DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam –23rd June 2023

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  • June 23, 2023
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Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

Syllabus

  • Prelims – Important Institutions

Context: Recently, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published new standards for Food Serving Utensils Made from Agri By-Products.

About Food Serving Utensils made from Agricultural by products:

  • It is aimed at reducing plastic pollution and promoting sustainability.

Advantages of implementing this standard:-

  • Using biodegradable agri by-product utensils can contribute towards environmental safety, conserve natural resources, and promote a circular economy.
  • These utensils are free from harmful additives and ensure consumer well-being.
  • The standard also creates economic opportunities for farmers.
  •  It supports sustainable agricultural practices, contributing to rural development.
  •  In India, numerous large-scale and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises level manufacturers are actively contributing to the production of biodegradable cutlery, they will benefit immensely from this Standard.

About the Bureau of Indian Standards:-

  • BIS is the National Standard Body of India. (UPSC CSE: BIS)
  • It was established in 1986.
  • It was originally enacted under Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986.
  • A new act (to replace the BIS Act of 1986) was introduced in the Lok Sabha, which was subsequently passed by both houses of the Parliament in 2016.
  • HQ: New Delhi.
  • Ministry: Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
  • Regional Offices: Kolkata (Eastern), Chennai (Southern), Mumbai (Western), Chandigarh (Northern) and Delhi (Central).

Objectives of BIS:-

  • Harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods.
  • To provide thrust to standardization and quality control.

Activities of BIS:-

  • Standards formulation
  • Product Certification
  • Hallmarking
  • Laboratory services
  • Training services – National Institute of Training for Standardization
  • Consumer Affairs and Publicity

MUST READ: Quality Council of India (QCI)

SOURCE: AIR

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Consider the following statements: (2022)

  1. In India, credit rating agencies are regulated by the Reserve Bank of India.
  2. The rating agency popularly known as ICRA is a public limited company.
  3. Brickwork Ratings is an Indian credit rating agency.

Which of the statements given above is correct?

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

Q.2) With reference to Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMS), which of the following statements is/are correct? (2020)

  1. Quantitative restrictions on imports by foreign investors are prohibited.
  2. They apply to investment measures related to trade in both goods and services.
  3. They are not concerned with the regulation of foreign investment.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

Syllabus

  • Prelims –Important Institutes

Context: Recently, the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) suspended the licence of a pilot of Air India.

About Suspension of licence:-

  • Time period: DGCA suspended the license of the Air India pilot for one year.
  • Reason: This was done for allowing an unauthorized person into the cockpit during the Chandigarh-Leh flight.

About the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA):-

  • It is the regulatory body in the field of Civil Aviation primarily dealing with safety issues. (UPSC CSE: DGCA)
  • Historical Background: DGCA was formally recognized as a body constituted by the Central Government after the revision to Section 4A of the Aircraft Act, 1934 in 2020.
  • Objective: to carry out safety oversight and regulatory functions in respect of matters specified in the Act or the rules made thereunder.
  • HQ: New Delhi.
  • Ministry: Ministry of Civil Aviation.
  • Headed by: Director General of Civil Aviation.
  • Mandate: DGCA is responsible for the regulation of air transport services to/from/within India and for enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety, and airworthiness standards.

Functions:-

  • Registration of civil aircraft.
  • Formulation of standards of airworthiness for civil aircraft registered in India.
  • Licensing of pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers and flight engineers.
    • It conducts examinations and checks for that purpose.
  • Licensing of air traffic controllers.
    • Air traffic controllers: they are responsible for ensuring the safe and efficient movement of aircraft in the airspace.
  • Conducting an investigation into accidents/incidents and taking accident preventive measures.
  • Coordination at the national level for flexible use of air space by civil and military air traffic agencies.
  • Interaction with ICAO for the provision of more air routes for civil use through Indian air space.
    • International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO): is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation.
  • Promoting indigenous design and manufacture of aircraft.

