background

• What are India’s major imports from USA?

• How much India import from USA?

• The current India-US defence relationship is important for both commercial and strategic reasons-Comment

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍PM Modi’s US visit: Why America needs India

📍Old friends in a changing world

THE IDEAS PAGE

Big picture in Manipur

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies II: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.

• General Studies III: Linkages between development and spread of extremism and Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security

• General Studies III: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- D.S. Hooda Writes: A tragedy is unfolding before our eyes in the “jewelled land” of Manipur. Violent mobs have turned on their neighbours, forcing people of the Meitei and Kuki communities to flee their homes, internally displacing more than 50,000 persons. This grim scene harks back to the 1990s when the Naga-Kuki conflict uprooted 350 Kuki villages. The scars of the 1990s are yet to heal, and the current violence will only deepen fault lines.

• Manipur Violence-What is the story so far?

• Which are the major communities residing in Manipur?

• There are many immediate triggers for the ongoing clashes-What are they?

• “Ethnic conflict is caused by the fear of the future, lived through the past.”-Decode the quote

• What do you understand by the term ‘ethnic violence’?

• What is the cause of ethnic violence in Manipur?

• What was the triggering factor that escalated to so much violence in Manipur?

• Collective fears of an ethnic group about their future, based on past memories, incite mobilisation and violence. This is the situation that is playing out in Manipur-How far you agree with the same?

• Regrettably, on the ground, the emphasis has been on short-term conflict management practices-What sort of short-
term conflict management practices?

• Long-term conflict management practices and short-term conflict management practices for Manipur-what is the way ahead?

• For Your Information-According to the author of this article, the immediate need is to control the violence. It may take some time, but the security forces will ultimately prevail through their coercive power, and when people see that the destruction being caused will eventually hurt them. But whenever calm returns, the state must not pat itself on the back for managing the situation but revitalise efforts towards long-term conflict resolution. The state must re-establish its authority and become the leading arbitrator in resolving differences between ethnic groups. This will require a credible political leadership perceived as neutral by all communities. Politicians cannot ignore their individual identities but should avoid acting like ethnic activists and stoking polarisation. The leadership must also be conscious that statements that appear to target minority communities increase fear and could provide incentives for violence. An honest attempt must be made to find answers to identity — social, economic, aspirational — and resource-sharing issues troubling different communities. In the sharply divided atmosphere in the state, the Centre will have to take the lead in assuaging the local communities. The failure of the peace committee formed in the state indicates that reconciliation could work better through external intervention by New Delhi. The all-party meeting held on June 24 is a positive step. It should be taken forward in an endeavour to get a bipartisan political approach to resolving the Manipur crisis.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Manipur Violence Explained: Kuki vs Meitei Conflict, Biren Singh Govt’s Role, Army Action

📍P Chidambaram writes: Incompetence, Injury & Insult

EXPLAINED

Why Punjab and Haryana matter in poor monsoon years

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

• General Studies III: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, – different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Punjab and Haryana have been India’s breadbasket and lynchpins of its food security, especially post the Green Revolution. Over the last two decades though, the two states’ combined share in total wheat procurement for the Central foodgrain pool has fallen from 90% or more, to hardly 70%. It’s been more, from 43-44% to 28-29%, for rice.

• How can a bad monsoon or poor crop can make a difference?

• How El Niño will affect monsoon this year?

• For Your Information-El Niño, going by historical data, has been associated with monsoon failures in India. Thus, 2014, 2015 and 2018 recorded subnormal rainfall – and all three were El Niño years. On the other hand, the country enjoyed four consecutive years of good monsoon from 2019 to 2022. This period saw no El Niño in 2019, even as it had one of the longer ever La Niña event, lasting from July-September 2020 to December-February 2022-23. The latter – El Niño’s opposite, involving an abnormal cooling of the central and eastern tropical Pacific waters – usually brings copious rain to India, as it happened during the most recent episode. The immediate impact of a subnormal monsoon would be on the kharif crops, the sowings of which have barely taken off. Rice may bear the brunt, being highly water-intensive and requiring at least 25 irrigations in the absence of rain. Moreover, if El Niño is going to get stronger, the impact could extend to the rabi (winter-spring) crops. These, particularly wheat, are grown using groundwater and dam reservoirs that are recharged/refilled during the monsoon. A subnormal monsoon can, in other words, hit both rice and wheat production.

• What is El Nino?

• Why is called El Nino?

• Why do the surface waters in equatorial Pacific Ocean get abnormally warm or cold?

• Why do these warm or cold phases have any bearing on Indian monsoon?

• What is El Nino effect in India?

• During El Niño, trade winds weaken or stronger than usual?

