DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 22nd July 2024

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – ART & CULTURE, GEOGRAPHY

Context:

The new NCERT Class 6 Social Science textbook includes several new elements, such as referring to the Harappan civilisation as the ‘Sindhu-Sarasvati’ and ‘Indus-Sarasvati’ civilisation and multiple mentions of the ‘Sarasvati’ river, including noting its desiccation as a reason for the decline of Harappan society.

Background:-

‘Exploring Society: India and Beyond’ is the first Social Science textbook released by the NDA government in alignment with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023.

Focus on Sarasvati river

• The new textbook makes multiple references to the ‘Sarasvati’ river in the chapter on the beginnings of Indian civilisation. The Harappan civilisation is referred to as the ‘Indus-Sarasvati’ or ‘Sindhu-Sarasvati’ civilisation, and the river is given a prominent place.
• According to new text, ‘Sarasvati’ basin included major cities of the harappan civilisation — Rakhigarhi and Ganweriwala — along with smaller cities and towns.
• The river today goes by the name of ‘Ghaggar’ in India and ‘Hakra’ in Pakistan (hence the name ‘Ghaggar-Hakra River’), and is now seasonal.
• The river also plays a key role in a section on how the Harappan civilisation declined.
• It states that two factors are agreed upon: one is “climate change,” which led to reduced rainfall, and the other is that the “Sarasvati river dried up in its central basin; as a result, cities like Kalibangan and Banawali were suddenly abandoned.”

Content in the Old textbook

• The old History textbook, ‘Our Past I’, mentioned the river only once in a section on the Rig Veda, where it is included among the rivers named in the hymns in the Vedas.
• The old one does not cite the drying up of the river as a reason for the decline of Harappan cities. Instead, it mentions that some scholars suggest river desiccation, while others point to deforestation and floods in certain areas. “But none of these reasons can explain the end of all the cities. Flooding, or a river drying up, would have had an effect in only some areas. It appears as if the rulers lost control,” the old book stated.

Source: The Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims – GEOGRAPHY

Context: Turkey’s president recently dampened hopes for quick talks to resolve Cyprus’s ethnic division, reaffirming his support for a two-state deal that Greek Cypriots reject.

Background:

• President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ruled out a peace deal based on a United Nations-endorsed plan for federation, speaking ahead of a military parade to mark the 50th anniversary of a Turkish invasion that split the island along ethnic lines.

About Cyprus

• Cyprus, officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, north of the Sinai Peninsula, south of the Anatolian Peninsula, and west of the Levant.
• It is geographically a part of West Asia, but its cultural ties and geopolitics are overwhelmingly Southeast European.
• Cyprus is the third largest and third-most populous island in the Mediterranean.
• It is east of Greece, north of Egypt, south of Turkey, and west of Lebanon and Syria.
• Its capital and largest city is Nicosia. The northeast portion of the island is de facto governed by the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

• Cyprus was formally annexed by the UK in 1914. The future of the island became a matter of disagreement between the two prominent ethnic communities, GreekCypriots, who made up 77% of the population and Turkish Cypriots, who made up 18% of the population.
• From the 19th century onwards, the Greek Cypriot population pursued enosis, union with Greece, which became a Greek national policy in the 1950s.
• The Turkish Cypriot population initially advocated the continuation of the British rule, then demanded the annexation of the island to Turkey, and in the 1950s, together with Turkey, established a policy of taksim, the partition of Cyprus and the creation of a Turkish polity in the north.
• Following nationalist violence in the 1950s, Cyprus was granted independence from UK in 1960 .
• On 15 July 1974, a coup was staged by Greek Cypriot nationalists and elements of the Greek military junta in an attempt at enosis. This action precipitated the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on 20 July, which led to the capture of the present-day territory of Northern Cyprus.
• A separate Turkish Cypriot state in the north was established by unilateral declaration in 1983; the move was widely condemned by the international community, with Turkey alone recognising the new state. These events and the resulting political situation are matters of a continuing dispute.
• Cyprus is a major tourist destination in the Mediterranean.

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus

• Mains & Mains – POLITY

Context: The Supreme Court recently agreed to examine the question of immunity to Governors from any kind of criminal prosecution, granted under Article 361 of the Constitution.

