DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 20th November 2024

Syllabus:

• Prelims & Mains – CURRENT EVENT

Context: In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s victory, the 4B movement, which originated in South Korea, became one of the most searched topics online. Many American women took to social media to announce that they are adopting it in their lives.

Background: –

• The movement started in South Korea around 2016, when a woman was murdered in a Seoul subway station. Her killer said he had “felt ignored by women”. This was also the time when multiple women in South Korea reported having been filmed by spycams.
• This movement belongs to the strain of radical feminism that believes that heterosexual relationships at their heart remain structures of oppression, and women need to break free of them to be truly independent and happy so they adopt  “Four Nos” — no dating, no sex, no marriage, and no childbearing.

Key takeaways

• 4B stands for four bis, or no in the Korean language: bihon, bichulsan, biyeonae, and bisekseu, meaning the refusal of (heterosexual) marriage, childbirth, romance, and sexual relationships, respectively.
• In the Indian context, consider this — marriage often involves dowry, the burden of running the married home and raising the child is disproportionately on women, many women are penalised at their workplaces for motherhood duties, and intimate partner violence is common. While women are supposed to endure all this for the sake of love and duties, there are very little expectations from men.
• The proponents of the 4B movement believe that unless men work more actively for a gender-just society, women should not reward them with children, love, and emotional and other forms of labour.
• Essentially, the movement wants women to imagine more roles for themselves than just wives and mothers. 
• Women not bogged down by domestic duties and not being controlled by a man can focus on their own aims, hobbies, comfort, and happiness, the movement believes. It also advocate women building strong solidarities with other women.

Why is it gaining popularity in America now?

• The US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022, taking away the constitutional right to abortion. As of November this year, 21 states have banned abortion or restricted the procedure earlier in pregnancy than what was granted in Roe v Wade.
• After the election, pro-Trump social media influencers trended a misogynist campaign called “Your body, My choice” which normalises rape and forced pregnancy. Undoubtedly, the slogan was an antithesis of the feminist slogan “My body, My Choice”. The 4B is a response to the happenings.

Why do some non-sexist people also oppose 4B?

• Some point out that just cutting off contact with men is not a solution — this puts the onus of staying away from men on the woman, instead of demanding change and accountability from men. 
• Believing men as incapable of reform can play into the ‘boys will be boys’ school of thought, it is argued. Meaningful change can come by raising awareness and a sense of responsibility among men, and this can happen by pushing back from within relationships.
• Others point out that such totalising movements can be exclusionary of transgender rights. Another criticism is that these movements rob women of choice: one can be frustrated with inequality but still want children, or in the case of heterosexual women, sexual pleasure.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus:

• Mains – GS 2 & GS 3

Context: Reacting strongly to suggestions that principles of ‘Just Transition’ be used to draw up climate action plans in the future, India said “prescriptive top-down approaches” were violative of provisions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.

Background: –

• Insisting that development was the “overriding priority” of countries in the Global South, India said if the developed countries indeed wanted to discuss ‘just transition’, they should be willing to discuss it in the broader sense including the inequities in the global climate discourse, and not just in the NDCs and the National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).

Key takeaways

• In the climate change context, ‘just transition’ refers to a shift to low-carbon economies in a fair, equitable and inclusive manner which does not put any segment of people at any particular disadvantage. 
• India was not objecting to the principles of just transition, but the fact that countries were being asked to prepare their climate action plans in a certain way. Under the Paris Agreement, the climate action plans, called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), are supposed to be “nationally-determined” and not forced upon by others.
• India said provision of climate finance was one of the most critical enablers for just transition, and developed countries had failed in their responsibility of putting adequate money on the table.
• Intellectual property rights on green technologies are hindering free and scalable access for developing countries, India stated.
• India raised the issue of unilateral coercive measures restricting trade flows and denying countries access to equitable development opportunities.
• Though it did not single it out, India was referring to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) introduced by the European Union. 
• CBAM seeks to impose a tax on a certain class of goods imported in the EU, if the production of those goods had an emission footprint higher than the emission standards in EU. 
• Ostensibly a step to control emissions, CBAM has the effect of making the goods from developing countries like China or India non-competitive in the European markets. The developing countries complain that the costs of emissions reductions are in a way getting shifted to them.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus:

• Prelims – CURRENT EVENT

Syllabus:

• Prelims – CURRENT EVENT

Context: The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC) have launched the ‘One Day One Genome’ initiative.

Background:

• The initiative is led by BRIC in collaboration with the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), an institute under the DBT.

Key takeaways

• The One Day One Genome Initiative is a transformative project launched by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC) to unlock India’s vast microbial potential.