MUST READ: Reforms In Civil Aviation Industry

SOURCE: AIR

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) With reference to the “Tea Board” in India, consider the following statements: (2022)

  1. The Tea Board is a statutory body.
  2. It is a regulatory body attached to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
  3. The Tea Board’s Head Office is situated in Bengaluru.
  4. The Board has overseas offices in Dubai and Moscow.

Which of the statements given above is correct?

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

Q.2) With reference to the ‘Banks Board Bureau (BBB)’, which of the following statements is correct? (2022)

  1. The Governor of RBI is the Chairman of BBB.
  2. BBB recommends the selection of heads for Public Sector Banks.
  3. BBB helps Public Sector Banks develop strategies and capital-raising plans.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Global Gender Gap Report 2023

Syllabus

  • Prelims – Social Issues

Context: World Economic Forum (WEF) published the Global Gender Gap Report 2023 recently.

About Global Gender Gap Report:-

  • The Global Gender Gap Index is published annually since 2006.
  • Published by: World Economic Forum (WEF).
    • WEF:  a non-profit organization based in Geneva, Switzerland.
    • It engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
  • It benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions:-
    •  Economic Participation and Opportunity
    •  Educational Attainment
    •  Health and Survival
    • Political Empowerment
  • On each of these four sub-indices as well as on the overall index the GGG index provides scores between 0 and 1.
    • 1: full gender parity
    • 0: complete imparity.
  •  It is the longest-standing index tracking the progress of numerous countries’ efforts towards closing these gaps over time since its inception.

Key findings of Global Gender Gap Report 2023:-

  • Global gender gap score in 2023: stands at 68.4%.
    • This indicates a modest improvement of 0.3% points compared to the previous year.
    • It shows a significant slowdown in the overall rate of change.
    • At the current rate of progress, it would take 131 years to achieve full gender parity.
  • Top-Ranking Countries: Iceland is the most gender-equal country for the 14th consecutive year, with a gender gap score of 91.2%.
    • It is the only country to have closed over 90% of its gender gap.
  • sub-Saharan Africa (SSA):-
    • SSA has been ranked above Southern Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.
    • Women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have to wait another 102 years to achieve gender parity with men.
    • Gender equality in the region may not be fully realized until 2125.
    • 17 of the region’s 36 countries marked progress of 0.5 percentage points or more.
    • SSA is the lowest-ranked region in terms of educational attainment.
  • Health and Survival:
    • The gender gap in health and survival has closed by 96% globally.
  • Political Empowerment:
    • The gender gap remains significant, with a closure rate of 22.1% globally.
  • Educational Attainment:
    • The gender gap in educational attainment has closed by 95.2%.
    • Significant progress was made over the 2006-2023 period.
    • The gender gap in educational attainment is projected to close in 16 years.
  • Economic Participation and Opportunity:
    • The gender gap in economic participation and opportunity stands at 60.1% globally.
    • The gender gap in economic participation and opportunity is projected to close in 169 years.

India’s Ranking and Progress

  • Rank 2023: 127th out of 146 countries.
  • Rank in 2022:  135th
  • India’s Progress:-
    • India climbed eight places indicating an improvement in its ranking.
    • India has closed 64.3% of the overall gender gap, showcasing progress in various areas.
    • India has achieved parity in enrolment across all levels of education. (UPSC CSE: Gender Inequality Index)
  • Challenges for India:
    • Economic participation and opportunity in India achieved only 36.7% parity.

MUST READ: Gender gap in education

SOURCE: DOWN TO EARTH

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Consider the following pairs: (2020)

International agreement/ set-up Subject

  1. Alma-Ata Declaration – Healthcare of the people
  2. Hague Convention – Biological and Chemical Weapons
  3. Talanoa Dialogue – Global Climate Change
  4. Under2 Coalition – Child Rights

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

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

Q.2) Which of the following gives the ‘Global Gender Gap Index’ ranking to the countries of the world? (2017)

  1. World Economic Forum
  2. UN Human Rights Council
  3. UN Women
  4. World Health Organization

Canary Islands

Syllabus

  • Prelims – Geography

Context: A boat tragedy occurred recently, around the Canary Islands in Spain.

