DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 21st March 2024

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – Agriculture

Context: Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor has written an article regarding vechur cow and Sosamma Iype who pioneered the initiative to conserve the breed.

Background:-

• In its pursuit to boost milk production through the crossbreeding of indigenous cattle with high-yielding foreign breeds, the White Revolution’s corollary was the erasure of breeds such as the Vechur cow. Cross-breeding served to dilute the genetic purity of native breeds and diminish their population.

Vechur Cow

• The Vechur Cow is a rare breed named after the village Vechoor in Vaikom Taluk, Kottayam district of the state of Kerala in India.
• With an average length of 124 cm (about 4 feet and 1 inch) and height of 87 cm (about 2 feet and 10 inches), it is the smallest cattle breed in the world.
• The Vechur animals were saved from extinction due to conservation efforts by Sosamma Iype, a Professor of Animal breeding and Genetics along with a team of her students.

Siri Cow

• Siri is a small sized draught purpose breed of hilly region of West Bengal and Sikkim.
• The animals can graze in the steep slope of hilly forest.
• The males are mainly reared for draught purpose in the hilly area and sometimes they are the only source of draught power. The breed produces very less amount of milk.

Tharparkar

• Tharparkar is an important dual-purpose breed originating from the THAR desert of Rajasthan.
• The home tract of this breed is in the Tharparkar district of southeast Sindh in present day Pakistan. In India, these animals are now found along the Indo-Pak border covering western Rajasthan and up to the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.
• The animals can thrive well on small bushy vegetation (Sewan grass) during drought and fodder scarcity condition and produce reasonabe amount of milk.
• Due to better heat tolerance and disease resistance, this breed was used for producing “Karan Fries” breed – a synthetic crossbred cattle breed at National Dairy Research institute (NDRI)

The local breeds have following merits over exotic breeds

• Better disease resistance than exotic breeds.
• More suitable for low input management system.
• Survive better in local environment.
• Suitable for draught work

Source: Mongabay India

Syllabus

• Prelims – Current Event

Context: Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) on Wednesday said it has sacked an employee involved in a stock market front-running case which was under investigation by market regulator Sebi.

Background:

• In April 2023, Sebi barred five entities, including an employee of Life Insurance Corporation from the securities market and impounded illegal gains of Rs 2.44 crore made by them, in a case pertaining to front-running the trades of the state-owned insurer.

About Front-running :

• Front-running means usage of non-public information to directly or indirectly, buy or sell securities or enter into options or futures contracts, in advance of a substantial order, on an impending transaction, in the same or related securities or futures or options contracts, in anticipation that when the information becomes public, the price of such securities or contracts may change.
• For example; a broker receives a request from a client to purchase 50,000 Company A shares. He keeps the order from the client until he executes an order for his personal account for the same stock. Then, when he places the customer’s request, share price increases due to the scale of the customer’s order.The rise creates the broker an immediate benefit.
• Front-running offers unfair profits to the entity who has confidential information that will affect the price of the asset.
• Front running is also known as tailgating.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims : Environment

Context: More than 200 bird species have been recorded in the Papikonda National Park (PNP) in a recent survey.

Background:

• The three-day survey was carried out under the aegis of the Andhra Pradesh Forest department in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER-Tirupati).

About PAPIKONDA NATIONAL PARK:

• Location: Papikonda National Park (PNP) is located in the East and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh.
• Area: The park spans over 1012.86 square kilometers.
• Geography: The park lies on both banks of the River Godavari and cuts through the Papikonda hill range of Eastern Ghats.
• Flora and Fauna: The majority of the park is covered with moist deciduous forest.
• It is home to various animal species such as tigers, mouse deer, gaur, and others.
• The park also has a unique dwarf breed of goat known locally as the “kanchu mekha”.
• Conservation History: The park has experienced varying levels of protection, beginning as a reserved forest in 1882, a wildlife sanctuary in 1978, and as a national park from 2008.
• Significance: The park has been recognized as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area.

Source: The Hindu

Previous Year Question

Q1. Which of the following Protected Areas are located in Cauvery basin?

1. Nagarhole National Park
2. Papikonda National Park
3. Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve
4. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Syllabus

• Prelims – Geography

Context: The March equinox, also known as the vernal equinox, occurs around March 20th each year.

Background:

• During this celestial event, the sun crosses the celestial equator, moving from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere.