Objectives:

• Microbial Exploration: To explore and showcase India’s unique microbial species and their roles in agriculture, the environment, and human health.
• Genomic Data: To make genomic data freely available to the public, fostering scientific collaboration and community engagement.
• Innovation: To stimulate discussions, inspire research, and drive innovations with real-world applications.

Key Features:

• Genome Sequencing: The initiative involves genome sequencing of bacterial species isolated in India, revealing their genetic blueprint and potential applications.
• Public Accessibility: Fully annotated bacterial genomes, along with graphical summaries, infographics, and genome assembly details, will be made publicly available.

Significance:

• Environmental Protection: Research in this field can lead to better protection and management of the environment.
• Agricultural Development: It can contribute to the development of agriculture by enhancing nutrient cycling, soil fertility, and pest control.
• Human Health: The initiative can improve human health outcomes by supporting digestion, immunity, and mental health.

Source: Krishi Jagran

Syllabus:

• Prelims – ENVIRONMENT

Context: The Chhattisgarh government has officially designated the Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary as a new tiger reserve, bringing the total number of tiger reserves in the state to four. The new reserve will be known as the Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve.

Background: –

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority had accorded final approval for notifying the Guru Ghasidas- Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve in 2021.

Key takeaways

• It is the 56th Tiger Reserve of the country. It is nestled in the Chota Nagpur plateau and partly in Baghelkhand plateau.
• The tiger reserve, encompassing a total area of 2829.38 sq.kms, includes a core/critical tiger habitat of 2049.2 sq.kms, comprising the Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary, and has a buffer of 780.15 sq.kms. 
• This makes it the third largest tiger reserve in the country after Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve in Andhra Pradesh and Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam.
• Keeping in view the landscape approach to conservation as envisaged in India’s National Wildlife Plan, the newly notified tiger reserve is contiguous with the Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh forming a landscape complex of nearly 4500 sq.kms. 
• Further, the tiger reserve is connected to the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh to the West and Palamau Tiger Reserve in Jharkhand to the East.

Source: PIB

Syllabus:

• Prelims & Mains – ENVIRONMENT

Syllabus:

• Prelims – GEOGRPAHY

Context: Russia vetoed a UN resolution on Monday calling for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Sudan’s military and paramilitary forces and delivery of humanitarian aid to millions in desperate need.

Background: –

• Sudan plunged into conflict in April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders erupted in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other regions, including western Darfur, which was wracked by bloodshed and atrocities in 2003.

Key takeaways

• Sudan is a country located in northeastern Africa, bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, and Libya to the northwest.
• Capital: Khartoum
• Major Rivers: The Blue Nile and the White Nile, which converge in Khartoum
• Colonial Era: Sudan was jointly administered by Egypt and Britain from 1899 until its independence in 1956
• Independence: Sudan gained independence from Anglo-Egyptian rule in 1956
• Civil Wars: Sudan experienced two prolonged civil wars, the first from 1955-1972 and the second from 1983-2005
• South Sudan Independence: South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011, becoming an independent country

Economy:

• Main Industries: Agriculture, livestock, oil, and minerals.
• Challenges: Sudan faces economic challenges, including inflation, unemployment, and ongoing conflicts

Culture:

• Languages: Arabic is the official language, but many local languages are also spoken
• Religion: Islam is the dominant religion, with Christianity and indigenous beliefs also present.

Additional Information : Conflict in Darfur

• The War in Darfur, also nicknamed the Land Cruiser War, was a major armed conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan that began in 2003 when rebel groups began fighting against the government of Sudan, which they accused of oppressing Darfur’s non-Arab population.
• The government responded to attacks by carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Darfur’s non-Arabs. This resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of civilians and the indictment of Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir, for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.

Source: The Hindu

Q1.) Consider the following statements regarding the ‘One Day One Genome Initiative’:

1. It is launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.
2. The initiative aims to sequence the genome of bacterial species found in India and make genomic data freely accessible to the public.
3. It primarily focuses on human genome sequencing for personalized healthcare.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 2 and 3 only

Q2.) With reference to the Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, consider the following statements:

1. It is located entirely within the Chota Nagpur plateau.
2. It is the largest tiger reserve in India.
3. It forms a contiguous wildlife landscape with the Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, and 3

Q3.) Which of the following statements about Sudan is/are correct?

1. Sudan is bordered by Libya, Chad, and Ethiopia.
2. The Blue Nile and the White Nile converge in the capital city, Khartoum.
3. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2005 after the conclusion of the second civil war.

Select the correct answer using the code below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, and 3

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  Today’s – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs

Q.1) – a

Q.2) – a

Q.3) – a