About the Boat Tragedy:-

  • More than 30 migrants are feared dead after a small boat headed for Spain’s Canary Islands sank.
  • Neither Spanish nor Moroccan authorities have confirmed about how many people had been on board the vessel or how many might be missing.

About the Canary Islands:

IMAGE SOURCE: WorldAtlas

  • Location: Atlantic Ocean.
  • It is an archipelago.
    • Archipelago: a group or chain of islands that are closely scattered in a body of water, such as a sea, ocean, lake, or river.
  • It is about 1300 km South of mainland Spain and 115 km West of the African coast (Morocco).
  • The Canaries comprise the Spanish provinces of:-
    • Las Palmas and
    • Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
  • These Islands were formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. (UPSC CSE: Char Chinar island)
  • Climatic conditions:-
    • They have a subtropical climate.
    • Temperatures are warm and show little seasonal variation.
  • Vegetation: It has rich volcanic soils and mild temperatures that support a wide variety of vegetation.
    • Crops: cereals, potatoes, grapes, bananas, oranges, coffee, dates, sugarcane etc.

MUST READ: Lakshwadeep Islands

SOURCE: AIR

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Consider the following pairs: (2022)

The region often mentioned in the news:   Country

  1. Anatolia                                              Turkey
  2. Amhara                                               Ethiopia
  3. Cabo Delgado                                     Spain
  4. Catalonia                                             Italy

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

  1. Only one pair
  2. Only two pairs
  3. Only three pairs
  4. All four pairs

Q.2) The term “Levant” often heard in the news roughly corresponds to which of the following regions?

  1. Region along the eastern Mediterranean shores
  2. The region along North African shores stretches from Egypt to Morocco
  3. The region along the Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa
  4. The entire coastal Mediterranean Sea of areas

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)

Syllabus

  • Prelims – Governance

Context: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) entered into a collaborative partnership recently.

 About the partnership:-

  • The partnership will provide support for women looking to start and expand their own enterprises, in sectors such as the care economy, digital economy, waste management etc.
  • It will be focused on fostering entrepreneurship development and accelerating enterprise growth, the three-year project.
  • It is extendable beyond 2025.
  • It will cover eight cities in the initial phase.
  • UNDP will offer national-level capacity-building support to DAY-NULM.

About Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM):-

  • National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) was renamed as Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana-(DAY-NULM) and in Hindi as  Rashtriya Shahri Aajeevika Mission.
  • Launched: 2014.
  • Ministry: Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
  • Aim: improvement in livelihoods of urban poor households. (UPSC CSE: MGNREGA)
  • It is Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
  • Funding:-it is shared between
    • Centre and the States in the ratio of 75:25.
    • Centre and North Eastern and Special Category in the ratio of 90:10.

Objectives:-

  • To reduce poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor households.
    • It will be done by enabling them to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities.
  • To provide a shelter equipped with essential services to the urban homeless in a phased manner.
  • To address the livelihood concern of the urban street vendors.
    • It will be done by facilitating with suitable space, institutional credit, and social security skills to them.

About the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):-

  • It is a UN agency entrusted with assisting nations.
    • United Nations (UN): an international organization that maintains international peace and security, and develops friendly relations among nations.
  • Historical Background:-
    • UNDP is based on the merging of the United Nations Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance and the United Nations Special Fund in 1965.
    • United Nations Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance: created in 1949.
    • United Nations Special Fund: established in 1958.
    • UNDP, as we know it now, was established in 1966 by the General Assembly of the United Nations.
  • Objective: eradicating poverty and achieving long-term economic and human development.
  • HQ: New York City, USA.
  • UNDP is an executive body of the United Nations General Assembly.
  • UNDP’s mandate: to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions.
  • It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.
  • It emphasises building local capacity to achieve long-term self-sufficiency and prosperity.
  • It assists countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, and institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve Sustainable Development Goals(SDG).
  • Its work is concentrated in three focus areas:-
    • Sustainable development.
    • Democratic governance and peacebuilding.
    • Climate and disaster resilience.

