DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 14th August 2024

 Syllabus

• Prelims – GEOGRAPHY

Context: A flood alert has been sounded downstream of the Tungabhadra dam in Karnataka’s Koppal district after one of the crest gates of the massive stone masonry dam across the Tungabhadra river was washed away.

Background:-

• Repairs to restore gate can be carried out only after two-thirds of the dam is emptied.

About Tungabhadra river and dam

• The Tungabhadra River originates in Karnataka and flows primarily through the state before entering Andhra Pradesh, where it eventually merges with the Krishna River.
• The river Tungabhadra derives its name from two streams viz., the Tunga, and the Bhadra which rise in the Western Ghats. The river after the confluence of the two streams near Shimoga, runs for about 531 km till it joins the river Krishna at Sangamaleshwaram in Andhra Pradesh.
• It runs for 382 km in Karnataka, forms the boundary between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for 58 km and further runs for the next 91 km in Andhra Pradesh.
• The confluence of Tungabhadra and Krishna River is a holy pilgrimage site – The Sangameswaram Temple.
• Hampi one of the important heritage locations being listed by UNESCO is on the banks of the Tunga Bhadra River.
• Nava Brindavan, an island where the final resting location of nine holy Madhva saints is in the midst of the Tunga Bhadra River.
• It is influenced chiefly by the South-West monsoon. It is a perennial river but the summer flows dwindle to as low as 2.83 to 1.42 cumec.

Tungabhadra Dam

• The Tungabhadra reservoir sprawls over an area of 378 sq km primarily in Karnataka’s Vijayanagar district. It is one of the major reservoirs in South India that supplies water for irrigation and industrial use, as well as drinking water to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• The dam was first conceived of in 1860 to mitigate the impact of recurrent famine in Rayalaseema. Construction was begun by the erstwhile governments of Hyderabad and Madras in 1945, and the project was completed in 1953.
• The Tungabhadra Board was established by a presidential order in 1953. The Board currently has a chairman appointed by the Union government, and four members, representing the Union government and the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
• The Tungabhadra reservoir and the Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala hold the unique distinction of being the only two reservoirs in the country that were built using a combination of mud and limestone.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – POLITY

Context: The Supreme Court has ruled that the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi can independently nominate 10 aldermen to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi without consulting the council of ministers. This decision has heightened tensions between the Union government, the Delhi government, and the local administration.

Background:

• People of Delhi should get responsible and responsive governance from all three layers of government irrespective of party  in power.

Evolution of the Delhi Government

• 1950: At the commencement of the Constitution, Delhi was a Part C State.
• 1956: During the States Reorganisation, Delhi was made a Union Territory, governed by an administrator.
• The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was established in 1958 and a limited local government was established since 1966.
• 1991: Following the Balakrishnan Committee’s (1989) recommendations, the 69th Constitutional Amendment provided Delhi with a Legislative Assembly and a council of ministers. However, public order, police, and land remained under Union government control. Government of NCT of Delhi Act, 1991 provided detailed provisions regarding Delhi’s legislature, executive, and administration.

Present Issues

• Political Conflict (2015-Present):
  • Ongoing clashes between the Union government (BJP) and the Delhi government (AAP) over various issues.
  • The judgments of the Supreme Court have resulted in amendments to the Government of NCT of Delhi Act that have curtailed the powers of the elected government in Delhi
• MCD and Local Governance:
  • Apart from the issues between the Union and the Delhi government, the MCD with its elected representatives add another dimension to the problem as was witnessed in the recent unfortunate loss of lives due to electrocution and flooding in Delhi.
  • Public accountability has been undermined by the blame-shifting among elected officials.

Proposed Way Forward

• As part of its judgment in 2023, the Supreme Court mentioned that there is a triple chain of accountability in a democracy. The officials are accountable to the ministers; the council of ministers are collectively responsible to the legislative assembly; and the legislative assembly members are accountable to the people.
• The constant tussle between various layers of government ruptures such a chain of accountability.

