DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 29th July 2024

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – Polity

Context: Different groups in the Khasi hills are applying pressure tactics to push for introduction of an Inner Line Permit system in Meghalaya.

Background:

• There have been instances of locals setting up “check post” in Meghalaya to check documentation of vehicles entering the state from Assam and to check non-local workers in and around Shillong for work permits.

About Inner Line Permit system

• Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel document by the Government of India to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period.
• It is obligatory for Indian citizens from outside those states to obtain a permit for entering into the protected state.
• The document is an effort by the government to regulate movement to certain areas.
• This is an offshoot of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873, which protected Crown’s interest in the tea, oil and elephant trade by prohibiting “British subjects” from entering into these “Protected Areas” (to prevent them from establishing any commercial venture that could rival the Crown’s agents).
• The word “British subjects” was replaced by Citizen of India in 1950.
• Despite the fact that the ILP was originally created by the British to safeguard their commercial interests, it continues to be used in India, officially to protect tribal cultures in northeastern India.
• There are different kinds of ILP’s, one for tourists and others for people who intend to stay for long-term periods, often for employment purposes.

The states which require the permit are:

• Arunachal Pradesh
  • It is issued by the secretary (political) of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh.
  • It is required for entering Arunachal Pradesh through any of the check gates across the interstate border with Assam or Nagaland.
• Mizoram
  • It is issued by the Government of Mizoram. It is required for entering Mizoram through any of the check gates across the inter-State borders.If arriving by air, an ILP can be obtained on arrival at Lengpui Airport in Aizawl.
• Nagaland
  • It is issued by the Government of Nagaland. It is mandatory for Indian citizens of other states entering Nagaland through any of the check gates across the interstate borders. Dimapur, Nagaland’s largest city is the only place in the state which does not require an ILP, and Indians arriving by air at Dimapur Airport can arrive and stay in the city without one.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims – CURRENT EVENT

Context: A high-powered committee (HPC), appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and tasked with revisiting the green clearance for the Great Nicobar infrastructure project, has concluded that a proposed transshipment port does not fall in the Island Coastal Regulation Zone-IA (ICRZ-IA), where ports are prohibited, but is in ICRZ-IB where these are permitted.

Background:-

• The Great Nicobar ‘Holistic Development’ Project was conceived by the NITI Aayog and the key plan includes construction of an international container transshipment terminal among other facilities.

Key takeaways

• A special bench of the NGT had constituted the HPC in April 2023, while hearing a challenge against the Great Nicobar project’s environmental clearance. NGT formed the HPC to revisit the environmental clearance to address some unanswered deficiencies.
• The special bench had ordered that no further work should happen until the HPC gave its report.
• Among the issues the HPC had to revisit was protection of 4,518 coral colonies, limited one-season baseline data collection for assessing the project’s environmental impact and the issue of project components falling in the ecologically sensitive ICRZ-IA area.
• Regarding the coral colonies, the HPC said that it agreed with the Zoological Survey of India’s recommendation to translocate 16,150 out of 20,668 coral colonies. For the remaining 4,518, for which there was no plan outlined, the HPC directed continuous observation from 15-30 metres depth to analyse the sedimentation load and rate of sedimentation before any decision is taken to translocate them.
• On baseline data collected, the HPC said that one-season’s, other than monsoon, was enough to assess environmental impact as per the EIA notification, 2006.
• HPC also concluded that the proposed transshipment port does not fall in the Island Coastal Regulation Zone-IA (ICRZ-IA). This conclusion by HPC is at variance with the information submitted by the Andaman & Nicobar (A&N) Coastal Management Authority during the green clearance process for the project. The Authority had stated that parts of the port, airport and township planned under the project are spread over 7 sq km in the ICRZ-IA area.

About Island Coastal Regulation Zone-IA (ICRZ-IA)

• The ICRZ-IA areas comprise ecologically sensitive areas such as mangroves, corals and coral reefs, sand dunes, mudflats, marine parks, wildlife habitats, salt marshes, turtle nesting grounds and bird nesting grounds among others.
• Only eco-tourism activities such as mangrove walks and natural trails, roads and roads-on-stilts in defence and strategic projects and public utilities are allowed in this area with permits from the UT and Centre.

About Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a cluster of 836 islands, split into two groups — the Andaman Islands to the north and the Nicobar Islands to the south — by the 150-km wide Ten Degree Channel.
• Great Nicobar is the southernmost and largest of the Nicobar Islands, a sparsely inhabited 910-sq-km patch of mainly tropical rainforest in southeastern Bay of Bengal.
• Great Nicobar has two national parks, a biosphere reserve, small populations of the Shompen and Nicobarese tribal peoples, and a few thousand non-tribal settlers.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – ECONOMY

Context: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the proposal to set up a venture capital fund of Rs 1,000 crore dedicated to the space economy.

Background:

• The announcement, made during the Union Budget presentation for the fiscal year 2024-25, highlights the government’s commitment to advance the Indian space sector.

What is a Venture Capital Fund?

• A venture capital fund is a pooled investment vehicle that manages the money of investors seeking private equity stakes in startups and small- to medium-sized enterprises with strong growth potential.

Key Characteristics

• High Risk, High Return: VC funds target high-growth firms that are also quite risky. The potential for high returns is what attracts investors.
• Long-Term Engagement: Investments are usually long-term, as it takes time for startups to grow and become profitable.
• Active Involvement: VC funds often take a hands-on approach, providing not just capital but also guidance and managerial expertise.

How private venture funds work?