MUST READ: SMILE: Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise

SOURCE: PIB

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Maternity Benefit Amendment Act, 2017? (2019)

  1. Pregnant women are entitled to three months of pre-delivery and three months of post-delivery paid leave.
  2. Enterprises with creches must allow the mother a minimum of six creche visits daily.
  3. Women with two children get reduced entitlements.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Q.2) The Multi-dimensional Poverty Index developed by Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative with UNDP support covers which of the following? (2012)

  1. Deprivation of education, health, assets and services at the household level
  2. Purchasing power parity at the national level
  3. Extent of budget deficit and GDP growth rate at the national level

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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

INS Kirpan

Syllabus

  • Prelims – Defense

Context: Recently, India announced gifting the missile corvette INS Kirpan to Vietnam.

About the announcement:

  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has announced the gifting of INS Kirpan to Vietnam following his talks with Vietnam National Defence Minister General Phan Van Gang.
  • The meeting was held in New Delhi to review progress on various bilateral defence cooperation
  • Vietnamese defence minister also visited DRDO headquarters and discussed ways to enhance defence industrial capabilities through cooperation in defence research and joint production.
  • India has also announced the setting up of a Language and IT Lab at the Air Force Officers Training School for capacity building in the Vietnamese armed forces.

About INS Kirpan:

IMAGE SOURCE: ondigitals.com

  • INS Kirpan is an indigenously-built missile corvette.
    • Missile corvette: a small warship designed for coastal or littoral operations.
    • It is typically equipped with anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and other offensive and defensive weapons systems. (UPSC CSE: Ikshak Survey Vessel)
  • It is a Khukri class missile
    • Khukri class missile: equipped with Diesel Engines assembled in India.
  • It was commissioned into the Navy in 1991.

Special Features:-

  • It has a displacement of close to 1,400 tonnes.
  • Length: 91 metres.
  • It has a beam of 11 metres.
  • Speed: It is capable of speed in excess of 25 knots.
  • The ship is fitted with a medium-range gun, 30 mm close-range guns, chaff launchers, and surface-to-surface missiles.
  • Roles performed: coastal and offshore patrol, coastal security, surface warfare, anti-piracy, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.

MUST READ: MV Ganga Vilas

SOURCE: THE HINDU

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Consider the following statements (2020)

  1. The value of Indo-Sri Lanka Trade has consistently increased in the last decade.
  2. Textile and textile articles constitute an important item of trade between India and Bangladesh
  3. In the last five years, Nepal has been the largest trading partner of India in South Asia

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Q.2) Consider the following in respect of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS): (2018)

  1. Inaugural IONS was held in India in 2015 under the chairmanship of the Indian Navy.
  2. IONS is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime cooperation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2

Chipping away at federalism

Syllabus

  • Mains – GS 2 (Polity and Governance)

Context: Federalism is an essential feature of Indian constitution. federalism appear as an antidote to the increasing concentration of power in the hands of a few.

About Federalism:

  • Federalism refers to a vertical division of power in a political system. It is a system in which power is divided between a central authority and other constituents.
  • For e.g. in India, political power is divided between the Central government, state governments and the institutions of local governance.

Important features of a federal system:

  • Multiple levels of government: Federalism, by its very definition, requires multiple levels of government functioning within their defined territory.
  • Division of Power: The power is divided by the division of subjects between the entities so that the chances of conflict are reduced to a minimum.
  • Written Constitution: It ensures there is clarity in the respective division of power. Again, a rigid constitution ensures that this division of power is not easily disturbed.
  • Independent Judiciary: It acts as a dispute resolution mechanism between the different levels of government.

