Daily Current Affairs [IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam] – 17th December 2018

Archives

(PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS)

Animal in news: Pangolin

Part of: Prelims – Environment and Biodiversity; Animal Conservation

In news:

• The pangolin, which can be found all over India, seems doomed because of its scales, which are said to have medicinal value and are more expensive than gold, are sheared ruthlessly.
• Its meat too is in demand in China. Illegal trade continues not just in parts where there are tigers but also in parts where there are musk deer, otter, mongoose and other animals.
• It is an insectivore, feeding on ants and termites, digging them out of mounds and logs using its long claws, which are as long as its fore limbs. It is nocturnal and rests in deep burrows during the day.
• Pangolins are the most trafficked mammals in the world, despite an international ban on their trade.They are trafficked both for their meat, and the unfounded belief that their keratinous scales have medical properties used in traditional medicine.
• IUCN Conservation status: Endangered

Animal in news: Great Indian Bustard

Part of: Prelims – Environment and Biodiversity; Animal Conservation

In news:

• One of the rarest species and undoubtedly one of the most endangered is the Great Indian Bustard, which is the State bird of Rajasthan.
• Endemic to Jaisalmer and Pokhran, its habitat was severely damaged by the nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998. Once widely spotted across 11 Indian states, but their numbers now stand at 60 in Rajasthan and the world population of the bird may be just 80. In Gujarat, not a single adult male has been sited. Power lines are pushing out the birds.
• Apart from power lines (high voltage ones, running above the ground), loss of grassland are the reasons behind the decline.
• IUCN Conservation status: Critically Endangered

About the GIB:

• The GIB is a heavy bird, weighing 15-16 kg.
• The GIB is a flagship species of the grassland; it determines the health of the grasslands, on which many other species of birds and animals, and even the dairy industry is dependent on.

Loss of grassland — the habitat of the GIB — is primary cause:

• There is unhindered grazing and installing of windmills and power stations on grasslands, thereby encroaching upon the breeding and wintering ground of the GIB.
• Large parcels of grassland are converted to agricultural land.
• The changing agricultural pattern that is moving away from traditional crops is another reason. With the disappearance of the traditional Bajra and Jowar crops, whose by-products served as fodder, their food has been on the decline.
• An increase in the use of pesticides has further depleted the population of insects like the beetle, which the GIB and other birds feed on.

Tiger Conservation

Part of: Prelims – Environment and Biodiversity; Animal Conservation

In news:

• India recorded 95 tiger deaths in 2018, 41 outside reserves
• National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) chief says many animals venture into habitations, which increases the possibility of human-animal conflicts and results in deaths

Pic: https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2018/12/17/DEL/Delhi/TH/5_07/c330e616_2599668_101_mr.jpg

Do you know?

• The NTCA maintains the official database of tiger mortality in the country, and compiles figures from reports sent by different States on the basis of recovery of bodies or seizure of body parts.

Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY)

Part of: Prelims and Mains GS Paper II- Heath/Social issue; Government interventions and schemes

In news:

• Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) – is a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme for nutritional support to Tuberculosis (TB) patients.
• It was rolled out from April this year and has made very slow progress.
• Of the 18 lakh registered TB patients across the country, barely 26% of the beneficiary pool, have received cash transfer so far.
• This is because many of the rural poor either do not have a bank account or are migrant patients, whose bank accounts are difficult to be captured. However, the incentives can be distributed in Cash (but implementation is poor)

Do you know?

• All notified TB patients are beneficiaries of the scheme.
• Financial incentive of Rs.500/- per month for each notified TB patient for duration for which the patient is on anti-TB treatment.
• The scheme is registered under Direct Benefit Transfer. The incentives can be distributed in Cash (only via DBT preferably through Aadhaar enabled bank accounts) or in-kind.
• The scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme under National Health Mission (NHM). Financial norms of NHM in terms of cost sharing, are applicable to the scheme.

