DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 15th March 2024

Syllabus

• Prelims – Environment

Context: An analysis by TRAFFIC and WWF-India between January 2010 and December 2022 has revealed that Tamilnadu accounted for almost 65% of illegal trade in shark body parts.

Background:-

• Illegal trade in wildlife species is a serious conservation threat.

About TRAFFIC:-  

• TRAFFIC (Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce), the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network, is a global non-governmental organization monitoring the trade in wild plants and animals.
• TRAFFIC focuses on preserving biodiversity and sustainable legal wildlife trade while working against unsustainable illegal wildlife trade
• TRAFFIC’s mission is built on the long-term vision of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: a world living in harmony with nature where by 2050, biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored, and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people.
• It was originally created in 1976 as a specialist group of the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and evolved into a strategic alliance of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the IUCN
• TRAFFIC IS part of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative – based in the David Attenborough Building – a hub which brings together Cambridge University and several international NGOs striving for sustainability and to conserve nature.
• TRAFFIC came to India in 1991, operating as a division of WWF-India.

Source: Hindu

Syllabus

• Prelims – History

Context: Historian Ruby Lal has written a book on Gulbadan Begum titled ‘Vagabond Princess: The Great Adventures of Gulbadan’.

Background:

• She is one of the most prominent women of Mughal era.

About Gulbadan Begum:

• Gulbadan Begum (1523 – 1603) was a Mughal princess and the daughter of Emperor Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire.
• She is best known as the author of Humayun-Nama, the account of the life of her half-brother, Emperor Humayun, which she wrote on the request of her nephew, Emperor Akbar.
• Akbar asked his aunt to write the book as she had known and interacted with three Mughal emperors. Her book is not political unlike the other accounts of the time. It provides details of everyday life in the royal palace and is also an account of the empire as it was taking shape.
• Gulbadan wrote in simple Persian, without the erudite language used by better-known writers. Her father Babur had written Babur-nama in the same style.
• Gulbadan is the first and only woman historian of the Mughal era.
• Gulbadan Begum is mentioned throughout the Akbarnama of Abu’l Fazl.

Source: Hindu

Syllabus

• Prelims- Science

Context: ISRO’s Oceansat-3 reveals phytoplankton bloom that maintains marine ecosystem.

Background:

• The satellite revealed the seasonal greening and browning of continents, alongside the dynamic movements of chlorophyll blooms in the oceans, from April to December 2023. Phytoplankton are microscopic, photosynthetic organisms that form the foundation of the marine food web. They play a crucial role in the Earth’s ecosystems as primary producers, converting sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis.

About OCEANSAT-3

• Oceansat-3, also known as Earth Observing Satellite 6 (EOS-6), is a remarkable oceanographical Earth observation mission launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• Oceansat-3 was launched on 26th November 2022.
• It is part of India’s ocean observation program and is the third satellite in the Oceansat series.
• The satellite is designed to operate until 2027.

Oceansat-3 is equipped with multiple sensors to observe various parameters:

• Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM-3): Measures Ocean colour data, providing insights into phytoplankton distribution and other biological processes.
• Ku-band Scatterometer (SCAT-3): Provides high-resolution global ocean surface wind speed and direction information.
• Sea Surface Temperature Monitor (SSTM): Measures Sea surface temperature (SST) variations.

Oceansat-3’s data is crucial for:

• Oceanography: Studying ocean currents, upwelling zones, and marine ecosystems.
• Climatology: Monitoring climate patterns and changes.
• Meteorology: Enhancing cyclone prediction.
• Fisheries: Identifying potential fishing zones.

Continuity and Enhancement:

• Oceansat-3, in conjunction with Oceansat-2, improves the frequency of measurements:Ocean colour measurements are now available every 24 hours, Wind vector measurements are available every 12 hours.

Source: India Today

Syllabus

• Prelims : Science

Context: Recently, NASA posted an image of Great Red Spot on Jupiter captured by Juno spacecraft.

Background:

• The Great Red Spot is a giant anticyclonic storm that is larger than Earth itself. It has been observed since the 17th century and continues to be a fascinating subject of study for scientists. Juno’s mission to Jupiter has provided us with unprecedented views of this iconic feature, allowing us to delve deeper into its mysteries.

About JUNO SPACECRAFT:

• NASA’s Juno spacecraft is a space probe orbiting Jupiter.
• It was built by Lockheed Martin and is operated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
• The spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on August 5, 2011, as part of the New Frontiers program.
• Juno entered a polar orbit of Jupiter on July 5, 2016, after a five-year, 1,740-million-mile journey.
• The spacecraft’s mission is to measure Jupiter’s composition, gravitational field, magnetic field, and polar magnetosphere.
• It also aims to search for clues about how the planet formed, including whether it has a rocky core, the amount of water present within the deep atmosphere, mass distribution, and its deep winds.
• Juno is the first explorer to peer below Jupiter’s dense clouds to answer questions about the gas giant itself and the origins of our solar system.
• Now in an extended mission phase, the agency’s most distant planetary orbiter continues its investigation.
• This extension tasks Juno with becoming an explorer of the full Jovian system – Jupiter and its rings and moons – with additional rendezvous planned for two of Jupiter’s most intriguing moons: Europa and Io.

