DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 15th January 2025

Syllabus:

• Prelims – CURRENT EVENT

Context: Indian Army Day is observed every year on January 15.

Background: –

• Army Day is celebrated to mark the occasion when General (later Field Marshal) K M Cariappa took over the command of the Indian Army from General Sir F R R Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief, in 1949 and became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of Independent India.

Key takeaways

• Pune is hosting the Army Day parade for the first time, marking a historical event. 
• This will be the third occasion on which a city other than New Delhi will host the Army Day Parade, keeping in line with the Union government’s decision to hold events of national importance outside the national capital.
• This is the second occasion when the Pune-headquartered Southern Command is hosting the event in its area of responsibility after Bengaluru, where it was held in 2023.
• In addition to being home to the strategically significant Southern Command, Pune is also home to some major defence establishments. The over-200-year-old Bombay Engineer Group and Centre, which will coincidently host the Army Day Parade, stands as a major centre of military engineering.
• Premier defence training establishments like the National Defence Academy, Armed Forces Medical College, College of Military Engineering, Military Intelligence Training School and Depot, and INS Shivaji put Pune on the global map of military training.

Additional Information – Year of Defence Reforms

• India has declared 2025 the year of defence reforms. The focus will be on rolling out integrated theatre commands to boost tri-services synergy and ensure simpler and time-sensitive military procurement, with a broader aim of transforming the military into a technologically advanced force.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus:

• Prelims – CURRENT EVENT

Context: According to the 2011 Census, 37% of India’s population comprises internal migrants, up from 31% in 2001. The Periodic Labour Force Survey 2020-21 estimated a migration rate of 28.9%. Recent report from Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) shows slowing domestic migration.

Background: –

• Understanding India’s migration story requires a deeper engagement with data that captures its various dimensions.

Key takeaways

• Rural-urban migration is the most dominant form of migration in India, often attributed to better employment opportunities, especially in the informal sector. At the same time, agricultural issues, poverty, unemployment, and environmental degradation in rural areas are also seen as drivers of rural-urban migration.
• Studies have found that in–migration in India is more prevalent in states with higher per capita Net State Domestic Product like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Haryana, and Punjab. 
• In contrast, states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Odisha send a large number of migrants to the economically advanced states. 

Regional stories of migration

• Kerala has emerged as a “new Gulf of India” as internal migrants from the Northern, Eastern, and North-Eastern parts of the country come to the state for livelihood opportunities. 
• Interestingly, Kerala is also known for its high out-migration overseas. This outward migration is driven by the state’s high education and skill levels along with the reluctance of its youth to take up non-white collar jobs. The resulting labour gap in sectors like construction and blue-collar work is filled by in-migration from other states. 
• The example of Uttarakhand can also be noted to understand how migration patterns differ across regions. The 2011 Census data reveals a stark contrast in population growth between hill districts (0.7%) and plain districts (2.8%). A key reason behind this disparity can be attributed to the large-scale emigration from the hill districts, driven by dependence on the subsistence economy, lack of employment opportunities, and the impact of climate and natural disasters. 
• This has led to significant depopulation of villages and given rise to “ghost villages” –  villages that are not inhabited by a single person but still retain their land and houses.

The paradox of internal migration

• For migrant-sending states, studies have also highlighted the role of remittances in improving the lives of those left behind. 
• It has been found that age has been a crucial determinant of both migration and remittance patterns. Around 25-60% of the total remittances in India are sent by individuals aged 15-45 years. 
• Furthermore, studies have also focussed on the experiences of left-behind women in migrant households and the emerging processes of “feminisation of agriculture” or “feminisation of labour”. 
• For migrant-receiving states, there is a need to understand how increasing in-migration places rising pressure on housing, water availability, sanitation, health, and education. The risks of urban poverty, the rise in urban slums, and the expansion of the urban informal economy need to be addressed more actively. 

Why upward mobility remains elusive for migrant workers

• Studies have highlighted that caste and class hierarchies, along with landlessness and debt – factors that shape migrant’s political and socio-economic status in source areas – often accompany them to their destination areas. Therefore, upward mobility for migrants from marginalised groups becomes very difficult, with only a small fraction able to marginally improve their condition after settling in urban areas. 
• Migrant workers often become a “footloose” labour force, with little to no access to social protection mechanisms and social security benefits. 
• However, there are policies that aim to address the challenges faced by informal workers. These include the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act 2008, Maternity Benefits Act 1961 (Amendment 2017), Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulations of Street Vending) Act, 2014, the Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers Act, and the Karnataka State Gig Workers Insurance Scheme. 
• Effective implementation of such policies can ensure that migrant-receiving states provide better opportunities and protection to their migrant informal workers. 

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus:

• Prelims & Mains – ECONOMY

Context: The rupee weakened to its all-time low on Tuesday, hitting a record low of 86.6475 before closing at 86.63 against the US dollar.

Background:

• In the last three months, the Indian rupee has depreciated by around 3.2 percent against the US dollar.

Key takeaways

• Rupee depreciation refers to a decline in the value of the Indian Rupee (₹) relative to foreign currencies, for example to the US Dollar ($). It means more rupees are required to buy a unit of foreign currency.

Reasons behind current fall of rupee

• The strong dollar, rise in crude oil prices and selling by foreign investors in the equity market are the major reasons for depreciation in the rupee.
• US jobs report came out which was higher than market consensus. Robust economic data in the US has pushed US 10-year yields higher, triggering capital outflows from emerging markets like India.
• Sharp rise in crude oil prices.

How does a weak rupee affect the economy?

