DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 12th August 2024

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – HISTORY

Context: This year marks the centenary of the Kakori case, also known as the Kakori train robbery. On Friday, August 9, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the 100th – anniversary celebrations.

Background:-

• The incident shook the British government and accelerated the freedom movement.

Kakori Train Robbery: An Overview

• Incident Date & Location: Occurred on August 9, 1925, near Kakori, a railway station approximately 20 km from Lucknow.
• The Event:
  • Ten revolutionaries boarded the Saharanpur-Lucknow passenger train at Kakori station.
  • Shortly after departure, they pulled the chain to stop the train at Bajnagar, a village 2 km away.
  • They looted funds intended for the British treasury being transported by rail.
• Involvement of Hindustan Republican Association (HRA):
  • This was the first major action by the HRA, a revolutionary group formed in 1924.
  • Key members included Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, Sachindra Nath Bakshi, and Chandrashekhar Azad, among others.
• Execution & Aftermath:
  • Ram Prasad Bismil, who hatched the robbery plan, was joined in its execution by Ashfaqullah Khan, Rajendra Lahiri, Chandrashekhar Azad, Sachindra Nath Bakshi, Keshab Chakravarthy, Manmathnath Gupta, Murari Sharma, Mukundi Lal and Banwari Lal.
  • A passenger was accidentally killed when a Mauser gun went off, complicating their mission.
• Trial & Sentences:
  • Of the accused who were made to stand trial at the Special Sessions Court of Justice Archibald Hamilton, 19 persons were convicted.
  • Four were sentenced to death: Ram Prasad Bismil, Roshan Singh, Rajendra Lahiri, and Ashfaqullah Khan.
  • Others received various sentences, including deportation to the Cellular Jail in Port Blair.
  • On December 17, 1927, Lahiri was hanged at Gonda jail. On December 19, 1927, Ashfaqullah, Roshan and Bismil too were put to death — Ashfaqullah at Faizabad jail, Roshan at Naini (Allahabad) jail and Bismil at Gorakhpur jail.
• Ram Prasad Bismil’s Arrest & Legacy:
  • Bismil was arrested in October 1925, supposedly after two members of the HRA betrayed him.
  • He famously recited the ghazal “Sarfaroshi ki tamanna” while being led to the gallows, which became an iconic anthem for freedom fighters.
• Chandrashekhar Azad :
  • Chandrashekhar Azad was the only major revolutionary associated with the HRA who evaded arrest.
  • He shot himself dead in Allahabad’s Alfred Park (now Chandrashekhar Azad Park) on February 27, 1931.
• Impact on the British Raj:
  • The Kakori incident was a symbolic defiance against British rule, which led to harsh punishments to deter future revolutionaries.
• Defence lawyers who became CMs:
  • Prominent lawyers who defended the accused, including Govind Ballabh Pant and Chandra Bhanu Gupta, went on to become the first and third Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Mains – GS 2

Context: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu recently and emphasised New Delhi’s commitment to deepen India-Maldives ties

Background:

• Jaishankar is on a three-day official visit to Maldives to reset the bilateral relationship, the first high-level trip from India after the archipelago nation’s pro-China president Muizzu assumed office last year.

Key Takeaways

• Jaishankar’s trip to the Maldives comes weeks after President Muizzu’s visit to India in June to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
• The Maldives is an essential ally for India, helping to protect its maritime borders and monitor the wider Indian Ocean region, where China is expanding presence.
• The archipelago is located about 300 nautical miles (560 km) off the west coast of India and about 70 nautical miles (130 km) from Minicoy Island in Lakshadweep.
• The Chinese influence in the Maldives has progressively expanded over the last few decades.
• The island nation is a component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which has resulted in an influx of Chinese money and a deepening of the two countries’ relationship—at the expense of India.

Key Points on Mr. Muizzu’s ‘India Out’ Campaign and Its Aftermath

• Muizzu campaigned on an ‘India Out’ plank during last years election, seeking the removal of Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives.
• The Indian military was primarily there to operate aerial platforms for health and environmental emergencies. Approximately 75 Indian military personnel were stationed in the Maldives for these purposes.
• Muizzu used this presence as a focal point for political mobilization. Upon coming to power, Muizzu requested India to withdraw military personnel operating three aviation platforms gifted by India.
• India complied with the request, withdrawing military personnel. India replaced them with civilian personnel to operate a Dornier aircraft and two helicopters.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims – ENVIRONMENT

Context: An adversely changing climate and rising sea surface temperatures (SST) have exposed the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) to its highest temperature in more than 400 years and pose an existential threat to the world heritage site.

Background:

• Scientists in their recent assessment have found that the ocean temperatures at the reef are hottest in the past 407 years and threaten the ecosystem that is larger than the size of Italy.