Source: Business Today

Syllabus

• Prelims – Economy

Context: SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch recently highlighted the remarkable growth of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), Infrastructure Investment Trusts (INVITs), and Municipal bonds in India.

Background:

• The Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), Infrastructure Investment Trusts (INVITs), and Municipal bonds are all investment vehicles that allow investors to earn income from specific sectors.

About REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (REITS)

• Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are financial instruments that allow investors to participate in income-generating real estate assets.
• REITs are similar to mutual funds but specifically focus on real estate.
• They pool money from investors and invest it in commercial real estate projects, including properties like office buildings, shopping malls, apartments, hotels, and warehouses.
• REITs are structured as trusts and are listed on stock exchanges, allowing investors to buy units in the trust.

Types of REITs:

• Equity REITs: These purchase, own, and manage income-generating properties.
• Mortgage REITs: They lend money directly or indirectly to real estate owners.
• Hybrid REITs: A combination of equity and mortgage REITs.

Significance of REITs:

• REITs can help cash-strapped developers monetize their existing properties.
• They reduce risk by diversifying portfolios across different types of properties.
• 80% of the value of an REIT should be in completed and rent-generating assets.

Source: Hindu

Previous Year Question

Q1. Consider the following statements:

Statement-I:

Interest income from the deposits in Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) distributed to their investors is exempted from tax, but the dividend is taxable.

Statement-II:

InvITs are recognized as borrowers under the ‘Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002’.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
2. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
3. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

Syllabus

• Mains – GS 3

Context: Digitization of agriculture holds significant potential to solve many underlying problems of agriculture.

Background:

• The G20 Delhi declaration has committed to promoting responsible, sustainable, and inclusive use of digital technology by farmers and an ecosystem of Agri-Tech start-ups and MSMEs.

About Digitization of Agriculture :

• It is the integration of cutting-edge digital technologies into the farm production system, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, unmanned aviation systems, sensors, and communication networks is referred to as Digitization of Agriculture.

Significance of Digitization of Agriculture:

• It helps to optimize the input resources like fertilizers, pesticides, water, etc. at the right time. Ex: Use of AI with agricultural data.
• It increases operational efficiency and decreases the production cost of farming due to reduced manpower requirements and labour hours. Ex: Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM).
• The right price for the produce is obtained by the elimination of middlemen thereby increasing the profitability. Ex: e-NAM.
• It aids scientific decision making in farming activities, which will reduce burdens of crop loss or failure, low yield, pest attack, etc.
• It provides better agriculture governance, by using agriculture data gathered across the country for the welfare of farmers and citizens. Ex: National e-Governance Plan in Agriculture (NeGP-A).
• It bridges the gender gap, through the promotion of women-centric innovations enabling them to be involved in agricultural activities at par with males. Ex: PM-KISAN Mobile App.

Issues/Challenges in the Digitization of Agriculture in India:

• Digital illiteracy makes the farmers shy away from trying new-generation technologies in agriculture. The recent increase in digital fraud cases using mobile devices has affected the trust in digital mode.
• Lack of awareness about the schemes and subsidies provided by the government to make use of digital technologies.
• Capital requirement is high at the initial stages which makes it difficult for a small and marginal farmer to acquire them.
• Fragmented landholdings are a major concern for digitization as it makes the scalability of technology difficult. As per the latest Agriculture Census, the average size of operational holdings has decreased from 2.28 hectares in 1970-71 to 1.08 hectares in 2015-16.
• Fear of unemployment as the automation would reduce the number of manpower required for the process.
• Lack of infrastructure in rural areas like access to electricity, internet, service centers for machinery, etc.
• Limitations of available products like lack of content in regional languages, user-friendly interface, inadequate farm and farmer-level datasets, etc.

Source: Indian Express

Q1.) Consider the following statements:

Statement-I:

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are financial instruments that allow investors to participate in income-generating real estate assets.

Statement-II:

They reduce risk by diversifying portfolios across different types of properties.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
2. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
3. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

Q2.) With reference to Juno Space craft, consider the following statements:

1. Juno Space craft is launched by ISRO.
2. Juno aims to study Jupiter’s composition, magnetic and gravity fields, and polar magnetosphere.
3. It seeks to investigate the planet’s formation, origin, and the presence of water in its atmosphere.

How many of above given statements are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Q3.) Consider the following:

1. Studying ocean currents
2. Monitoring climate patterns and changes
3. Enhancing cyclone prediction
4. Identifying potential fishing zones.

Data from Oceansat -3 is applicable to how many of the above given purposes?

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

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  15th March  2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) – b

Q.2) – c

Q.3) – d