About EQUINOXES

• Equinoxes are astronomical events that occur twice a year when the Sun is exactly above the Equator, resulting in nearly equal lengths of day and night across the globe.
• The term “equinox” literally means “equal night”.
• The primary cause of equinoxes lies in the tilt of Earth’s axis.
• Earth orbits the Sun at an angle of approximately 23.5 degrees.
• As Earth revolves around the Sun, different parts of our planet receive varying amounts of solar radiation at different times of the year.

Vernal Equinox:

• Vernal Equinox, also known as the Spring Equinox, marks the transition from winter to spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
• The Vernal Equinox typically occurs between March 19 and 21, depending on the specific year.
• In 2024, it falls on March 20

Autumnal Equinox:

• Occurs around September 23.
• This marks the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.

Solstices vs. Equinoxes:

• Solstice means “sun stands still”, and it is the day when the Sun is farthest from the equator.
• The solstices are the days when the Sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn, and the day or night is the longest in the year.
• Solstices occur when the Earth is at its most extreme tilt toward or away from the sun.
• The summer solstice occurs around June 21, and it marks the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
• The winter solstice occurs on December 22, and it marks the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

Source: Economic Times

Syllabus

• Prelims – Environment

Context: Recently, The World Meteorological Organization has released the State of the Global Climate report,2023.

Background:

• The WMO is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 192 Member States and Territories. India is a member of WMO.

About State of the Global Climate 2023:

• The State of the Global Climate 2023 report is an annual report issued by the United Nations weather agency World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
• It provides crucial insights into climate trends, extreme events, and the impact of human activities on our planet.
• This report serves as a vital resource for policymakers, scientists, and concerned citizens to understand and address climate change effectively.

Key Points about the State of the Global Climate, 2023

• The State of the Global Climate 2023 report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that 2023 was the warmest year on record.
• The global average near-surface temperature surged to at least 1.45°C above pre-industrial levels.
• Records were broken for greenhouse gas levels, surface temperatures, ocean heat and acidification, sea level rise, Antarctic Sea ice cover, and glacier retreat.
• Extreme weather events such as heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires, and rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones caused significant damage, disrupting everyday life for millions and inflicting substantial economic losses.
• The report also highlighted the increasing speed of climate change impacts.
• The report underscores the high cost of climate inaction and the need for a swift transition to renewable energy.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Mains – GS 4

Context: An ILO report highlighted that among various work-related risks, long working hours are the leading cause of death among employees which has raised debate surrounding labour ethics.

Background:

• Increasing economic inequality and weakening of labour laws has affected the conditions of labourers.

About Labour Ethics:

• It includes consideration of right and wrong on a wide range of questions having to do with the treatment of labour. It entails that employers are ethically required to provide a safe and healthy workplace for their employees.
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that people have a right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitations on working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Ethical arguments for long work hours:

• For maintenance of essential services, during emergency situations like pandemic, wartime, etc. (Situational Ethics).
• Shortage of staff and a paucity of skilled workers. (Situational Ethics)
• To improve work productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness of industries and countries. (Utilitarian Ethics).

Ethical concerns against overtime and long work hours:

• It leads to violation of the ethical principle of non-maleficence which dictates that care should be taken not to harm others. Long working hours cause exhaustion leading to medical negligence, and disasters e.g. Chernobyl, Space Shuttle Challenger accident, etc.
• Choosing extra overtime income compromises the physical and mental health of the employee. E.g. job burnout in investment banking.
• Mandating long work hours is against a sustainable work culture where businesses are mindful of workers’ health.
• It leads to the erosion of family and societal values by eroding time for personal relationships and ties to the broader community.
• Long work hours concentrate job opportunities for a limited set of labour force resulting in inequitable distribution of employment. It limits gainful employment opportunities for women who prefer shorter-hour shifts due to dual burdens.

Source: ILO

Q1.) Consider the following National Parks:

1. Papikonda National Park
2. Sri Venkateswara National Park
3. Rajiv Gandhi National Park

How many of the above are located in Andhra Pradesh?

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

Q2.) Consider the following statements:

1. Equinoxes are occurring twice a year when the Sun is exactly above the Equator.
2. The spring equinox marks the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.

How many statements given above is/are correct?

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

Q3.) Consider the following statements:

Statement-I:

The State of the Global Climate 2023 report is an annual report issued by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Statement-II:

It provides crucial insights into climate trends, extreme events, and the impact of human activities on our planet.

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

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  21st  March  2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) – c

Q.2) – a

Q.3) – d