Arguments raised in different dimensions which compromised the federalism of India:

Introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST):

  • through the 101st Amendment to the Constitution, GST had a centralising effect.
  • The GST is monitored by a council where the states have only two-thirds voting rights while the Centre holds the remaining third.
  • A decision of the GST Council requires a 75 per cent majority this effectively gives veto power to the Centre.

Lack of regular meetings of Inter-State Council:

  • Article 263 of Indian constitution talks about the establishment of an inter-state council to effect coordination between the states and between centre and states.
  • The President can establish such a council to discuss or investigate policies, subjects of common interest, and disputes among states.
  • But there is lack of regular meeting of Inter-state council and only once the meeting of ISC is held in last 9 years.

 Concern over centrally sponsored schemes:

  • Scheme such as Swachh Bharat Mission, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana and Ujjwala Yojana, As the names of most of these schemes suggest, these initiatives are closely associated with the PM’s personality and advertisements publicising these programmes carry his photograph.
  • It undermines the state government’s reach and also investment of certain amount of money while implementing them.

Lack of consultation with the political parties before taking major decision:

  • Major decision such as 21-day “lockdown” during Covid-19 pandemic was taken without consulting chief ministers.
  • Within a few hours of the PM’s announcement, factories had to shut down, means of transportation were suspended.
  • It created hardship for the migrated workers and administrative hurdles for state government.

Politicization of the office of governor

  • Governor is a vital link for the centre and state relation and establish a “living connection” between the states and the Centre  but in the past and current  duration, the constitutional post is  criticised in doing the favour to the party in power.

Suggestive measures:

  • Relooking into Federalism: The above mentioned policy misadventures call for research and introspection on federalism.
    • States should demand the creation of a formal institutional framework to mandate and facilitate consultation between the Union and the States in the areas of legislation under the Concurrent List.
  • Strengthening Inter-State Relations: State governments shall consider deploying human resources to support them in preparing responses to the consultations initiated by the Union, especially with a focus on the federalism angle.
    • Instead of reaching out to each other only during crisis situations, Chief Ministers may create forums for regular engagement on this issue.
    • This would be crucial in the advocacy of major demands like the extension of GST compensation to 2027 and inclusion of cess in the divisible pool of taxes.
  • Bringing Reforms while Balancing Federalism: A diverse country India requires a proper balance between the pillars of federalism (autonomy of states, centralisation, regionalisation etc).
    • Extreme political centralisation or chaotic political decentralisation can both lead to the weakening of Indian federalism.
    • Proper utilisation of the institutional mechanism of the Inter-state Council must be ensured to develop political goodwill between the Centre and the states on contentious policy issues.
    • The gradual widening of the fiscal capacity of the states has to be legally guaranteed without reducing the Centre’s share.

Way Forward:

Federalism is a significant feature of Indian constitution but should be maintained with letter and spirit. The challenges related to centre-states relation need to be resolved in the domain of constitution. There is also need of hour to implement the recommendation of Sarkari and Punchi commission for further reform in centre-state relation.

Source:   Indian Express


Draft Livestock and Livestock Products Bill

Syllabus

  • Mains – GS 2 (Governance)

Context: The Union government has withdrawn the proposed draft of the Live-stock and Live-stock Product (Importation and Exportation) Bill, 2023.

About Livestock Sector:

  • It is an important subsector of agriculture in the Indian economy.
    • It grew at a CAGR of 8.15 per cent during 2014-15 to 2019-20 (at constant prices).
  • Livestock plays an important role in the Indian economy. About 20.5 million people depend upon livestock for their livelihood.
    • Livestock contributed 16% to the income of small farm households as against an average of 14% for all rural households.
  • Dairy is the single-largest Agri commodity in India. It contributes 5% to the national economy and employs 80 million dairy farmers directly.

