DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 25th November 2024

Syllabus:

• Mains – GS 2

Context: Mr. Donald Trump has not yet assumed the office of President of the United States. With seven weeks remaining until the inauguration, discussions worldwide are centered on the potential impact of his presidency.

Background: –

• Mr Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ is not likely to make the planet a better or safer or more prosperous place. It is, according to Mr Trump, in America’s self-interest.

Core Trump ideas

Trump, the Mercantilist and the impact

• Belief in High Tariffs: Advocates high tariffs to protect U.S. interests, particularly targeting imports from China.
• Impact on U.S. Economy: High tariffs likely to increase costs for industries and consumers, leading to inflation. Inflation could prompt the Federal Reserve to raise policy rates, reversing earlier cuts.
• Higher interest rates will reverse the flow of capital and developing countries like India will witness outflow of funds. Against a stronger dollar, the Indian rupee will lose value.
• China may redirect exports to other countries, increasing dumping. India already imposes significant anti-dumping duties on Chinese goods.
• High U.S. tariffs may trigger retaliatory measures, disrupting world trade.

Trump, the Protectionist

• Industrial Policies: Plans to incentivize domestic manufacturing may hamper foreign direct investments in countries like India.
• Immigration and Deportation: Promised to deport up to one million illegal immigrants in the first hundred days.
• Indian deportations could impact bilateral ties.
• Possible tightening of H1B1 visa regulations, conflicting with U.S. industry needs for skilled Indian professionals.

Trump, the Climate Sceptic

• Energy Policy:
  • Nominated Chris Wright, a proponent of fracking and drilling, as Energy Secretary.
  • Denial of climate crisis likely to hinder COP efforts on Climate Change.
  • Aligns with India’s position for slower COP implementation.
• Pharmaceutical Industry: Anticipation of deregulation and higher drug prices, which may affect global healthcare affordability.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus:

• Prelims – HISTORY

Context: Every year, 24th November is celebrated as the ‘Lachit Diwas’ to mark the birth anniversary of the Assamese folk hero Lachit Borphukan.

Background: –

• He is considered one of the greatest of Assamese heroes, symbolising the valour, courage, and intelligence that defines the Assamese self-identity.

Key takeaways

• Lachit Borphukan was a legendary army commander of the Ahom kingdom. He defeated the Mughal forces, led by Raja Ramsingh-I, in the ‘Battle of Saraighat’, and thwarted a drawn-out attempt by them to take back Assam.
• Lachit was born on November 24, 1622, and grew up during a turbulent period of Assam’s history.
• He was chosen as one of the five Borphukans of the Ahom kingdom by king Charadhwaj Singha, and given administrative, judicial, and military responsibilities.

Battles of Alaboi and Saraighat

• Between 1615 and 1682, the Mughal Empire made a series of attempts, under Jahangir and then Aurangzeb, to annex the Ahom kingdom. 
• In 1662, Mughal Governor of Bengal Mir Jumla’s forces engaged with the Ahom army and went on to occupy part of the territory under Ahom rule.
• Between 1667 and 1682, the Ahoms under a series of rulers, launched a counter-offensive to reclaim lost territories.
• In 1669, Aurangzeb dispatched the Rajput Raja Ram Singh I to recapture territories won back by the Ahoms. The battle of Alaboi was fought on August 5, 1669 in the Alaboi Hills near Dadara in North Guwahati.
• While the Mughals preferred an open battle, Borphukan relied on his knowledge of the territory and engaged in guerrilla warfare, which provided an edge to his smaller, but fast moving and capable forces. After initial setbacks, Ram Singh sent his entire battery of Rajput soldiers and Mughal veterans and turned the tide of the battle.
• Unlike in Alaboi, where he was forced to fight on land instead of a naval battle, Lachit in Saraighat enticed the Mughals into a naval battle.
• Ahom forces combined a frontal attack and a surprise attack from behind. They lured the Mughal fleet into moving ahead by feigning an attack with a few ships from the front. The Mughals vacated the waters behind them, from where the main Ahom fleet attacked and achieved a decisive victory.
• Lachit died a year after the Battle of Saraighat from a long festering illness. In fact he was very ill during the Battle of Saraighat, as he heroically led his troops to victory. This only added to his legend.
• The battle of Saraighat proved that Lachit Barphukan was a master strategist who can be compared with the great generals in any part of India. Aptly, the Lachit Barphukan gold medal, instituted in 1999, is given to the best cadet from the National Defence Academy.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus:

• Prelims & Mains – CURRENT EVENT

Context: Argentina’s far-right President Javier Milei is considering withdrawing his country from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Background:

• The speculation surfaced after Milei’s government asked its negotiators to leave the ongoing COP29 climate summit last week.

Key takeaways

• The Paris Agreement is an international accord that was adopted by nearly every country in 2015 to address climate change and its adverse effects. Its primary goal is to substantially reduce GHG emissions in a bid to limit global warming in this century to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing the means to curb warming to 1.5 degrees.
• The treaty requires all Parties (countries which have joined the agreement) to state every five years what they are doing to tackle climate change — what is known as their nationally determined contribution (NDC). 
• Each successive NDC is meant to reflect an increasingly higher degree of ambition compared to the previous version, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

How does a country withdraw from the Paris Agreement?

