DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 23rd July 2024

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – POLITY

Context: The Bhil tribal community’s demand for a separate state is growing in Rajasthan. On July 18, a large gathering at Mangarh Dham in Banswara saw members calling for the creation of “Bhil Pradesh,” which would include 49 districts from four states.

Background:-

• The demand for Bhil Pradesh has been frequently raised by tribal leaders over the years, and the Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP), formed last year, has been buoyed by its performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls to champion it with renewed vigour.

What is the demand for ‘Bhil Pradesh’?

• According to the BAP, the proposed Bhil Pradesh would cover 49 districts across four contiguous states including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. This would involve 12 districts from Rajasthan.
• As per Census 2011, there are 1.7 crore Bhils across the country. Their largest concentration is in Madhya Pradesh at about 60 lakh, followed by 42 lakh in Gujarat, 41 lakh in Rajasthan and 26 lakh in Maharashtra.
• The demand is based on the geography, culture, and language according to supporters.
• If Gujarat and Maharashtra can be carved out due to similar cultures and languages, then why not Bhil Pradesh?.This is what the leaders of the movement is asking.

History of  ‘Bhil Pradesh’ demand

• According BAP leaders, the demand for Bhil Pradesh dates back to 1913.
• Leaders claim that Govind Giri Banjara, a tribal activist and social reformer, first demanded a Bhil state in 1913 when he mobilised a gathering of thousands of tribals at Mangarh Hill. On November 17, 1913, around 1,500 tribals were massacred by the British for their rebellion.
• Over the years, various tribal leaders have voiced their demand for a separate Bhil state.

What does the constitution say ?

• Article 3 assigns to Parliament the power to enact legislation for the formation of new States.
• Parliament may create new States in a number of ways, namely by
  • (i) separating territory from any State,
  • (ii) uniting two or more States,
  • (iii) uniting parts of States and
  • (iv) uniting any territory to a part of any State.
  • Parliament’s power under Article 3 extends to increasing or diminishing the area of any State and altering the boundaries or name of any State.
  • Two checks constrain Parliament’s power to enact legislation for the formation of new States.
  • Firstly, a bill calling for formation of new States may be introduced in either House of Parliament only on the recommendation of the President.
  • Secondly, such a bill must be referred by the President to the concerned State Legislature for expressing its views to Parliament if it contains provisions which affect the areas, boundaries or name of that State.
  • Parliament will not be bound by these views in the process of enacting legislation for the formation of new States.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY; HEALTH

Context: On the government’s 100-day health agenda is the countrywide rollout of U-WIN, an online vaccine management portal for childhood vaccination — similar to CoWIN used during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Background:

• The platform is already being piloted in several states, and national implementation is imminent

What is U-WIN & how does it work

• Children, up to the age of six years, and pregnant mothers are registered on U-WIN using government ID like Aadhaar, and their mobile numbers.
• Upon registration, records of all 25 shots given to a child — and the two given to pregnant mothers — can be added.For this, the platform generates a checkered vaccination certificate that colour codes all vaccines.
• After each shot is administered (and recorded on U-WIN), its date gets added to the card, which also shows the due date for the next set of vaccines.
• The platform also sends reminders to parents before their children are due for the next dose.
• The digital vaccine certificate — which can be downloaded by parents — does away with the need to maintain the physical vaccination booklet, and allows one to get vaccinated anywhere in the country.
• U-WIN itself can be used to locate the nearest vaccination centre, and book a slot.
• As for health workers, the platform can automatically generate a due-list of children in their respective areas.
• U-WIN also registers all births, the three vaccines against polio, hepatitis B, and tuberculosis administered at birth, a child’s birth weight, and any physical deformities observed at birth.
• These data-points can be utilised by other government programmes as well — the idea is to eventually connect all digital records through ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) ID.
• U-WIN will also be linked to the government’s existing eVIN platform for inventory management.
• eVIN tracks all vaccine vials, from large central stores to each vaccination site in the country. It keeps track of the number of doses used, the number of doses that go to waste, and the number of open vials that are submitted back by the sites, and is used by sites to raise demands for vaccines.
• eVIN also keeps track of, in real-time, the temperature and humidity that a vial has been subjected to using a sensor attached to each freezer.

