DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 31st October 2024

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – CURRENT EVENT

Context: National Unity Day is celebrated in India on 31st October. It was introduced by the Government of India in 2014. The day is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Background: –

• Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel, famously known as Sardar Patel was the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home minister of India. Patel was a leader of the Indian National Congress and played a significant role in India’s struggle for freedom.

Key takeaways

Early Life and Role in the Freedom Movement

• Born on October 31, 1875, in Nadiad, Gujarat, Patel initially pursued a career in law. Inspired by Gandhi, he joined the independence movement. Notably, his leadership in the Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928, where farmers protested against increased taxes, earned him the title “Sardar” (leader).

Sardar Patel’s contribution to uniting India

• As the first Home Minister of independent India, Sardar Patel played a crucial role in unifying and shaping the nation.
• At the time of independence, the British presented the challenge of declaring the Indian princely states as independent under the Indian Independence Act of 1947.
• The issue of the princely states was complex and challenging to resolve. When the British announced their departure, many princes believed it was the perfect moment to declare their independence. Additionally, there were others who found themselves in a struggle between India and Pakistan.
• However, through his diplomatic efforts, Patel secured the accession of the princely states, aligning these regions with the nation’s constitutional framework.
• Patel adopted various approaches based on the situation; he offered friendly advice in some cases, persuaded rulers to see reason in others, and even used force in the case of Hyderabad. He was valued for his political astuteness and pragmatic skills, which were essential in bringing together the more than 500 royal territories into the fold of the Indian union.

Sardar Patel’s contribution to administration

• Along with the monumental task of unifying India, the Iron Man of India, Patel also played a crucial role in reinforcing the steel frame of India — the All India Services.
• He was instrumental in the establishment of the modern all-India services system. For this he is remembered as the “patron saint of India’s civil servants”.

Sardar Patel’s Contribution to Constitution

• As the chairman of the Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities, and Tribal and Excluded Areas of the Constituent Assembly, Patel played a key role in shaping important sections of the Constitution concerning fundamental and minority rights.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Mains – GS 2

Context: A recent report on the free public bus transport for women in Delhi shows a positive picture.

Background: –

• Titled ‘Riding The Justice Route’, the report was released by Greenpeace India on Tuesday, the fifth anniversary of the Delhi government’s ‘pink ticket’ policy that made commuting on public buses free for women, after surveying the participants and assessing the impact of the scheme on their lives.

Key takeaways

• As per the report, one in four women have started using buses after travel was made fare-free.
• After the scheme’s introduction, 23 per cent of women have started using buses at least four times a week, and 15 per cent of women, who rarely or never used buses before the scheme, now use them regularly.
• When it comes to challenges faced by women, the survey says that a little less than 50 per cent of women bus users feel “mostly safe” while travelling to the bus stop, waiting there, and riding a bus. The survey also suggests that 77 per cent of women feel unsafe while travelling by bus after 5 pm and two in three women find the lighting at the bus stop inadequate.
• Frequency also remains a challenge as 87 per cent of the women reported waiting more than 10 minutes, while a good 13 per cent waited more than 30 minutes for the bus.
• The impact of the scheme on the perception of women towards public transport across income groups is noteworthy. After the ‘pink ticket’ was introduced, 88 per cent of women surveyed perceived the scheme as impactful in promoting bus use among women.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – CURRENT AFFAIRS

Context: Israel’s parliament passed two Bills to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees In The Near East (UNRWA) from operating in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The Knesset also voted to designate UNRWA a terrorist organisation, cutting all ties with the agency.

Background: –

• The UNRWA was established in 1949 to provide aid to Palestinians who were forced to leave their homes during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Israel has argued that the UNRWA’s role is obsolete, and its work is an impediment to a peace settlement. However, critics have blamed Israel’s own actions, such as not meaningfully recognising the foundation of a Palestinian state, as having perpetuated the longstanding conflict.

Key takeaways

What is the UNRWA, and what role does it play?

