DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 9th May 2022

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Syllabus

• Prelims – Ancient History
• Mains – GS 1 (Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times)

In News: ASI’s excavation at Harappan site of Rakhigarhi

Rakhigarhi

• It is a Harappan site in Haryana’s Hisar district
• Rakhigarhi is the largest Harappan site in the Indian subcontinent
• The site is located in the Sarasvati river plain, some 27 km from the seasonal Ghaggar river
• At Rakhigarhi, the excavations are being done to trace its beginnings and to study its gradual evolution from 6000 BCE (Pre-Harappan phase) to 2500 BCE.

Finidings

Ongoing Excavation

• The excavation have revealed the structure of some houses, lanes and drainage system, and what could possibly be a jewellery-making unit
• The ASI has also has also revealed pieces of copper and gold jewellery, terracotta toys, besides thousands of earthen pots and seals at excavation
• The noteworthy antiquity found at both the mounds (1 & 3) include steatite seals, terracotta unbaked sealing with relief of elephants and Harappan script.
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Previous excavation – Major finidings

• A cylindrical seal with 5 Harappan characters on one side and a symbol of an alligator on the other is an important find from this site.
• Animal sacrificial pit lined with mud-brick and triangular and circular fire altars on the mud floor have also been excavated that signifies the ritual system of Harappans
• Findings also included blades; terracotta and shell bangles, beads of semi precious stones, and copper objects; animal figurines, toy cart frame and wheel of terracotta; bone points; inscribed steatite seals and sealings.
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Source: Indian Express, The Hindu

Previous Year Questions

Q.1) Which one of the following ancient towns is well known for its elaborate system of water harvesting and management by building a series of dams and channelising water into connected reservoirs? (2021)

1. Dholavira
2. Kalibangan
3. Rakhigarhi
4. Ropar

Q.2) Which one of the following is not a Harappan site? (2019)

1. Chanhudaro
2. Kot Diji
3. Sohgaura
4. Desalpur

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Syllabus

• Prelims – Science – Health

In News: A case detected in United Kingdom

• Health authorities in the United Kingdom have confirmed a case of monkey pox, in an individual who recently travelled to that country from Nigeria

Monkey Pox

• It is a rare viral infection similar to smallpox
• Monkeypox is a zoonosis, that is, a disease that is transmitted from infected animals to humans.
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Monkeypox virus

• The monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus, which is a genus of viruses that also includes the variola virus, which causes smallpox, and vaccinia virus, which was used in the smallpox vaccine.
• Monkeypox continues to occur in a swathe of countries in Central and West Africa
• According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), two distinct clade are identified: the West African clade and the Congo Basin clade, also known as the Central African clade

Transmission

• Monkeypox is a zoonosis
• Monkeypox virus infection has been detected in squirrels, Gambian poached rats, dormice, and some species of monkeys.
• Human-to-human transmission is limited
• Transmission can be through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on the skin or on internal mucosal surfaces, such as in the mouth or throat, respiratory droplets and contaminated objects

Symptoms

• Monkey pox begins with a fever, headache, muscle aches, back ache, and exhaustion.
• It also causes the lymph nodes to swell (lymphadenopathy), which smallpox does not.

Treatment

• There is no safe, proven treatment for monkeypox yet. The WHO recommends supportive treatment depending on the symptoms.

Source: Indian Express

Q.1) Which of the following statements is not correct?

1. Hepatitis B virus is transmitted much like HIV
2. Hepatitis B, unlike Hepatitis C, does not have a vaccine
3. Globally, the number of people infected with Hepatitis B and C viruses are several times more than those infected with HIV
4. Some of those infected with Hepatitis B and C viruses do not show the symptoms for many years

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Syllabus

• Prelims – Environment and Ecology

In News: A Pangolin was rescued from the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve

Pangolin

• Out of the eight species of pangolin, the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) are found in India.
• Pangolins are scaly anteater mammals and they have large, protective keratin scales covering their skin.
• They are the only known mammals with this feature.
• Insectivore- Pangolins are nocturnal, and their diet consists of mainly ants and termites
• Habitat – Indian Pangolin – It is widely distributed in India, except the arid region, high Himalayas and the North-East.
• Chinese Pangolin – found in the Himalayan foothills in Eastern Nepal, Bhutan, Northern India, and North-East Bangladesh and through Southern China.

Difference between Indian and Chinese Pangolin

• Indian Pangolin is a large anteater covered by 11-13 rows of scales on the back.
• A terminal scale is also present on the lower side of the tail of the Indian Pangolin, which is absent in the Chinese Pangolin.

Status

• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
• IUCN Red List: Indian Pangolin – Endangered; Chinese Pangolin – critically endangered
• CITES: Appendix I

Threats

• Hunting and poaching for local consumptive use and international trade for its meat and scales in East and South East Asian countries, particularly China and Vietnam.
• They are believed to be the world’s most trafficked mammal

Source: The Hindu

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Syllabus

• Mains – GS (Issues relating to Poverty and Hunger)

In News: A recent World Bank Report has shown that extreme poverty in India more than halved between 2011 and 2019 – from 22.5 per cent to 10.2 per cent.

• The reduction was higher in rural areas, from 26.3 per cent to 11.6 per cent.

Reasons for reduction

• Identification of deprived households on the basis of the Socioeconomic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 across welfare programmes was a game-changer in the efforts to ensure balanced development, socially as well as across regions.

Participation of Women:

• Coverage of women under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana and Self Help Groups (SHG) increased from 2.5 crore in 2014 to over 8 crore in 2018
• This provided a robust framework to connect with communities and created a social capital that helped every programme.

Financial Decentralization

• Finance Commission transfers were made directly to gram panchayats leading to the creation of basic infrastructure
• The high speed of road construction under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadhak Yojana created greater opportunities for employment by improving connectivity and enhancing mobility.

Credit Access

• The social capital of SHGs ensured the availability of credit through banks, micro-finance institutions and MUDRA loans

Basic Needs

• Thrust on universal coverage for individual household latrines, LPG connections and pucca houses improved standard of living

Co operative federalism

• The competition among states to improve basic needs helped in development
• Example: NITI Aayog SDG index

Monitoring

• Through processes like social and concurrent audits, efforts were made to ensure that resources were fully utilized.
• Still Poverty persists in India
• Pandemic and pandemic induced lockdown – loss of livelihood
• Population Explosion
• Low Agricultural Productivity
• Inefficient Resource utilisation
• Inflation
• Social Factors – Caste system, communal vilolence etc
• Climatic Factors – Extreme Weather events – disasters like cyclone, landslides etc

Way forward

• Realistic Assessment of the present situation of poverty in the country in need of the hour
• Improving social infrastructure and job opportunities in rural areas
• Investment in Agriculture by the government is necessary to decrease rural poverty
• Access to credit, financial inclusion and DBT
• Adoption of ICT to fight corruption
• Involvement of citizen in developmental plans, adoption of bottom-up approach etc

A lot has been achieved, much remains to be done. Strong political will and proper implementation of existing schemes is the need of an hour.

Source: Indian Express