DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 16th April 2024

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – History

Context: The BJP president of Kerala said the renaming of Sulthan Bathery in Kerala’s Wayanad district is “inevitable”.  He said, “Sulthan Bathery should be renamed as Ganapathyvattam.

Background:-

• One of the three municipal towns in Wayanad, along with Mananthavady and Kalpetta, is Sulthan Bathery.

Key takeaways

• Sulthan Bathery is home to a stone temple that was formerly known as Ganapathyvattam.
• The temple was established by Jains who came to Wayanad from regions in what is now Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the 13th century. It is designed in the dominant Vijayanagara architectural style.
• The temple was partly destroyed during the invasions of Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysuru in the second half of the 18th century.
• It remained abandoned for nearly 150 years. Later, it was taken over by the Archaeological Survey of India, which declared it as a monument of national importance.

About Tipu Sultan

• Tipu Sultan was born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu on November 10, 1750 in Devanahalli, present-day Bangalore.
• He was born to Hyder Ali, who rose through the ranks of the army of the Wodeyars, the then Hindu rulers of Mysore. Hyder Ali ceased power in 1761 with Tipu succeeding his father in 1782.
• While fighting the British in 1767, Tipu first came in contact with European culture and lifestyle, something that would fascinate him. This fascination would be reflected in his rule of Mysore:
• Tipu undertook various policies and reforms which would modernise the princely state and go on to become a lasting aspect of his legacy.
• Hyder Ali died in 1782, during a period of conquest and expansion of his realm. Thus, Tipu inherited the throne under trying circumstances, with his primary motivation being to consolidate the territory he had inherited from his father.
• Over the past 20 years, the kingdom of Mysore had slowly expanded by capturing disputed areas at its borders. Tipu inherited rebellious provinces in Malabar, Kodagu, and Bednur, all of which were crucial to Mysore’s strategic and economic interests.
• The Mysuru ruler’s military used Ganapathyvattam as a battery for their ammunition and the town became known as ‘Sultan’s Battery’ in British records.
• Tipu Sultan died defending his fortress of Srirangapatna against British forces in the Fourth Anglo Mysore War in 1799. His forces were heavily outnumbered and his French allies had not been able to come to his aid.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – Renewable Energy

Context: Recent government orders on attempts to increase local sourcing of solar modules to support India’s renewables manufacturing ecosystem has been widely reported in the media as import restrictions.

Background:

• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s (MNRE), on March 29 ordered to re-implement its 2021 notification of an ‘Approved List of Models and Manufacturers of Solar Photovoltaic [PV] Modules’, also called the ALMM list.

Approved List of Models and Manufacturers of Solar Photovoltaic [PV] Modules:

• This list consists of manufacturers who “are eligible for use in Government Projects/Government assisted projects/ projects under Government schemes & programmes including projects set up for sale of electricity to the Central and State Governments.” However, this notification was “kept in abeyance” two years after it was issued, for the past financial year.
• While the government did not give an explicit reason for this, it has been reported that it stems from concerns and demands of renewable power producers who had secured sale contracts with the government before these rules were issued, when solar modules and cells were overwhelmingly imported from China at highly competitive rates.
• India’s domestic renewables sector, at the time, was unlikely to meet the spike in demand for solar power production equipment at rates offered by Chinese manufacturers.
• The government’s re-introduction of this rule has been premised on the estimation that following measures, such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, India’s domestic sector has boosted its production capacities and bettered price competitiveness to meet local demand.
• This is an import substitution effort, and not an attempt to restrict imports.

Does India rely on solar PV imports?

• India is overwhelmingly import dependent to meet its demand for solar cells and modules — with China and Vietnam being the country’s major suppliers.
• According to a reply by the Minister for New and Renewable Energy in Parliament in February last year, India imported about $11.17 billion worth solar cells and modules in the past five years.
• And until January of 2023-24, data from the Ministry of Commerce’s Import-Export showed that China accounted for 53% of India’s solar cell imports, and 63% of solar PV modules.
• Ratings agency ICRA estimates that China commands more than 80% share of the manufacturing capacity across polysilicon, wafer, cell and modules.
• “In comparison, the manufacturing capacity in India is relatively low and is largely restricted to the last manufacturing stage,” ICRA stated in its report, adding that the PLI scheme is expected to change this, with integrated module units expected to come up in India over the next 2-3 years.