Potential Structural Changes:

• The NCT of Delhi covers 1,450 sq km, while New Delhi, which houses central government offices and foreign embassies, spans about 50 sq km.
• For comparison, Washington DC, the U.S. capital district, is 177 sq km. A similar approach could be adopted in India, where 50-100 sq km of New Delhi is placed under complete Central government control, with the remaining areas governed by the Delhi Assembly.
• Implementing this would require a constitutional amendment. In the meantime, the spirit of the Supreme Court’s 2023 judgment should be upheld.

Source: Hindu

 Syllabus

• Mains – GS 2

Context: After protests in Bangladesh forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India, her future remains unclear. While the Modi government has provided her shelter, it is also engaging with the new regime, assessing the impact of Bangladesh’s political changes on India’s relations with the country.

Background:

• India and Bangladesh were creating new milestones in bilateral relationship under former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Impact of Sheikh Hasina’s Ouster on India

• Setback for India: Sheikh Hasina’s removal is a significant setback for India, jeopardizing the progress made in economic ties, border security, defense, trade, and connectivity.

Transformation Under Hasina

• Strong Ties with India:
  • Since her 2009 return to office, Hasina prioritized strong relations with India, cracking down on terror camps, campaign against religious radicalisation, addressing border tensions, and extradited over 20 “most wanted” men accused of terrorism and crime to India.
  • In sharp contrast to her predecessor Khaleda Zia’s government, Ms. Hasina also worked on ending border tensions caused by illegal immigration into India.Several border patrolling agreements and the signing of the historic 2015 land boundary agreement followed.
• Economic and Trade Cooperation: India provided trade concessions and low-interest Lines of Credit, helping Bangladesh transform into a developing country with improved human development indices. Bangladesh has become a lynchpin to India’s regional connectivity plans to Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific, and an important buyer of Indian energy off the subcontinental grid.
• Support on Key Issues: Hasina supported India on various issues, including boycotting SAARC due to terrorism from Pakistan and backing the Citizenship Amendment Act despite protests in Bangladesh.

Future Relations with the New Government

• Engagement with New Regime: India is engaging with the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, though complications arise due to Hasina’s presence in India and potential future demands for her extradition.
• Uncertainty with BNP: If the BNP, led by Khaleda Zia, wins future elections, India’s experience could be challenging, given past tensions and increased influence from China and Pakistan.
• Minority Concerns: Modi’s appeal for the safety of minorities in Bangladesh and the establishment of a committee to maintain communication with Bangladesh to ensure the safety of Indian citizens and people belonging to minority communities may complicate ties with Dhaka further.

Changes in Bangladesh’s Foreign Relations

• Improved U.S. Ties: Relations with the U.S. may improve, as the Hasina government was often at odds with Washington.
• Shifts with Pakistan and China: Relations with Pakistan may thaw, and China is expected to maintain strong ties with the new government, continuing its influence through the Belt and Road Initiative.

Source: Hindu

 Syllabus

• Prelims – SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Context: A conversation between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk on Musk’s social media platform X was disrupted by technical glitches, which Musk attributed to a DDoS attack.

Background:

• The conversation was highly anticipated, marking Trump’s notable return to X after his 2021 ban from Twitter following the Capitol riots. Musk has strongly endorsed Trump as presidential candidate, so bringing the former president onto his platform for a conversation was a move that captured public attention.

Key takeaways:

• A Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal traffic of a targeted server, service, or network by overwhelming it with a flood of internet traffic.

How DDoS Attacks Work

• Botnets: DDoS attacks are typically carried out using networks of internet-connected devices (botnets) that have been infected with malware. These devices, often referred to as bots or zombies, are controlled remotely by the attacker.
• Traffic Flooding: The attacker directs the botnet to send an overwhelming amount of traffic to the target’s IP address. This can exhaust the target’s bandwidth, RAM, or other resources, causing the system to slow down or crash.