About the Bill:

  • The Bill is meant to replace the Live-stock Importation Act, 1898, and the Live-stock (Amendment) Act, 2001.
  • The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), which comes under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, prepared the draft of the Live-stock and Live-stock Products (Importation and Exportation) Bill-2023.
  • It frames guidelines for the import and export of live animals, which has raised concerns among animal lovers.

Salient provisions of the bill:

The bill is different from the existing law in three key aspects:

  • It allows export of live animals,
  • It widens the scope of animal import-export (including cats and dogs among ‘live-stock’), and
  • Takes away some powers of state governments to regulate this area.

Regulation of live-stock export:

  • The earlier law regulates only importation of live-stock, while the proposed draft Bill has provisions to regulate live-stock exports also.
  • The proposed Bill provides the government the power to decide for promotion and development of exports of live-stock and live-stock products.

Expanded definition of live-stock:

  • The proposed draft of the Live-stock and Live-stock Product (importation and Exportation) Bill, 2023 has expanded the definition of live-stock to include feline and canines as well.

Live-stocks and live-stock products as “commodity”:

  • Besides, the Centre has defined the live-stocks and live-stock products as commodities in the proposed draft Bill.

Arguments in favour of the law:

  • The present law, Live-stock Importation Act, 1898 that regulates import of live-stock is 125 years old.
  • The aim is to align it with the contemporary requirements and prevailing circumstances related to sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures, and its extant Allocation of Business Rules, 1961.
  • In 2001, the then NDA government had amended the 1898 law.
    • One of the key changes in the law was inclusion of the import of livestock products.
    • The earlier law dealt with only the import of live-stock.
    • According to the amendment live-stock products were also included.
    • The 2001 amendment also empowered the Centre to regulate, restrict or prohibit the trade of any live-stock product that may be liable to affect human or animal health.

Reasons for withdrawal:

  • Animal Cruelty Concerns: The draft bill has faced strong criticism from animal rights organizations, who argue that allowing the live export of animals will lead to widespread animal abuse and cruelty.
    • Some believe that the bill opens the door to potential mistreatment of animals farmed for food and other purposes.
  • Negative Impact on Animal Welfare: Critics argue that the bill disregards the well-being of animals by prioritizing trade and economic interests over ethical considerations.
    • The large-scale export of live animals can subject them to stressful and inhumane conditions during transportation and in destination countries.
  • Opposition from Animal Protection Groups: The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), along with other animal welfare organizations, has expressed strong opposition to the draft bill.
    • Some highlight the global trend towards phasing out live animal exports and emphasize the need for stricter animal welfare regulations.
  • Environmental Concerns: Critics raise concerns about the environmental impact of live animal exports.
    • The transportation of large numbers of animals over long distances can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and other ecological problems.
  • Ethical and Moral Considerations: The proposed bill has sparked debates about the ethical and moral implications of exporting live animals.
    • Some argue that it goes against the principles of compassion and respect for animal life, as well as India’s cultural and religious traditions that value non-violence and protection of animals.

Way forward:

The Centre has withdrawn the bill for now. Enough time is required to understand the proposed draft. The representations have been made expressing concerns on the proposed draft involving sensitivity and emotions with animal welfare and related aspects, and, hence, would need wider consultation.

Source:  Indian Express


Practice MCQs

Daily Practice MCQs

Q1) Consider the following statements regarding, the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA):

  1. It conducts investigations into aircraft accidents.
  2. Its Headquarters are in Mumbai.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q2) Consider the following statements regarding, Global Gender Gap Report 2023:

  1. India has climbed six places.
  2. It is published by the World Bank.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q3) Consider the following statements regarding, INS Kirpan:

  1. It is a Khukri class missile corvette.
  2. It is capable of speed in excess of 25 knots.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2

Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!

ANSWERS FOR ’ 23rd June 2023 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st


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