DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 12th April 2024

Syllabus

• Prelims – Science

Context: The United States officially directed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to create a time standard for the Moon, which different international bodies and private companies can use to coordinate their activities on the lunar surface.

Background:-

• According to Reuters, the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) told the space agency to work with other parts of the US government to finalise the strategy by the end of 2026 for establishing what it called a Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC).

Time Standard for Moon:

• Most of the clocks and time zones are based on coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is set by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Paris, France.
• UTC is essentially an internationally agreed upon standard for world time.
• It is tracked by a weighted average of more than 400 atomic clocks placed in different parts of the globe.
• If a country lies on the west of the Greenwich meridian, it has to subtract from the UTC, and if a country is located on the east of the meridian, it has to add.
• UTC cannot be used to determine time on the Moon because time on the Moon flows differently than it does on the Earth.

Why do we need a time standard for the Moon?

• Time flows differently on the Moon, and cannot be determined using UTC. Time is not absolute and it ticks slightly faster on the Moon as compared to the Earth. It is due to Einstein’s theory of general relativity which tells us that gravity bends space and time.
• On the Moon, the Earth-based clock will appear to lose on average 58.7 microseconds per Earth day with additional periodic variations.
• Improper time standards can create problems for spacecraft trying to dock on the Moon, transfer of data at a specific time, navigation, and communication.
• There may be a problem with multiple spacecraft working together at the same time. For example, NASA’s Artemis program aims to send humans back to the Moon after September 2026, and China and India intend to send their own astronauts to the lunar surface by 2030 and 2040 respectively.
• According to a 2023 report by the journal Nature, there will be a need to place at least three atomic clocks on the lunar surface that will tick at the Moon’s natural pace, and whose output will be combined by an algorithm to generate a more accurate virtual timepiece.
• These clocks have to be placed on the Moon at different locations since the Moon’s rotation and even local lumps of mass, called mascons, beneath the crust of the Moon affect the flow of time ever so slightly.
• These effects are minor but the output from these clocks can be synthesised to give the Moon its own independent time, which can be tied back to UTC for seamless operations from Earth as well.

What are atomic clocks?

• Atomic clocks measure time in terms of the resonant frequencies — the natural frequency of an object where it tends to vibrate at a higher amplitude — of atoms such as cesium-133.
• In atomic time, a second is defined as the period in which a caesium atom vibrates 9,192,631,770 times.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – History

Context:  Kangana Ranaut, in a recent interview, claimed that Subhas Chandra Bose, not Jawaharlal Nehru, was the first prime minister of independent India. After being criticised for the historicity (or lack thereof) of her comments, Kangana doubled down, citing the provisional government setup by Bose in 1943 as evidence of her claim.

Background:

• Notably, 28 years before the Azad Hind government came into existence, the Provisional Government of India was formed in Kabul by a group known as the Indian Independence Committee (IIC).

About the Azad Hind government:

• Subhas Chandra Bose proclaimed the formation of the Provisional Government of Azad Hind (“Free India”) in Singapore on October 21, 1943.
• Bose was the Head of State of this provisional government, and held the foreign affairs and war portfolios.
• A C Chatterjee was in charge of finance, S A Ayer became minister of publicity and propaganda, and Lakshmi Swaminathan was given the ministry of women’s affairs. A number of officers from Bose’s Azad Hind Fauj were also given cabinet posts.
• The Azad Hind government claimed authority over all Indian civilian and military personnel in Britain’s Southeast Asian colonies (primarily Burma, Singapore, and Malaya) which had fallen into Japanese hands during World War II.
• It also claimed prospective authority over all Indian territory that would be taken by Japanese forces, and Bose’s Azad Hind Fauj, as they attacked British India’s northeastern frontier.
• To give legitimacy to his government, much like Charles de Gaulle had declared sovereignty over some islands in the Atlantic for the Free French, Bose chose the Andamans.
• “It [the Azad Hind government] obtained de jure control over a piece of Indian territory when the Japanese handed over the Andaman and Nicobar islands in late December 1943, though de facto military control was not relinquished by the Japanese admiralty,” Sugata Bose wrote.
• Diplomatically, Bose’s government was recognised by the Axis powers and their satellites: Germany, Japan, and Italy, as well as Nazi and Japanese puppet states in Croatia, China, Thailand, Burma, Manchuria, and the Philippines.
• Immediately after its formation, the Azad Hind government declared war on Britain and the United States.
• Notably, 28 years before the Azad Hind government came into existence, the Provisional Government of India was formed in Kabul by a group known as the Indian Independence Committee (IIC).
• Much like Bose allied with the Axis powers during World War II to fight the British, during World War I, Indian nationalists abroad (mostly in Germany and the US), as well as revolutionaries and Pan-Islamists from India, attempted to further the cause of Indian independence with aid from the Central Powers.
• The IIC, with the help of the Ottoman Caliph and the Germans, tried to foment insurrection in India, mainly among Muslim tribes in Kashmir and the British India’s northwestern frontier.
• To further this cause, the IIC established a government-in-exile in Kabul under the presidency of Raja Mahendra Pratap, and prime ministership of Maulana Barkatullah.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Mains – GS 3