ISRO’s GSAT-7A to add muscle to Air Force

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Defence; Science and Technology

In news:

• Military communication satellite GSAT-7A to be launched on Dec. 19 from Sriharikota
• It is expected to add a new space-based dimension to the way Indian Air Force interlinks, operates and communicates with its aircraft.
• Although all Indian communication satellites offer capacity to the armed forces, GSAT-7A will be the first one built primarily for the IAF to qualitatively unify its assets and improve combined, common intelligence during operations.

Pic: https://d39gegkjaqduz9.cloudfront.net/TH/2018/12/17/DEL/Delhi/TH/5_07/c330e616_2599669_101_mr.jpg

Do you know?

• Since August 2013, the Navy has a satellite largely for its use, the GSAT-7, for similarly linking its ships to command on land.

Information Fusion Centre (IFC)

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Defence and Security

In news:

• Navy to formally inaugurate the Information Fusion Centre (IFC) for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• Through this Centre, information on “white shipping”, or commercial shipping, will be exchanged with countries in the region to improve maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean.
• IFC-IOR is established with the vision of strengthening maritime security in the region and beyond and and act as a maritime information hub.
• IFC has been established at the Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurugram.

Do you know?

• Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) is the single point centre linking all the coastal radar chains to generate a seamless real-time picture of the nearly 7,500-km coastline.
• Around 21 countries that have already signed white shipping information exchange agreements are IFC partners.

Trans Regional Maritime Network (T-RMN)

• In a related development, India has signed the ascension agreement to the Trans Regional Maritime Network (T-RMN) which facilitates information exchange on the movement of commercial traffic on the high seas.
• The multilateral construct comprises of 30 countries and is steered by Italy.

COP24 Katowice climate summit

Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Environment and Ecology; Climate Change

In news:

• Nations struck a deal to breathe life into the landmark 2015 Paris climate treaty after marathon UN talks that failed to match the ambition the most vulnerable countries need to avert dangerous global warming.
• Delegates from nearly 200 states finalised a common rule book designed to deliver on the Paris goals of limiting global temperature rises to well below 2°Celsius.
• Rule book will help to track how countries are doing, whether they are actually doing what they say they are doing.

Miscellaneous:

1. The TMSME segment (Traders, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) has seen job losses of 35 lakh in the last four-and-half years, according to a survey by the All India Manufacturers’ Organisation (AIMO).
2. Bt cotton seed probe

In news:

• In India, Bt cotton seeds of Bollgard-I (since 2002) with Cry1Ac gene and Bollgard-II (since 2006) with Cry2Ab gene are approved for sale on a commercial scale.
• A company needs the approval of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) to commercially produce genetically modified seeds.
• Bt cotton seeds with HTTG are not approved by the GEAC.
• However, as per the report from the Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur, five branded Bt cotton seeds namely Jadu, ATM, Balbhadra, Arjun and Krishna-gold were found with HTTG. (The Maharashtra State government has requested a CBI probe.)

3. Person in news: Geeta S. Iyengar

• Renowned yoga exponent, Geeta S. Iyengar passed away
• She was the eldest daughter of legendary yoga guru B.K.S. Iyengar
• She is described as the world’s “leading female yoga exponent” and a “pioneer” who blazed a trail for women in yoga.
• Her book, Yoga: A Gem For Women, became the primer for women across the world and was translated into half-a-dozen European languages.

(MAINS FOCUS)

NATIONAL/SECURITY

TOPIC:General studies 2 and 3

• 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.
• India and its neighbours; Bilateral ties
• Security issues

NRC and its implications for India’s ties with its neighbours

In news:

• The last date for filing claims and objections for Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) has been extended by the Supreme Court to December 31, from December 15.

About NRC

We have already read about NRC from previous articles/monthly magazine that –

• It is the register containing names of Indian Citizens. It was prepared first in 1951 after the conduct of the Census of 1951.
• It is used to identify who is a bona fide Indian citizen and those who fail to enlist in the register will be deemed illegal migrants.