Background:

• The Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, was hearing a plea filed by a contractual woman employee of West Bengal Raj Bhavan, who has alleged sexual harassment by Governor C V Ananda Bose.

A 361: Protection to President and Governors

• 361(1) The President, or the Governor of a State, shall not be answerable to any court for the exercise and performance of the powers and duties of his office or for any act done or purporting to be done by him in the exercise and performance of those powers and duties :
  • Provided that the conduct of the President may be brought under review by any court, tribunal or body appointed or designated by either House of Parliament for the investigation of a charge under article 61 :
  • Provided further that nothing in this clause shall be construed as restricting the right of any person to bring appropriate proceedings against the Government of India or the Government of a State.
• 361 (2) No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the President, or the Governor, in any court during his term of office.
• 361 (3) No process for the arrest or imprisonment of the President, or the Governor of a State, shall issue from any court during hi s term of office.
• 361 (4) No civil proceedings seeking relief against the President or a State Governor can be initiated during their term for acts done in their personal capacity, either before or after assuming office, until two months after written notice detailing the nature of the proceedings, cause of action, and the claimant’s details has been delivered to them or left at their office.
• Note: Articles presented above are concise form of constitutional language.

Present Case

• In a complaint to the Kolkata Police, a woman had alleged that she was sexually harassed by West Bengal Governor when he called her to Raj Bhavan under the pretext of offering her a job on April 24 and May 2.
• She stated that she was left “remediless” due to the Governor’s immunity under Article 361(2) and urged the court to set guidelines and qualifications for exercising this immunity.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims – SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Context: A new study by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has concluded that concentration of uranium up to 60 micrograms per litre (millionth of a gram per litre or µg/l) in drinking water was entirely safe, suggesting that the recently formulated “more stringent” national standard of 30 µg/l could be counterproductive.

Background:

• For years, the acceptable level of uranium concentration in drinking water in India was 60 µg/l. In 2021, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the custodian of standards and quality in India announced a new limit of 30 µg/l, in line with recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).

About Uranium :

• Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U.
• A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons.
• Uranium has the highest atomic weight of all naturally occurring elements.
• Uranium occurs naturally in low concentrations in soil, rock and water, and is commercially extracted from uranium-bearing minerals such as uraninite.
• Uranium ore can be mined from open pits or underground excavations. The ore can then be crushed and treated at a mill to separate the valuable uranium from the ore. Uranium may also be dissolved directly from the ore deposits in the ground (in-situ leaching) and pumped to the surface.
• Uranium mined from the earth is stored, handled, and sold as uranium oxide concentrate (U3O8).
• Uranium was discovered in 1789 by Martin Klaproth, a German chemist. He named his discovery “uran” after the planet Uranus.
• For many years, uranium was used primarily as a colorant for ceramic glazes and for tinting in early photography.
• Its radioactive properties were not recognized until 1866, and its potential for use as an energy source was not manifested until the mid-20th century.

About the new standards

• The BARC study cited several medical researches to argue that small concentrations of uranium in drinking water pose no threat.
• According to the researchers, the WHO’s standards of uranium concentration in drinking water — 30 µg/l — were mere guidelines, and not a recommended safety limit.
• Finland and Slovakia — two nations with considerable amounts of uranium consumption — have prescribed safety limits of 100 and 350 µg/l respectively; another uranium-rich country, South Africa, has a limit of 70 µg/l.
• The limits in countries like Canada and Australia that have the largest deposits of uranium among others, however, are 20 and 15 µg/l, respectively. Germany, which does not have uranium, has even lower limits.
• According to the BARC study, in the absence of any evidence of adverse health impacts at such small concentrations, considerations like geological (prevalence of uranium) and socio-economic conditions, and population dynamics must also be taken into account while deciding on national standards on uranium contamination.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims – ENVIRONMENT

Context: The Madhya Pradesh State Wildlife Board has accorded approval to declare Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary, on the outskirts of Bhopal, as the eighth tiger reserve of MP.

Background:

• Ratapani’s diverse ecosystem make it a valuable addition to India’s tiger conservation efforts.

About Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary :

• Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Madhya Pradesh.
• Ratapani was first notified in 1976 and later extended in 1983.
• The proposal to declare Ratapani wildlife sanctuary as tiger reserve has been in discussion since 2008.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has accorded in principle approval to notify Ratapani wildlife sanctuary as the tiger reserve in 2011.
• It is situated in the Vindhya ranges and spans an area of 824 square kilometers.
• Ratapani tiger reserve, when notified, will be the first tiger reserve in the country to have proximity to a state capital.
• The proposed tiger reserve will be the eighth one in Madhya Pradesh. The seven other existing tiger reserves are Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Panna, Pench, Sanjay-Dubri, Satpura and Veerangana Durgavati.

Flora:

• The sanctuary features a diverse landscape with teak forests, hills, plateaus, valleys, and plains.
• Two major reservoirs, Barna Reservoir and Ratapani Dam (Barrusot lake), enhance its ecological significance.

Fauna:

• Ratapani hosts over 150 species of birds, including the paradise flycatcher, which is the state bird of Madhya Pradesh.
• The wildlife includes tigers, leopards, wild dogs, hyenas, jackals, foxes, spotted deer, blue bulls, sambhar, barking deer, chinkara, black bucks, and monkeys.
• Historical and Cultural Significance:
• The Bhimbetka rock shelters, adorned with ancient rock paintings, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site within the sanctuary.
• The Chinkara, an endangered species, also finds refuge here.
• Other inhabitants include the Panther, Hyena, Jackal, Indian Fox, Wild Dog, Jungle Cat, Small Indian Civet, Blue Bull, Chinkara, Black Buck, Chausingha, Spotted Deer, and Barking Deer.

Historical Connection:

• Ratapani is home to the Bhimbetka rock shelters, adorned with ancient rock paintings dating back over 30,000 years. UNESCO has recognized Bhimbetka as a World Heritage Site.

Source: Deccan Chronicle

Syllabus

• Prelims – POLITY

Context: The International Centre for Audit of Local Governance (iCAL) was inaugurated by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.

Background:

• By establishing iCAL, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) aims to create a cooperative ecosystem, elevate auditing standards, and enhance financial accountability at the grassroots level in India.

About The International Centre for Audit of Local Governance (iCAL):

• The International Centre for Audit of Local Governance (iCAL), a pioneering initiative by supreme audit institutions (SAIs) India, was officially inaugurated in Rajkot, Gujarat on 18th July 2024.
• iCAL’s primary objectives are to develop and enhance standards for Local Government Audits, strengthen data collection and reporting, and empower auditors, executives, and elected representatives through comprehensive training programs and leadership development initiatives.
• It aims to improve financial performance assessment and service delivery by providing Technical Guidance and Support to Local Government auditors.
• iCAL would assist Local Governments in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, fostering community engagement, and addressing global challenges, like climate change and the blue economy, as they play a crucial role in effective policy implementation and economic growth at the grassroots level.

Need for iCAL:

• Increased Funding: With significant funds flowing to local bodies, proper auditing is essential to ensure efficient utilization.
• Global Practices: The CAG highlighted the need to adopt global best practices in local government auditing, noting that 40 countries have supreme audit institutions (SAIs) for this purpose.
• Capacity Building: Building the capacity of auditors and local government employees is essential to improve financial management practices and internal controls.

Source: PIB

Q1.) Consider the following statements about Cyprus

1. It is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, north of the Sinai Peninsula, south of the Anatolian Peninsula, and west of the Levant.
2. The northeast portion of the island is de facto governed by the self-declared Greek Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. One only
2. Two only
3. Both 1 & 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q2.) Consider the following statements:

1. The International Centre for Audit of Local Governance (iCAL), a pioneering initiative by supreme audit institutions (SAIs) India.
2. iCAL’s main objectives are to improve Local Government Audit standards, strengthen data collection and reporting, and empower auditors, executives, and elected representatives with training programs and leadership development initiatives.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Q3.)Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary, recently seen in news is located in

1. Karnataka
2. Mizoram
3. Madhya Pradesh
4. Odisha

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  22nd July 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs

Q.1) –  d

Q.2) – d

Q.3) – b