Context: The Food Waste Index Report 2024 was released jointly by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), a UK-based non-profit organisation, stressed the importance of expanding and strengthening data infrastructure to enable the tracking and monitoring of food waste.

Background:

• Contrary to popular perception, food waste was not a ‘rich country problem’, the report stated, with observed average levels of household food waste for high-income, upper-middle, and lower-middle-income countries differing by just 7 kg per capita.

The Key Highlights of the Report:

• In 2022, the world wasted 1.05 billion tonnes of food, amounting to one-fifth (19%) of food available to consumers being wasted, at the retail, food service, and household level. That is in addition to the 13% of the world’s food lost in the supply chain, as estimated by FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization), from post-harvest up to and excluding retail.
• Food loss and waste generate 8-10% of Global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions – almost five times the total emissions from the aviation sector. It occurs while a third of humanity faces food insecurity.
• Since the release of the 2021 Food Waste Index Report, there has been a significant expansion in data coverage, resulting in a notable reduction in disparities in average per capita household food waste. Across high-income, upper-middle-income, and lower-middle-income countries, the observed average levels of household food waste differ by just 7 kg per capita per year.
• Hotter countries appear to have more food waste per capita in households, potentially due to increased consumption of fresh foods with substantial inedible parts and lack of a robust cold chain. Higher seasonal temperatures, extreme heat events, and droughts make it more challenging to store, process, transport, and sell food safely, often leading to a significant volume of food being wasted or lost.
• Middle-income countries display variations between urban and rural populations, with rural areas generally wasting less. Possible explanations include greater diversion of food scraps to pets, animal feed, and home composting in rural areas.
• Many low- and middle-income countries continue to lack adequate systems for tracking progress to meet Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 of halving food waste by 2030, particularly in retail and food services. At present, only four G-20 countries (Australia, Japan, the UK, and the US) and the European Union have food waste estimates suitable for tracking progress to 2030.
• Countries like India, Indonesia, and South Korea have only subnational estimates regarding food waste, highlighting a gap in comprehensive national data. The report suggests that this variance necessitates more inclusive studies to capture a clearer picture of the food waste landscape.

Key Recommendations of the Food Waste Index Report 2024:

• Encourage G20 countries to take a leading role in international cooperation and policy development to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3, leveraging their influence on global consumer trends to promote awareness and education about food waste domestically and internationally.
• Encourage the embrace of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to reduce food waste and its impacts on climate and water stress, bringing together governments, and regional and industry groups to collaborate and deliver a shared goal through a Target-Measure-Act approach.
• Advocate for countries to use the Food Waste Index to consistently measure food waste, develop robust national baselines, and track progress towards SDG 12.3. This includes addressing the lack of comprehensive food waste data collection, especially in the retail and food service sectors.
• Highlight the necessity for representative national food waste studies in key countries such as India, China, South Africa, Indonesia, and Mexico to address the variance in data and effectively tackle food waste at both individual and systemic levels.
• There is a need to urge governments, cities, food businesses, and researchers to collaborate in efforts to reduce food waste, emphasising the importance of accurate measurement, innovative solutions, and collective action to achieve SDG 12.3 by halving global food waste by 2030.

Source: UNEP

Syllabus

• Prelims – Economy

Context: The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) recently made a significant investment of $200 million (approximately ₹1,660 crore) in iBUS Network and Infrastructure, a player in the digital infrastructure space.

Background:

• This investment reflects NIIF’s commitment to supporting digital technology’s transformative power for India’s economy. It also aligns with the projected capital expenditure of $35-40 billion in the digital infrastructure sector over the next five years.