How have our policies responded?

• To address this over dependence, India made three significant efforts over the past five years.
• It began with the notification of the ALMM order in January 2019.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed the ₹19,500 crore PLI scheme in the Union Budget of 2022-23. This was to scale domestic manufacturing of the entire solar supply chain — from polysilicon to solar modules.
• The government also introduced a steep 40% customs duty on PV modules and 25% on PV cells. These duties were halved as solar capacity additions slowed and as Reuters had reported, developers had quoted “aggressively low tariffs” to win power purchase contracts based on imports of Chinese equipment.

Why is China a leading exporter?

• The International Energy Agency (IEA) noted that China was the most cost-competitive location to manufacture all components of the solar PV supply chains. This is mainly because of the lower cost of power supplied to the industry, the agency observed, as electricity accounts for more than 40% of production costs for polysilicon and almost 20% for ingots and wafers.
• The IEA also observed that Chinese government policies prioritised solar PV as a strategic sector, and growing domestic demand enabled economies of scale and supported continuous innovation throughout the supply chain.

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – History

Context: Recently, the Indian Army commemorated 40 years of ‘Operation Meghdoot’.

Background:

• Operation Meghdoot was a significant military endeavour executed by the Indian Army.

About OPERATION MEGHDOOT

• Operation Meghdoot was the codename for the Indian Army’s operation to take full control of the Siachen Glacier in Ladakh.
• Executed on the morning of April 13, 1984, in the highest battlefield in the world, Meghdoot was the first military offensive of its kind.
• Operation Meghdoot was in response to the intelligence reports about Pakistan’s Operation Ababeel, which aimed to capture the Siachen Glacier.
• Siachen region had become a disputed area between India and Pakistan following a vague demarcation of territories in the Karachi Agreement of 1949.
• As a result of Operation Meghdoot, India gained the 70 kilometers long Siachen Glacier and all of its tributary glaciers, as well as the three main passes on the Saltoro Ridge: Sia La, Bilafond La, and Gyong La.
• This strategic advantage allowed India to hold higher grounds in the region, and currently, the Indian Army remains the first and only army in the world to have deployed tanks and other heavy ordnance at altitudes well over 5,000 meters

Strategic Importance of Siachen:

• The Siachen Glacier, located at a height of around 20,000 feet in the Karakoram Mountain range, is known as the highest militarized zone globally.
• It dominates the Shaksgam Valley (ceded to China by Pakistan in 1963) in the north, controls routes from Gilgit Baltistan to Leh from the west, and also dominates the ancient Karakoram Pass in the east.
• Additionally, it observes nearly the entire Gilgit Baltistan, which is an Indian territory illegally occupied by Pakistan since 1948.

Source: Hindu

Previous Year Question

Q.1) Siachen Glacier is situated to the

1. East of Aksai Chin
2. East of Leh
3. North of Gilgit
4. North of Nubra Valley

Syllabus

• Prelims – Current Event

Context: Recently, Israel asserted that its air-defence system, which employs exo-atmospheric interceptors, successfully neutralized 99% of the missiles launched by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Background:

• The recent Iran-Israel tensions saw Iran launching 170 drones, over 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles against Israel, with the majority being intercepted by Israel’s defence systems.

About DEMOGRAPHIC DIVIDEND:

• Exo-atmospheric interceptors are a critical component of missile defence systems.
• Exo-atmospheric interceptors are designed to counter ballistic missiles in the outer atmosphere, demonstrating exceptional long-range interception capabilities.
• Exo-atmospheric interceptors are deployed to destroy incoming ballistic missiles before they re-enter the atmosphere and reach their intended targets.
• The Arrow 3 Missile defence system, developed and produced primarily by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), plays a crucial role in this defence mechanism.