• UNRWA is mandated by the UN General Assembly to serve ‘Palestine refugees’. This term was defined in 1952 as any person whose “normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict. Palestine refugees are persons who fulfil the above definition and descendants of fathers fulfilling the definition.
• In addition, the UN Assembly has also mandated UNRWA to offer services to certain other persons who require humanitarian assistance, on an emergency basis as and when required, in UNRWA fields of operations. Notably, the Assembly has mandated the Agency to provide services to persons in the region who are currently displaced and in serious need of continued assistance as a result of the 1967 and subsequent hostilities. These persons are not registered as Palestine refugees.
• Only the UN General Assembly can change the mandate of UNRWA, the definition of a Palestine refugee and whom the Agency is mandated to serve.
• UNRWA began operations on May 1, 1950. It operates in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as well as in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan — where Palestinian refugees took shelter after their expulsion.
• An estimated 5.9 million Palestinian refugees — most of whom are descendants of the original refugees — currently access the UNRWA’s services.
• The UN agency is funded mostly by voluntary contributions from donor states such as the United States, Germany, the European Union, etc. It also gets a limited subsidy from the UN, which is used only for administrative costs.
• UNRWA employs some 30,000 Palestinians. More than 200 of its staff members have been killed in Israeli attacks over the past year.

So why has Israel acted against the UNRWA?

• Israel has also accused some of UNRWA’s 13,000 employees in Gaza of participating in the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas.
• Although UNRWA fired nine employees after an investigation, it has denied that it aids armed groups on purpose — the agency has been sharing the list of its employees with Israel for a long time.

What are the two Bills that Israel has passed?

• One of the Bills bars UNRWA from operating any representative office, providing any service, or conducting any activity, directly or indirectly, in Israel’s sovereign territory.
• The second Bill cuts all ties between government employees and UNRWA, and takes away the legal immunities of the agency’s staff.
• Together, the Bills are likely to stop UNRWA from operating in Gaza and the West Bank as Israel controls access to both these Palestinian territories. They could also force the agency to relocate its headquarters from East Jerusalem.

What can be the impact of these measures?

• Since the beginning of the war, almost all of Gaza’s 2 million people have been reliant on UNRWA for basic necessities, including food, water, and hygiene supplies.
• Along with the Palestinian Red Crescent, UNRWA handles almost all UN aid distribution in the territory.
• In the West Bank, UNRWA currently provides services for 19 refugee camps, more than 90 schools, and several health services, including prenatal care.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Mains – GS 3

Context: The invisibility of women’s contributions to the economy through unpaid care work, parenting, and domestic responsibilities has been a growing topic of research and discussion.

Background:

• While the System of National Accounts has included household production in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) calculations since 1993, it has notably excluded unpaid care work.

Key takeaways

• Data reveal that women not in the labour force spend over seven hours daily on unpaid domestic and care work. Employed women closely follow, dedicating 5.8 hours to similar tasks.
• In contrast, unemployed men spend less than four hours, while employed men contribute only 2.7 hours daily. This stark contrast underscores the significant burden of unpaid labour borne by women.
• Globally, there is a growing effort to recognise and value unpaid work, as countries increasingly understand its significant economic contributions.
• In 2016, the United Nations integrated this focus into its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in SDG 5, which emphasises achieving gender equality and empowering women.
• SDG Target 5.4 seeks to recognise and value unpaid care and domestic work through supportive policies and shared household responsibilities, particularly in low and middle-income countries by 2030.

Economic value of unpaid work

• Unpaid work in India contributes approximately 7.5% of the country’s GDP, according to a 2023 State Bank of India report.
• Addressing this imbalance could have substantial economic implications. Research indicates that enhancing women’s participation in the labour force could boost India’s GDP by as much as 27%.
• To harness this potential for economic growth, it is vital to create policies that recognise and value unpaid work, encouraging gender equity in the workforce and boosting India’s overall productivity.

Source: The Hindu

 Syllabus

• Mains – GS 3

Context: With the crisis continuing in Ukraine and Gaza, experts and policymakers are concerned about further increases in the prices of the components used for making petroleum-based chemical fertilizers.

Background: –

• The Agriculture Minister of Uttar Pradesh recently complained that the State has the stock of fertilizers for only 10 more days. The sowing of winter rabi crops has started and fertilizers such as Diammonium phosphate (DAP) and NPK [Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium] are essential for its growth.

Key takeaways

What is the current import fertilizer import scenario?

• Standing Committee of Parliament on Chemicals and Fertilizers tabled a report expressing concern that the production capacity of fertilizers does not commensurate with its demand/requirement and, therefore, the gap between demand and supply is met through imports.
• According to the report, about 20% of the domestic requirement of urea, 50-60% of the domestic requirement of DAP, and 100% of the domestic requirement of Muriate of Potassium (MOP, or Potash) is met through imports.

What is the situation in Ukraine and Gaza?