Drawbacks:

• Political, economic and humanitarian consequences.
• Implications for India’s ties with its neighbours, particularly Bangladesh.
• The ruling establishment in India maintains that the NRC is an administrative task overseen by the Supreme Court, and not a political gambit. However, some members of the ruling party have been making hateful anti-migration and anti-Bangladeshi comments that reflect poorly on the prevalent positive relationship between Bangladesh and India.

Significance of NRC:

• Those settled in Indian territory without legal jurisdiction pose a threat to national security. Therefore, it is an important milestone in dealing with the influx of illegal migrants from Bangladesh into that state.
• It puts to rest wild speculations about the extent of the illegal migrant population in Assam and the resulting polarization that political parties have been exploiting to make electoral gains.

Indians in Bangladesh

• There are legal as well as illegal Indian immigrants in Bangladesh too.
• According to 2009 estimates, more than 500,000 Indians were working in Bangladesh.
• More recently, Bangladesh was reported to be among the highest source of remittances to India, behind the United Arab Emirates, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the U.K.
• However, most of the Indians are employed in advantageous jobs in Bangladesh while Bangladeshis in India are largely employed in low-paying jobs.

Why India should play safe with Bangladesh?

• Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina has addressed all of India’s security and connectivity concerns, from driving out the Northeastern rebels to providing India transit facilities.
• On the security front, it has cooperated in India’s crackdown on insurgents.
• Bangladesh is crucial to the success of India’s Look East (now ‘Act East’) policy.
• Annual bilateral trade is set to cross the $9 billion mark, making it India’s biggest trading partner in South Asia.
• In addition, Bangladesh has facilitated connectivity with the Northeast by allowing the use of Chittagong and Mongla ports.
• Bangladesh is already upset at India’s failure to deliver on a promised settlement for sharing the waters of Teesta and about non-tariff barriers on Bangladeshi exports.
• Bangladesh accepted 52 illegals but there is no way it could accept lakhs and millions.  
• Bangladesh has maintained its status quo that – “NRC was India’s internal problem.” Therefore, by pressuring Hasina on this issue, India cannot afford to drive a trusted ally into China’s welcoming arms.

Neighbourhood first policy

The current government has proclaimed ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. However, the reality speaks quite differently.

• Nepal, once a time-tested ally, has tilted towards China since the 2015 Nepal blockade barring the entry of fuel, medicine and other vital supplies and holding the state to a literal siege. Nepal now has been given access to four Chinese ports at Tianjin, Shenzhen, Lianyungang and Zhanjiang in addition to its dry (land) ports at Lanzhou, Lhasa and Xigatse, as well as roads to these facilities, ending India’s monopoly to its trading routes.
• The India-Bhutan relationship has also been strained ever since India temporarily withdrew subsidies on cooking gas and kerosene in 2013, constraining bilateral ties. Bhutan aspire’s to affirm its sovereignty.  It has, for instance, stepped out of India’s diplomatic influence, as evidenced by its withdrawal from the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) motor vehicles agreement.
• The India-China power play has also cast its shadow over Sri Lanka and the Maldives in the last few years.

Against this backdrop of China making inroads into South Asia and India’s backyard, Bangladesh has so far been the most trusted ally of India.

The NRC issue threatens to disturb the equilibrium in India-Bangladesh ties.

More importantly, it could also have a negative impact on present Bangladesh government chances in the impending general elections and add to the list of grievances voters have against the Awami League government. That is the last thing the Indian leadership would want to happen in one of its closest allies in the neighbourhood.

Therefore, any plans for deportation of those not on the NRC list are not only politically imprudent but also risk inciting unrest across the region. Previous similar exercises have not been effective and only resulted in alienating individuals from their natural rights.

Connecting the dots:

• Do you think the ongoing exercise of NRC can affect Indo-Bangladesh relations?  Examine.

ETHICS/ SOCIAL ISSUE

TOPIC:Essay, General studies 1 and 4

• Political philosophies – their forms and effect on the society.
• Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.
• (Ethics) Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators
• (Ethics) Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.

For a more equitable future

About:

• René Cassin, the French legal scholar, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in drafting the final version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
• However, René Cassin was inspired by the core idea of French philosopher Jacques Maritain’s optimistic philosophy (which helped him to draft the final version)

French philosopher Jacques Maritain is well-known for his most influential writings on the topic of universal human rights.