How will U-WIN help with immunisation?

• There are a number of benefits that the government foresees with U-WIN.
  • Reminders that U-WIN will furnish to parents are likely to improve compliance.
  • U-WIN will ensure portability — children who have received their first vaccines in one village/city can receive the rest of the doses elsewhere in the country. This will be especially useful to ensure that children of migrant workers do not drop out.
  • The portal might help reduce errors from the part of health workers.
  • U-WIN will provide granular, individualised details of childhood immunisation across the country.
  • Registration at birth will help in bringing down the number of “zero dose” children — those who have not received any vaccinations.
  • A centralised database, especially in the long-term, may facilitate better policy-making and implementation.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims – HISTORY

Context: Recently, country celebrated the birth anniversary of Kadambini Ganguly

Background:

• Despite her many achievements, Kadambini remains largely unrecognised, absent from our textbooks or museums and ignored in the writings of Indian history.

About Kadambini Ganguly

• Kadambini was born in 1862 in Bhagalpur, Bihar. Her father, Brajkishore Basu, was a school headmaster and a stalwart of the Brahmo Samaj movement.
• Kadambini completed her BA from Bethune in 1882 and became the first woman graduate in Bengal along with Chandramukhi Bose.
• Kadambini had already begun considering a medical degree by then. This was a far-fetched dream since the Calcutta Medical College (CMC) did not have any provision for allowing women students.
• Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, Augustus Rivers Thompson, stepped in and ensured that the medical college opened its doors to women.
• Kadambini graduated from CMC in 1886 and was appointed doctor at the Lady Dufferin Women’s Hospital in 1888.
• Anandibai Joshi, who also graduated as a doctor in 1888 after studying in America, died of tuberculosis shortly after and couldn’t practice medicine. Thus, Kadambini is widely regarded as the first woman medical practitioner in India.
• Kadambini decided to pursue another degree, this time from Britain.In 1893, Kadambini graduated from the University of Edinburgh, the only one of 14 women to pass the exams.
• At the 1889 Congress session, where six women were present, Kadambini moved the vote of thanks. Annie Besant hailed her as a “symbol that India’s freedom would uplift India’s womanhood.”
• She organised the Women’s Annual Conference in Calcutta in 1906 in the aftermath of the Partition of Bengal.

Role in Age of Consent Act

• The government had introduced a bill in 1890 to raise the age of consent for sexual intercourse for all girls in India, both married and unmarried.
• Kadambini was then appointed to carry out a survey and submit a report in this regard. It was on the basis of her report that the Age of Consent Act 1891 was passed.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims – INTERNATIONAL

Context: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said on July 19 that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem violated international law, and its presence in Palestinian territories should come to an end as soon as possible.

Background:

• Israel has occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the Six-Day War in 1967. Prior to this, the territories were under Jordanian control.

About International Court of Justice :

• The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN).
• It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began work in April 1946.
• The court is the successor to the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ), which was brought into being through, and by, the League of Nations, 1922. Like the PCIJ, the ICJ is based at the Peace Palace in The Hague.
• It is the only one of the six principal organs of the UN that is not located in New York City. The other five organs are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, and the Secretariat.
• According to the ICJ’s own description, its role is “to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies”. The court “as a whole must represent the main forms of civilization and the principal legal systems of the world”.
• English and French are the ICJ’s official languages.
• All members of the UN are automatically parties to the ICJ statute, but this does not automatically give the ICJ jurisdiction over disputes involving them. The ICJ gets jurisdiction only if both parties consent to it.
• The judgment of the ICJ is final and technically binding on the parties to a case. There is no provision of appeal; it can at the most, be subject to interpretation or, upon the discovery of a new fact, revision.
• However, the ICJ has no way to ensure compliance of its orders, and its authority is derived from the willingness of countries to abide by them.
• The ICJ has 15 judges who are elected to nine-year terms by the UN General Assembly and Security Council, which vote simultaneously but separately.
• To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes in both bodies.
• A third of the court is elected every three years.
• Four Indians have been members of the ICJ so far.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims – CURRENT EVENT

Context: The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) is establishing the India Maritime Centre (IMC).