• There is no stability in fertilizer markets due to the situations in Ukraine and Gaza. Impact of the conflicts on oil prices will spill over to the by-products such as fertilizers.
• According to an answer provided in Lok Sabha, in 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21, India’s fertilizer imports were mostly from countries such as China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Iran and Egypt. The worsening situation could impact imports from these regions.

What can India do?

• India has to enhance its fertilizer production capacity and shift its farming systems to reduce dependence on imported fertilizers while making better use of the existing fertilizers. Suggestions such as using nano urea, shifting to natural farming, and enhancing the capacity of fertilizer factories have also been made.
• The Standing Committee of Parliament also pointed out the need for policy initiatives aimed at creating an environment that would facilitate investments in the public, co-operatives, and private sectors engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of fertilizers.
• Commenting on the new investment policy, implemented in 2012, to streamline fertilizer production, the committee said it is satisfying to note that six new Urea plants have since been set up each having an annual production capacity of 12.7 LMT thereby adding Urea production capacity of 76.2 LMT per annum.

Source: The Hindu

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – CURRENT EVENT

Context: The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has approved Paytm to onboard new UPI users, subject to adherence to all procedural guidelines and circulars, according to the company.

Background:

• The move is expected to come as a relief to Paytm, which had suffered a blow following the Reserve Bank of India’s restrictions earlier this year on associate company Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL) in onboarding new UPI users on the Paytm app.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI):

• It was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016 and built over Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) infrastructure.
• It powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features e.g., transfer of funds, etc.
• It is designed to enable peer-to-peer inter-bank transfers through a single two-click factor authentication process.

Features of Unified Payments Interface (UPI):

• It simplifies transfers using the recipient’s UPI ID, be it a mobile number, QR code, or Virtual Payment Address, eliminating account numbers.
• Earlier, only the deposited amount could be transacted through the UPI System. But now using the credit line on UPI enables pre-sanctioned credit lines from banks via UPI.
• It eliminates the need to enter bank details or other sensitive information each time a customer initiates a transaction.
• It enhances cross-operability, enabling 24/7 transactions.
• It uses technologies like the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) and the Aadhaar-Enabled Payment System (AEPS) to ensure that payments between accounts go smoothly.
• The users can both send and receive money offline through any compatible device that supports Near Field Communication (NFC) using UPI Lite X.
• UPI Tap and Pay allows NFC-enabled QR codes at merchants to complete payments, with a single tap without entering the PIN.

Concerns/Issues/Challenges associated with UPI:

• Expanding UPI to accommodate a global user base will require adhering to data protection, financial laws, and regulations of different countries posing regulatory and compliance challenges.
• The recent Parliamentary panel’s report, titled ‘Digital Payment and Online Security Measures for Data Protection’ highlighted that foreign entities like PhonePe and Google Pay dominate the Indian fintech sector. For example, the market share of PhonePe is 46.91% and Google Pay is 36.39% in terms of the transaction volume in October-November 2023, whereas for BHIM UPI it is 0.22%.
• UPI faces various threats by cybercriminals who may exploit vulnerabilities in the system or use social engineering techniques to gain access to sensitive information leading to financial losses.
• UPI poses a significant challenge for cross-border transactions that includes managing currency conversion and exchange rates while facilitating payments and loading money into the wallet.
• UPI remains a barrier to its widespread adoption especially among individuals with a lack of familiarity with digital payments, leading to financial fraud.

Source: The Hindu

Q1.) Consider the following statements regarding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA):

1. The UNRWA was established in 1949 to provide aid and services to Palestinian refugees displaced due to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
2. The UN agency is funded mostly by voluntary contributions from donor states.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Q2.) Consider the following statements about Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel:

1. Sardar Patel was instrumental in the integration of princely states into the Indian Union after Independence.
2. He was India’s first Home Minister and was also given the title “Iron Man of India”.
3. The Statue of Unity, dedicated to Sardar Patel, is located on the banks of the Yamuna River in Delhi.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Only 1 and 2
2. Only 2 and 3
3.  Only 1 and 3
4.  All 1, 2, and 3

Q3.) Consider the following statements about the Unified Payments Interface (UPI):

1. UPI allows users to make peer-to-peer inter-bank transfers through a two-click factor authentication process.
2. UPI Lite X enables users to make offline payments using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.
3. UPI transactions can only be done with deposited funds and do not support pre-sanctioned credit lines from banks.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Only 1 and 2
2. Only 1 and 3
3.  Only 2 and 3
4.  Only 1

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  31st October 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs

Q.1) –  a

Q.2) – b

Q.3) – b