About NATIONAL INVESTMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE FUND (NIIF)

• The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) is India’s first sovereign wealth fund.
• NIIF is registered under SEBI Regulations as a Category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF).
• Established in 2015, NIIF serves as a platform for both national and international investors to invest equity capital in domestic economic and social infrastructure.
• NIIF aims to enhance infrastructure financing by investing in greenfield (new), brownfield (existing), and stalled projects.
• NIIF is an investor-owned fund manager, anchored by the Government of India (GoI) in collaboration with leading global and domestic institutional investors.

Types of NIIF Funds:

• Master Fund: This fund primarily invests in infrastructure-related projects such as roads, ports, airports, and power. It also invests in well-established enterprises operating in regulated environments.
• Fund of Funds: This fund invests in funds managed by renowned fund managers with excellent track records. It acts as an anchor investor, enabling fund managers to attract more institutional investments.
• Strategic Fund: Registered as an Alternative Fund II under SEBI, this fund primarily invests in equity and equity-linked instruments.

Source: Hindu

Previous Year Question

Q1. With reference to ‘National Investment and Infrastructure Fund’, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. It is an organ of NITI Aayog.
2. It has a corpus of Rs 4,00,000 crore at present.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Syllabus

• Prelims – Science

Context: Cargo ships transiting the Mediterranean and the Black Sea are encountering a growing number of incidents related to GPS jamming.

Background:

• This trend has become more common since the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023. This situation is concerning, and some merchant ships have been additionally fitted with the GLONASS satellite system (Russian) as an emergency backup when onboard GPS systems (US) are jammed.

About GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) :

• The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system that provides precise location and time information to users worldwide.
• GPS is owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force.
• GPS consists of a constellation of satellites orbiting Earth. These satellites transmit signals that allow GPS receivers on the ground to calculate their position accurately.
• GPS technology is widely used for navigation, mapping, surveying, and various other applications.
• Satellite-based navigation systems, also known as satnav systems, utilize satellites to provide autonomous geo-positioning.

Global Systems:

• GPS (Global Positioning System): Operated by the United States.
• GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System): Russia’s navigation system.
• BeiDou (BDS): China’s navigation system.
• Galileo: Managed by the European Space Agency.

Regional System:

• NavIC (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System or IRNSS): India’s regional system.

Source: Hindu Businessline

Syllabus

• Prelims – Economy

Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently introduced two new features for the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

Background:

• These new features are poised to make UPI even more versatile and user-friendly, benefiting both consumers and financial institutions.

About Unified Payments Interface (UPI):

• The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a real-time payment system that allows instant transfer of funds between two bank accounts through a mobile platform.
• It was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• UPI was launched on April 11, 2016, as an advanced version of the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS).
• It integrates multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application, offering features like seamless fund routing and merchant payments.
• Some of the top UPI apps include PhonePe, Paytm, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, and BHIM, with BHIM being the government’s offering.

New Features

UPI Access for Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) through Third Party Apps:

• Previously, UPI payments from Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) could only be made using the web or mobile app provided by the PPI issuer.
• Now, RBI proposes to permit the use of third-party UPI apps for making UPI payments from PPI wallets.

Enabling UPI for Cash Deposit Facility:

• Traditionally, depositing cash at Cash Deposit Machines (CDMs) primarily required the use of debit cards.
• Building on the success of card-less cash withdrawal using UPI at ATMs, RBI now proposes to facilitate cash deposits in CDMs using UPI.
• This measure aims to enhance customer convenience and streamline the currency handling process at banks.
• Soon, customers will be able to deposit cash at CDMs in banks and ATMs through the UPI app.

Source: Times of India

Q1.) With reference to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), consider the following statements:

1. It allows instant transfer of funds between two bank accounts through a mobile platform.
2. It was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
3. It is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

How many of the statements given above are correct?

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

Q2.)Consider the following pairs:

Satellite Navigation System         Country

1. GPS –                                           India
2. GLONASS –                               Russia
3. BeiDou –                                     China

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

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

Q3.)With reference to the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), consider the following statements:

1. NIIF aims to enhance infrastructure financing by investing in greenfield, brownfield and stalled projects.
2. It operates as an Alternative Investment Fund under SEBI regulations.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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 ’  12th April  2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) – d

Q.2) – c

Q.3) – c