• El Niño and La Niña events are not mirror images of each other. They differ in length and strength-How

• ‘Not all El Nino years are bad monsoon years’-Analyse

• Do You Know-El Nino conditions, usually associated with suppressed rainfall over India during the monsoon season, refer to a warming of central and eastern Pacific Ocean waters, in contrast to La Nina conditions which refer to a cooling of these waters. The El Nino conditions that are likely to develop this year come on the heels of a “triple dip” La Nina phenomenon from 2020 to 2022. According to IMD data, in 2002, 2004, 2009 and 2015, El Nino conditions coincided with below normal rainfall, with the lowest (78.2 cm) being recorded in 2009. Of the 15 El Nino years from 1951 to 2022, six years recorded normal to above normal rainfall.

• In addition to El Nino conditions, the IMD pointed to two other dominant largescale parameters that can influence the monsoon-what are that two other dominant parameters?

• What is Indian Ocean Dipole?

• India Meteorological Department (IMD)-About, Role and Objectives

• For Your Information-El Nino and La Nina are climate patterns in the Pacific Ocean that can affect weather worldwide. Episodes of El Nino and La Nina typically last 9-12 months, but can sometimes last for years. El Nino and La Nina events occur every two to seven years, on average, but they don’t occur on a regular schedule, say experts. Generally, El Nino occurs more frequently than La Nina. According to the latest forecast by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a transition from La Niña to ENSO-neutral will occur mostly during the February-April 2023 season. Climate models are predicting a potential return to El Niño by May-July, which coincides with the summer monsoon that spans from June- September. The occurrence of three consecutive La Niña in the Northern Hemisphere is a relatively rare phenomenon and is known as the ‘triple dip’ La Niña. The latest triple dip La Nina occurred between 2021-23.

• What are the conditions which causes El Niño?

• EL Nino Southern Oscillation or ENSO impact on Monsoon?

• How El Niño Impacts-Know Sector and region wise

• But why have El Niño conditions continued for three years?

• What is Inter Tropical Convergence Zone?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍El Niño and the monsoon

📍Why India needs a Green Revolution 2.0

Prigozhin’s rebellion

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Saturday saw dramatic developments in Russia, with the mercenary Wagner group capturing the city of Rostov-on-Don and marching towards Moscow. The troops retreated only after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Vladimir Putin, negotiated a deal with their commander Yevgeny Prigozhin.

• Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner group, owes his success to Putin. Why has he now turned against his benefactor?

• A deal was announced late last night after Lukashenko stepped in. What is this deal, and what exactly happened last night?

• So will the Wagner group not be part of the war in Ukraine anymore? How will that affect the course of the war?

• How significantly is this mutiny likely to dent Putin’s image?

• Various speculations have been afloat about the mutiny. While Prigozhin had been vocally unhappy for a while, was such a rebellion anticipated?

• How did New Delhi see these dramatic developments?

• What does this mean for the Wagner group?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Wagner Group and the man at the centre of the ‘coup’ in Russia?

ECONOMY

Banks readying systems to track spends on outward remittances

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– With the 20 per cent tax on Liberalised Remittances Scheme (LRS) of the Reserve Bank of India set to kick off from July 1, banks are gearing up to get ready with the systems to track the spends on international cards and mobilise the tax collected at source (TCS) on outward remittances. Banks were finding the going tough in assessing and collecting TCS on exemptions while using credit and debit cards outside India, banking sources said. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), on the other hand, has left it to the banks to fend for themselves to collect the tax imposed by the government in the FY23-24 budget.

• What is the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)?

• What do you understand by ‘Tax Collected at Source’?

• What changes?

• Why the changes?

• What is Foreign Exchange Management Act?

• What is outward and inward remittance?

• What is the Tax Collected at Source charge for outward remittances?

• What is outward remittance from India?

• Is inward remittance taxable in India?

• For Your Information-The Budget 2023-24 had proposed hiking the TCS rate to 20 per cent from 5 per cent above Rs 7 lakh threshold for all purposes other than education and medical treatment. Also, for overseas tour packages, the government had proposed hiking the TCS rate to 20 per cent from 5 per cent, without any threshold, with effect from July 1. On May 16, the Centre amended rules under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), bringing international credit card spends under the LRS. As a consequence, spending on international credit cards would have then attracted a higher rate of TCS at 20 per cent from July 1. However, on May 19, the government clarified that any payments by an individual using their international debit or credit cards up to Rs 7 lakh per financial year will be excluded from the LRS limits and hence, will not attract any TCS. TCS can be adjusted against the overall tax liability. It can be claimed as an income tax refund or a person can avail of credit while filing the ITR or calculating the advance taxes. The new system will enable the government to track high-value overseas transactions and will not apply on the payments for purchase of foreign goods and services from India.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍FY22: As Covid curbs ease, outward remittances up 55% to all-time high

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