• A weak rupee increases the import bill since importers pay in dollars. Weaker rupee means more expensive imports which hike inflation in the country. For example, higher oil prices lead to higher transport costs, making food items costlier. 
• Higher import bill worsens trade deficit. 
• Pharmaceuticals, textiles and IT sectors will benefit from an improvement in export revenues in rupee terms since these are export-centric sectors. A weaker rupee will help make exports more competitive and by protecting the interest of domestic manufacturers from cheap import substitutes.
• Import-dependent sectors (energy, electronics, chemicals, transportation) will be negatively impacted. 
• Debt servicing costs of companies that have raised funds from overseas will go up. Those who want to study abroad will be hit hard by a weakening rupee, paying more than before for their studies.
• A weakening rupee stoking inflation will make the RBI’s job to control inflation harder and also lower possibilities of a rate cut which many expect due to the recent slump in India’s GDP growth rate.

Source: Economic Times

Syllabus:

• Prelims  & Mains – CURRENT EVENT

Context: An oral question from the Supreme Court to the Union government continues to remain unanswered even as rescue workers recover bodies of workers who died trapped in a flooded rat-hole coal mine at Dima Hasao district in Assam.

Background: –

• Unlike in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, coal seams in Meghalaya are very thin. This, miners say, makes rat-hole mining more economically viable than opencast mining.

Key takeaways

• Rat-hole mining refers to an unscientific and hazardous coal extraction method involving small tunnels barely allowing workers to crawl in and out. It is of two types:
  • Side-Cutting Mining:
    • Conducted on hill slopes by following visible coal seams (dark brown or black-banded coal within rock layers).
  • Box-Cutting Mining:
    • Involves digging a circular or square pit (approximately 5 sq. meters wide) to a depth of up to 400 feet.
    • Miners descend using makeshift cranes or rope-and-bamboo ladders.
    • Once coal seams are located, horizontal tunnels are dug in all directions from the pit’s edge, resembling octopus tentacles.

Why is such mining banned?

• The government has little control over the land in Meghalaya, a Sixth Schedule State where the Coal Mines Nationalisation Act of 1973 does not apply. The landowners are thus also the owners of the minerals beneath. 
• Coal mining boomed after Meghalaya attained statehood in 1972. However, the terrain and expenses involved discouraged mine owners from employing advanced drilling machines. So, labourers mainly from Assam, Nepal, and adjoining Bangladesh were employed.
• Apart from issues of safety and health, unregulated mining led to land degradation, deforestation, and water with high concentrations of sulphates, iron, and toxic heavy metals, low dissolved oxygen, and high biochemical oxygen demand. At least two rivers, Lukha and Myntdu, became too acidic to sustain aquatic life. 
• Environmentalists and human rights activists began flagging the hazards of rat-hole mining in Meghalaya two decades ago. The campaign intensified after Impulse, a Meghalaya-based NGO, began addressing the issue of human trafficking and child labour in such mines.
• The State’s Department of Mining and Geology refuted the claim but, under pressure from the National Human Rights Commission, admitted in 2013 that 222 children were employed in rat-hole mines, specifically in the East Jaintia Hills district. NGT banned rat-hole mining in Meghalaya in 2014.
• The State has an estimated reserve of 576.48 million tonnes of low-ash, high-sulphur coal belonging to the Eocene age (33-56 million years ago). The stakes for a section of locals have been so high that the State government has been under pressure to facilitate the resumption of mining legally.

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus:

• Prelims – ENVIRONMENT

Context: A rare and unique carnivorous plant ‘Utricularia’ has been found in Rajasthan’s Keoladeo National Park in large numbers this season.

Background: –

• This plant is typically found in regions like Meghalaya and Darjeeling.

Key takeaways 

• Utricularia, commonly known as bladderworts, is a genus of carnivorous plants belonging to the family Lentibulariaceae.
• Utricularia species are found in diverse habitats, ranging from fresh water and wet soils to tropical rainforest canopies. They can be terrestrial or aquatic.
• Trap Mechanism:
  • Utricularia plants do not have a typical root system; instead, they possess small bladder-like traps attached to their stolons (horizontal stems).
  • These bladders exhibit highly sophisticated carnivorous mechanisms. When prey, such as tiny invertebrates, triggers the sensory hairs on the trapdoor, the bladder rapidly sucks in water and the prey.
• Feeding and Digestion:
  • The bladders capture a variety of small prey, including protozoa, rotifers, water fleas , and even larger organisms like mosquito larvae, nematodes, and tadpoles.
  • Enzymes digest the prey, providing nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, which are scarce in their habitats.
• Utricularia species are notable for their attractive and often colorful flowers, which can resemble orchids or snapdragons

Source: etvbharat

Q1.) Consider the following statements:

1. Indian Army Day is celebrated on January 15 to commemorate the first Indian Commander-in-Chief taking charge of the Indian Army.
2. Pune is hosting the Army Day Parade for the first time in 2025.
3. The National Defence Academy is located in Hyderabad, India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 1, 2, and 3
d) 2 and 3 only

Q2.) Which of the following factors can lead to rupee depreciation?

1. High crude oil prices
2. Robust economic growth in the US
3. Decreasing foreign investments in Indian equity markets

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3

Q3.) With reference to the carnivorous plant Utricularia, consider the following statements:

1. Utricularia is commonly known as bladderwort.
2. It is a genus of carnivorous plants.
3. Utricularia species are found in diverse habitats, ranging from fresh water and wet soils to tropical rainforest canopies.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 3 only
b) 2 only
c) 1 and 2 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) – b

Q.3) – a