Background:

• The Task Force for the IMC was formed in January 2024 and divided into subgroups focused on Awareness and Outreach, Infrastructure and Operationalization, and Procedure and Documentation. To date, two meetings of the entire Task Force and three subgroup meetings have been conducted at the Ministry.

About India Maritime Centre (IMC)  :

• India Maritime Centre (IMC) is a cornerstone initiative of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) under the Maritime India Vision 2030.
• The IMC aims to provide a unified platform for the Indian maritime industry, acting as a think tank for policy formulation and industry recommendations.
• Its primary goals include strengthening India’s participation in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and global maritime forums, creating a robust domestic maritime sector through a unified and synchronized approach, conducting flagship events to build a strong global brand for the Indian maritime cluster, providing expert analysis and recommendations for sustainable growth, establishing platforms for industry stakeholders to collaborate and network, and creating a pool of funds to support the industry, including startups.
• The establishment of the India Maritime Centre marks a significant milestone in MoPSWs efforts to bolster the maritime sector in India.
• The IMC will serve as a central platform for collaboration, innovation, and policy advocacy, ensuring sustainable growth and enhancing India’s position in the global maritime community.
• The IMC is poised to be a pivotal institution in advancing India’s maritime interests both domestically and internationally.
• By fostering collaboration, driving policy advocacy, and providing expert analysis, the IMC will play a crucial role in shaping the future of India’s maritime sector.

Source: PIB

Syllabus

• Prelims – POLITY

• Prelims – ART & CULTURE

Context: Supreme Court prohibits enforcement of directives of UP, Uttarakhand govts on food stalls en route the Kanwar Yatra.

Background:

• The UP and Uttarakhand governments had issued directives requiring food stalls en route the Kanwar Yatra to exhibit the names and other identity details of their owners and employees.

About Kanwar Yatra :

• The Kanwar Yatra, also known as Kavad Yatra, is an annual pilgrimage undertaken by devotees of Lord Shiva.
• It typically takes place in the month of Shravan (July or August) according to the Hindu calendar.
• Devotees, known as Kanwarias or Bhole, embark on this pilgrimage to fetch holy water from significant Hindu pilgrimage sites.
• During this pilgrimage, millions of devotees, known as Kanwariyas, travel to sacred places like Haridwar, Gaumukh, Gangotri, Sultanganj, Prayagraj, Ayodhya, and Varanasi.
• They carry containers of holy water (called kanwars) from the Ganga River and offer it at Shiva temples, including the 13 Jyotirlingas across India.

Rituals and Practices:

• Jal Abhishek: Devotees pour the collected water over Shiva lingams in temples.
• Barefoot Walk: Kanwariyas walk barefoot, often covering long distances.
• Saffron Attire: Devotees wear saffron clothes as a mark of devotion.
• Fasting: Many observe fasts during the yatra.

Source: Times of India

Q1.) Consider the following statements about Kadambini Ganguly

1. She is regarded as the first female medical practitioner in India.
2. She played a crucial role in the passing of Age of Consent Act 1891.

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. India Maritime Centre (IMC) is a cornerstone initiative of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways under the Maritime India Vision 2030.
2. The IMC aims to provide a unified platform for the Indian maritime industry, acting as a think tank for policy formulation and industry recommendations.

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.) Consider the following statements about the Kanwar Yatra:

1. The Kanwar Yatra is a sacred pilgrimage undertaken by devotees of Lord Shiva.
2. Devotees carry sacred water from the Ganges River to Shiva temples.

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

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

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  23rd July 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs

Q.1) –  a

Q.2) – c

Q.3) – c