• Article 28 of the Paris Agreement lays out the procedure and timeline for a country’s withdrawal from the treaty. It says, “at any time after three years from the date on which this Agreement has entered into force (this happened in 2016) for a Party, that Party may withdraw from this Agreement by giving written notification to the Depositary”.
• So if a member state wants to withdraw, it has to submit the notification of a withdrawal to the Office of Legal Affairs of the UN, based at UN Headquarters in New York.
• Once the withdrawal notification has been received, it only becomes effective after one year (or later if the member state so says in the notification). Until the withdrawal comes into force, the member state remains in the Paris Agreement and has to fully participate in all activities under it.
• Argentina is South America’s second-largest economy and the world’s 24th-largest emitter of GHGs. It comprises significant fossil fuel resources and exports, with the second-largest reserves of shale gas and the fourth-largest reserves of shale oil worldwide.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus:

• Prelims & Mains – ENVIRONMENT

Context: Air pollution in Delhi has been in the ‘severe’ and ‘severe plus’ category for the most part of the last 10 days. This week, the Supreme Court pulled up the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on its inadequate pollution control response.

Background: –

• The court was referring to various stakeholders not following the CAQM’s orders despite specific provisions under the 2021 Act.

What is the CAQM?

• The CAQM in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas came into existence through an ordinance in 2020, which was later replaced by an Act of Parliament in 2021. 
• The CAQM was set up for better coordination, research, identification and resolution of problems surrounding air quality and connected issues. 
• The CAQM replaced the EPCA (Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority), which was formed in 1998 by the Supreme Court. However, the EPCA was not backed by a statute and experts had raised the issue that it lacked the teeth to act against authorities which did not follow its orders. 
• Despite that drawback, it was under the EPCA that many of the measures being followed by the CAQM started, including the Graded Response Action Plan or GRAP, a list of temporary emergency measures to control air pollution.

What are the powers of CAQM?

• Under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021, the CAQM was given the power to take all measures, issue directions and entertain complaints, as it deems necessary, for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of air in the NCR and adjoining areas. 
• Under Section 14 of the Act, the CAQM can initiate stringent actions against officers for not following its orders.

Is the CAQM to blame for Delhi’s pollution?

• Though the CAQM makes plans and coordinates with different agencies, it is the agencies that have to implement them on the ground.
• An official of the CAQM said the commission has improved coordination and planning. Foe example, the CAQM coordinates with Punjab and Haryana to prepare action plans for controlling stubble burning.
• The commission has primarily focused on controlling stubble burning in recent years, it has to broaden its efforts to address multiple sources of pollution. Increased attention and resources should be directed towards controlling dust and vehicular pollution as well.

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus:

• Prelims  – GEOGRAPHY

Context: The famous Chinar boat race 2024 was organised in J&K’s Dal Lake by the Army recently.

Background: –

• The Army has been organising sports and entertainment events in J&K as part of its endeavour to build cordial and closer Army-public relationships.

Key takeaways

• Dal Lake is a freshwater lake located in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India.  It is an urban lake and the second largest lake in Jammu and Kashmir.
• It is one of the most famous attractions in the Kashmir Valley and is often referred to as the “Lake of Flowers”, “Jewel in the Crown of Kashmir”, or “Srinagar’s Jewel”.
• Primary Inflows: Telbal Nallah from Marsar Lake
• Primary Outflows: Regulated through Dal Gate and Nalla Amir

Ecological Significance:

• Ramsar Site: Designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in 2002.
• Biodiversity: Home to various flora and fauna, including lotus flowers, water lilies, and several fish species.
• Floating Gardens: Known as “Rad” in Kashmiri, these gardens blossom with lotus flowers during July and August.
• Islands: Includes islands like Char Chinar (Roph Lank) and Sona Lank (Gold Island).

Tourism and Activities:

• Houseboats and Shikaras: The lake is famous for its houseboats and colorful shikaras (wooden boats) that offer scenic cruises.
• Mughal Gardens: The lake is surrounded by Mughal-era gardens like Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh, built during the reign of Emperor Jahangir.
• Floating Market: A unique market where vendors sell fresh produce and handicrafts from their shikaras.

Source: The Hindu

Q1.) Consider the following statements about Dal Lake:

1. It is designated as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance.
2. The lake is surrounded by Mughal-era gardens like Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh.
3. It is the largest freshwater lake in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, and 3

Q2.) With reference to Lachit Borphukan, consider the following statements:

1. He was an army commander in the Ahom Kingdom who led the victory in the Battle of Saraighat.
2. The Lachit Borphukan Gold Medal is awarded to the best cadet from the Indian Military Academy.
3. Lachit Diwas is celebrated annually on November 24.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, and 3

Q3.) With reference to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), consider the following statements:

1. It has the power to issue directions and entertain complaints to improve air quality in the National Capital Region.
2. The CAQM replaced the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) initiated by the Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA).
3. The CAQM is empowered to initiate actions against officers who fail to implement its orders.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 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) – b

Q.2) – c

Q.3) – c