Types of DDoS Attacks:

• Volume-based attacks: These aim to saturate the bandwidth of the target site.
• Protocol attacks: These focus on exploiting weaknesses in network protocols.
• Application layer attacks: These target specific applications or services.

Identifying a DDoS Attack

• A sudden slowdown or unavailability of a site or service is a common sign. Other indicators include unusual traffic patterns, such as spikes at odd hours or a flood of traffic from a single IP address.

Motivations Behind DDoS Attacks

• Financial Gain: Attackers may demand ransom to stop the attack.
• Competitor Sabotage: Businesses may use DDoS attacks to disrupt competitors.
• Hacktivism: Individuals or groups may launch attacks to make a political statement.

Source: Hindu

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – CURRENT EVENT

Context: Recently, the Prime Minister of India released 109 high yielding, climate resilient and biofortified varieties of crops at India Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi

Background:

• The launch of these varieties represents a significant advancement in the government’s effort to strengthen and future-proof Indian agriculture.

About Biofortification

• Biofortification is the process of improving the nutritional quality of food crops. This can be achieved through two main methods:
  • Conventional Breeding: This involves selecting and crossbreeding plants that naturally have higher levels of certain nutrients. Over time, this process enhances the nutrient content of the crops.
  • Genetic Engineering: This method involves directly modifying the plant’s genes to increase the levels of specific nutrients.
• It aimed at developing and disseminating crops that are naturally rich in essential micronutrients, containing higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

Benefits:

• Improved Nutrition: Helps combat micronutrient deficiencies, especially in low and middle-income countries.
• Accessibility: Provides essential nutrients to rural populations who may not have access to commercially fortified foods.

Examples:

• Golden Rice: Enhanced with beta-carotene to address vitamin A deficiency.
• Iron and Zinc-Enriched Wheat: Developed through radiation breeding to improve iron and zinc content.

Source: ICAR

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – CURRENT EVENT

Context: The Ministry of Education unveiled the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024.

Background:

• For the sixth consecutive year, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has been ranked first, continuing to be the top institution. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, has been named the best university. IIT Madras also retains its status as the top engineering college in India for the ninth year. IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta are among the top 5 institutions in the management category.

About National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)

• The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) was established with the primary purpose of creating a reliable and comprehensive system to rank higher education institutions in India.
• It was developed by the Ministry of Education in India.
• It was launched in September 2015 and aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of institutions based on various parameters.
• The NIRF evaluates institutions based on 5 broad parameters: teaching, learning and resources, research and professional practice, graduation outcomes, outreach and inclusivity, and perception.
• A total of 10,885 higher education institutions participated in the NIRF 2024.

Key objectives:

• Transparency and Accountability: To provide a transparent and accountable ranking system that stakeholders can trust.
• Informed Decision-Making: To help students, parents, and educators make informed decisions about higher education institutions.
• Encouraging Excellence: To motivate institutions to strive for excellence in various aspects of education and research.
• Benchmarking: To set benchmarks for institutions to measure their performance against peers.
• Policy Formulation: To assist policymakers in identifying strengths and areas for improvement in the higher education sector.
• Resource Allocation: To aid in the allocation of resources and funding based on performance metrics.

Source: Economic Times

Q1.) With reference to the biofortification of crops, consider the following statements:

1. Biofortification is the process of improving the nutritional quality of food crops.
2. It aimed at developing and disseminating crops that are naturally rich in essential micronutrients, containing higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

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.) With reference to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), consider the following statements:

1. The National Institutional Ranking Framework was established with the primary purpose of creating a reliable and comprehensive system to rank higher education institutions in India.
2. It was developed by the Ministry of Education in India.

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.) Identify the tributary of river Krishna

1. Tungabhadra
2. Vaiga
3. Pennar
4. Periyar

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  14th August 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs

Q.1) –  a

Q.2) – d

Q.3) – b