• Raising Capital: VC funds raise capital from external investors, which can include wealthy individuals, investment banks, and other financial institutions.
• Investment Process: Fund managers review numerous business plans to identify potential high-growth startups. They then create a prospectus, a formal document outlining the investment details, which is shared with potential investors.
• Stages of Investment: VC investments can be categorized into seed capital, early-stage capital, or expansion-stage financing, depending on the maturity of the business at the time of investment.

Benefits for Startups

• Financial Support: Startups receive the necessary funds to grow their operations.
• Expertise and Guidance: In addition to financial support, startups benefit from the technical and managerial expertise of the venture capitalists.

Source: Business Standard

 Syllabus

• Prelims – ENVIRONMENT

Context: Industries categorised under the ‘white category’ by the Central Pollution Control Board will now not require prior permission of the state pollution control boards to establish and operate under the Air Act, 1981 and Water Act, 1974, according to two separate draft notifications of the Environment Ministry.

Background:

• These permissions known officially as ‘consent to establish’ (CTE) and ‘consent to operate’ (CTO) are granted to regulate industries that discharge effluents or emit pollutants into the environment.

Categorisation of Industry

• The purpose of categorization of industry is to ensure that industries are established in a manner which is consistent with the environmental objectives.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has developed the criteria of categorization of industrial sectors based on the Pollution Index which is a function of the emissions (air pollutants), effluents (water pollutants), hazardous wastes generated and consumption of resources.
• For this purpose the references are taken from the the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution ) Cess (Amendment) Act, 2003, Standards so far prescribed for various pollutants under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Doon Valley Notification, 1989 issued by MoEFCC.
• The Pollution Index PI of any industrial sector is a number from 0 to 100 and the increasing value of PI denotes the increasing degree of pollution load from the industrial sector.
• The following are the criteria on ‘Range of Pollution Index’ for the purpose of categorization of industrial sectors.
  • Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index score of 60 and above – Red category
  • Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index score of 41 to 59 – Orange category
  • Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index score of 21 to 40 – Green category
  • Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index score incl.& upto 20 – White category
• So white category of industries pertains to those industrial sectors which are practically nonpolluting or least polluting.
• Wind and solar power projects, assembly of air coolers, bicycle assembly are some examples of the activities that come under the white category.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims – GEOGRAPHY

Context: Several structures in the Yamunotri Dham area were damaged after water levels of the Yamuna River surged due to heavy rains.

Background:

• Yamunotri Dham is a part of Chota Char Dham (along with Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath), the four major Hindu pilgrimages sites in the Himalayas.

Key Takeaways :

• The Yamuna River originates from the Yamunotri Glacier near Bandarpoonch Peak in the Mussoorie range of the Lower Himalayas in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, India.
• It flows swiftly through the Himalayan foothills, exits Uttarakhand, and enters the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
• Along the border between Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, it feeds the Eastern and Western Yamuna canals.

Cities and Landmarks:

• The Yamuna passes through Delhi, where it feeds the Agra Canal.
• It then flows south-eastward near Mathura, passing through Agra, Firozabad, and Etawah.

Confluence:

• Near Prayagraj (Allahabad), after a course of about 855 miles (1,376 km), the Yamuna joins the Ganges (Ganga) River.
• This confluence is an especially sacred place for Hindus and hosts annual festivals and the Kumbh Mela, attended by millions of devotees.

Tributaries:

• The Yamuna is nourished by several tributaries such as Chambal River, Sindh River, Betwa River, Hindon River Ken River and Tons River.

Source: Hindustan Times

 Syllabus

• Prelims – SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Context:  NASA’s Perseverance rover recently made an intriguing discovery that could shed light on the ancient history of Mars and the possibility of past microbial life.

Background:

• The rover has identified a rock named “Cheyava Falls” that exhibits intriguing characteristics, suggesting it may have hosted microbial life billions of years ago.

About NASA’s Perseverance rover :

• Perseverance is part of NASA’s Mars 2020 Mission, which aims to study the geology, climate, and potential habitability of Mars.
• Its primary goal is to seek signs of ancient microbial life and collect samples for possible return to Earth.

Launch and Landing:

• Launched on July 30, 2020, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Perseverance embarked on its journey to Mars.
• It successfully landed in Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021, after a complex entry, descent, and landing sequence.

Physical Characteristics:

• Perseverance is approximately 3 meters long, 2.7 meters wide, and 2.2 meters tall.
• Despite its car-like size, it weighs only about 1,025 kilograms due to careful design and lightweight materials.

Scientific Instruments:

• The rover is equipped with a suite of scientific instruments, including cameras, spectrometers, and environmental sensors.
• Its robotic arm features a drill for sampling rocks and regolith (soil) from the Martian surface.

Power Source:

• Perseverance relies on a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) for electricity.
• The MMRTG converts heat from the radioactive decay of plutonium into electrical power, allowing the rover to operate even in harsh Martian conditions.

Sample Collection and Return:

• Perseverance will collect rock and soil samples, encase them in sealed tubes, and leave them on the Martian surface.
• A future mission (possibly by another rover) will retrieve these samples and bring them back to Earth for detailed analysis.

Source: NASA

Q1.) Consider the following statements:

1. Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel document issued by the Government to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period.
2. All the States of North east India except Meghalaya have Inner Line Permit System.

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

Q2.) With reference to the Perseverance rover, consider the following statements:

1. Perseverance is part of NASA’s Mars 2020 Mission, which aims to study the geology, climate, and potential habitability of Mars.
2. Its primary goal is to seek signs of ancient microbial life and collect samples for possible return to Earth.

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.) Which among the following rivers is not a tributary of the River Yamuna?

1. Chambal
2. Sindh
3. Kosi
4. Betwa

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  29th July 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs

Q.1) –  d

Q.2) – c

Q.3) – c