Arrow 3 Missile defence system

• The Arrow 3 (also known as Hetz 3) is an exo-atmospheric hypersonic anti-ballistic missile jointly funded, developed, and produced by Israel and the United States.

Source: Livemint

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – Economy

Context: Shrinkflation is again became a topic of concern within the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry.

Background:

• As input costs rise, companies are faced with the challenge of maintaining profitability while also addressing consumer needs.

About SHRINKFLATION:

• Shrinkflation refers to the practice of reducing the size of a product while maintaining its sticker price.

• It’s a form of hidden inflation.
• Companies, especially in the food and beverage industries, employ this strategy to stealthily boost profit margins or maintain them in the face of rising input costs.
• Shrinkflation involves reducing the quantity or volume of a product while keeping the retail price unchanged.
• Companies use shrinkflation to improve profit margins without overtly raising prices.
• In macroeconomic context shrinkflation can also refer to a situation where the economy contracts while experiencing rising prices.

Causes:

• Higher Production Costs: Rising costs of ingredients, raw materials, energy, and labour lead companies to downsize products.
• Intense Market Competition: In competitive markets, producers seek ways to maintain customer favour and profits simultaneously.

Source: Financial Express

Syllabus

• Mains – GS 1

Context: Recently, a Lancet paper showed global population trends are changing, with declining birth rates instead of overpopulation.

Background:

• Regardless of the exact timing of peak world population, it will likely begin declining in the second half of the century, with dramatic geopolitical, economic and societal consequences.

Major findings on global population trends in the Lancet:

• The Lancet paper projects a significant decrease in the global population. Most countries, including India, are expected to see lower birth rates.
• By 2100, China’s population might drop by up to 50%.
• Sub-Saharan Africa is the exception, likely to experience population growth.
• The decline in birth rates suggests a future with more elderly people and fewer young ones.
• The change could affect job markets, healthcare, and social systems, as there will be more old people needing care but fewer young people to support them.

Factors behind declining fertility:

• Higher education levels and increased empowerment among women lead to smaller family sizes.
• The high cost of child-rearing and lack of job security discourage having children. This trend is observed even in wealthy countries with generous parental support policies.
• Young people are reluctant to bring children into a world threatened by environmental issues like climate change.
• In India, 90% of the youth are in low-paying, informal jobs, contributing to uncertainty about the future.
• India’s extreme wealth inequality, with the richest 1% owning 40% of the wealth, creates societal instability. India’s low ranking in the World Happiness Report and concerns about its democratic status further impact decisions about starting a family.

Way Forward:

• Policies should focus on instilling hope in young people about their future.
• Enhancing education and ensuring job security can address economic uncertainties.
• Implement progressive taxation and improve social security systems to create a more equitable society.
• Universal health coverage should be provided, especially for long-term care of chronic conditions.
• Tackling issues like climate change can alleviate young people’s fears about the future world of their children.
• Improving the democratic health of a country can positively impact societal outlook and stability.

Source: Lancet

Q1.) With reference to Shrinkflation, consider the following statements:

1. Shrinkflation involves reducing the quantity or volume of a product while keeping the retail price unchanged.
2. Companies use shrinkflation to improve profit margins without overtly raising prices.

Which of the statements given above is /are not correct?

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

Q2.)  Consider the following statements:

1. Arrow 3 is an exo-atmospheric hypersonic anti-ballistic missile developed by India.
2. Exo-atmospheric interceptors are deployed to destroy incoming ballistic missiles before they re-enter the atmosphere and reach their intended targets.

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

Q3.) Operation Meghdoot was the codename for the Indian Army’s operation to take full control of the

1. Aksai Chin
2. Gilgit
3. Siachen Glacier
4. Pangong Tso

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  16th April  2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) – b

Q.2) – b

Q.3) – c