• In his famous book, Man and the State, Jacques Maritain drew attention to the universal essence of human rights above ideologies.
• Martian was deeply concerned with the political and philosophical situations of Europe and the world post World War II and during the Cold War.
• Maritain played a central role in providing philosophical and religious foundations to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, passed by the UN General Assembly in December 1948.
• He was right to underline that a dignified life was based on the establishment of the basic needs and rights of every individual independent of his or her race, language, culture, religion or nationality.
• He believed that states and peoples can discuss practical issues and arrive at mutual agreements despite ideological differences.

In his speech to the UNESCO General Council in 1947, Maritain asked the key question about the challenge of overcoming obstacles posed by diverse cultures and ideological differences throughout human history.

“How can we imagine an agreement of minds between men who come from the four corners of the globe and who not only belong to different cultures and civilisations, but are of antagonistic spiritual associations and schools of thought?”

Jacques Maritain and René Cassin were aware that it is through the four foundational blocks of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – “dignity, liberty, equality, and brotherhood”.

• By “dignity”, Cassin referred to all the values which were shared by individuals beyond their sex, race, creed and religion.
• As for “liberty”, he emphasised on rights related to individual life, liberty and personal security.
• Under “equality”, Cassin understood rights related to the public sphere and political participation.
• Under “brotherhood” were economic, social and cultural rights.

Do you know?

Out of then 58 members of the United Nations, only 48 ratified the universal declaration while Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the Soviet Union, Poland, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, Byelorussia and Czechoslovakia abstained, because they were worried that the moral appeal of the document would endanger the sanctity of their domestic laws and regulations.

Consequently, despite Maritain’s call for the universality of human rights and Cassin’s insistence on their indivisibility, the Cold War rivalry between the two blocks and the admission of the newly independent states in the UN, ended with the adoption of two covenants in 1966 on civil and political rights, on the one hand, and, economic and social rights, on the other hand.

In crux, the Universal Declaration is considered as a lantern of hope for a more equitable future. The philosophy of human rights continues to propel humanity into the future.

Therefore, if the lessons of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are not learned, and if we do not consider the past 70 years, which separate us from the foundation of this monumental document as a positive journey; the future generations will have great difficulties in overcoming the challenges of the next 70 years.

Connecting the dots:

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, holds lessons for a more equitable future. Elucidate.

(TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE)

Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section)

Note:

• Featured Comments and comments Up-voted by IASbaba are the “correct answers”.
• IASbaba App users – Team IASbaba will provide correct answers in comment section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers.

Q.1) Despite strict laws, the illegal trade of ‘Pangolin’ is threatening the very existence of the species. What is the status of India Pangolin under IUCN?

1. Near Threatened
2. Least Concern
3. Endangered
4. Extinct in the Wild

Q.2) Wildlife Protection Act 1972, gives varying degrees of protection. Under this regard which animals are prohibited for Poaching, smuggling and illegal trade by any person as per provisions provided by law?

1. Great Indian Bustard
2. Himalayan Brown Bear
3. Flying fox

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 only
4. 3 only

Q.3) Consider the following statements with respect to Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY)

1. It is established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
2. It is jointly funded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO)

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Only 1
2. Only 2
3. Both 1 and 2
4. None of the above

Q.4) Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) and Information Fusion Centre (IFC) for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is located in –

1. Greater Noida
2. Goa
3. Hyderabad
4. Gurugram

Q.5) Consider the following statements about ‘Pangolins’

1. Their bodies are covered in hard, keratin scales.
2. They are now extinct in India
3. They are nocturnal in nature

Select the correct statements

1. 1 and 2
2. 2 and 3
3. 1 and 3
4. All of the above

MUST READ

Widening Gulf

The Hindu

The numbers game

The Hindu

How food prices lost their bite

Indian Express

The Court’s voice

Indian Express

No time left to waste on waste

Livemint

The safety and ethics of gene editing

Livemint