About Coral Reefs

• Coral reefs are diverse underwater ecosystems formed by colonies of tiny marine animals called coral polyps.
• They are often referred to as the “rainforests of the sea” due to their rich biodiversity, supporting around 25% of all marine species. This is a remarkable statistic given the fact that reefs cover just a tiny fraction (less than one percent) of the earth’s surface and less than two percent of the ocean bottom.
• Coral reefs provide vital ecosystem services, including coastal protection, tourism, and fisheries.

Formation:

• Coral polyps secrete calcium carbonate, which accumulates over time to form the hard structures of reefs.
• Reefs thrive in warm, shallow waters with plenty of sunlight, typically found in tropical and subtropical regions.
• The Indo-Pacific region account for 90.9% of world’s reef area while the Atlantic-Caribbean and Eastern Pacific regions account for 7.6% and 0.5% respectively.
• With a highly skewed distribution, Indonesia and Australia alone account for 35% of the world’s reef area.
• High near shoreturbidity and freshwater runoff from rivers, limit reef development and thus the Indian Subcontinent has a scanty growth of reefs along the coastline.

Coral reefs are mainly found to have three characteristic structures:

• (i) Fringing reef- reefs grow close to the shore, forming the border of the continents and project seaward (fringing reefs are found in Gulf of Mannar, Palk bay and in Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India);
• (ii) Barrier reef- separated from the main land mass by a lagoon or a narrow region of sea, like the GreatBarrier Reef in Australia;
• (iii) Atoll- the low reefs mostly oval or circular ring in shape enclosing a lagoon (Atolls in India are mainly found in Lakshadweep islands)

The Great Barrier Reef

• Location: The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is located off the northeastern coast of Australia, in the Coral Sea.
• It is the largest coral reef system in the world, stretching over 2,300 kilometers.
• The GBR is home to thousands of species, including over 1,500 species of fish, 400 types of coral, and numerous species of sharks, rays, and marine mammals.
• It also hosts several endangered species, such as the dugong and large green sea turtle.
• World Heritage Status: Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981 for its outstanding universal value and exceptional natural beauty.

Source: Down To Earth

 Syllabus

• Prelims – CURRENT EVENT

Context: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently released details of the Anemia Mukt Bharat initiative.

Background:

• Anaemia is a significant public health challenge in India.

Key takeaways:

• Anemia is a problem of not having enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues. Hemoglobin is a protein found in red cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all other organs in the body.
• There are many forms of anemia: Aplastic anemia, Iron deficiency anemia, Sickle cell anemia, Thalassemia, Vitamin deficiency anemia.
• Iron deficiency anaemia results in impaired cognitive and motor development in children and decreased work capacity in adults. The effects are most severe in infancy and early childhood.
• In pregnancy, iron deficiency anaemia can lead to perinatal loss, prematurity and low birth weight (LBW) babies.
• Anemia Mukt Bharat strategy is implemented to reduce anaemia among six beneficiaries age group – children (6-59 months), children (5-9 years), adolescents (10-19 years), pregnant and lactating women and in women of reproductive age group (15-49 years) in life cycle approach through implementation of six interventions via six robust institutional mechanisms.

The six interventions under Anemia Mukt Bharat strategy are as follows:

• Prophylactic Iron Folic Acid Supplementation
• Periodic deworming
• Intensified year-round Behavior Change Communication Campaign
• Testing of anemia using digital invasive haemoglobinometer and point of care treatment.
• Mandatory provision of Iron and Folic Acid fortified foods in government-funded health programmes.
• Intensifying awareness, screening and treatment of non-nutritional causes of anaemia in endemic pockets, with special focus on malaria, haemoglobinopathies and fluorosis.

Source: PIB

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – CURRENT EVENT

Context: At least 150 Rohingyas, including children, were killed in a drone attack while they were trying to flee the violence-hit Myanmar in the western state of Rakhine.

Background:

• Multiple families were waiting to cross the border and enter Bangladesh when a drone strike, allegedly carried out by the Arakan army, killed them at the borders between the two nations in Rakhine.

About Rohingyas

• The Rohingya are a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority in Myanmar, primarily residing in Rakhine State.
• They have faced severe persecution and discrimination for decades.
• The conflict involving the Rohingya in Myanmar is deeply rooted in a complex mix of historical, political, and social factors.

Some of the causes of issues related to Rohingyas:

• Historical Tensions: Tensions between the Rohingya Muslims and the Buddhist majority date back to the start of British rule in 1824. During this period, the British employed a divide-and-rule strategy, favoring Muslims over other groups. They recruited Muslims as soldiers during World War II, setting them against Buddhists who were aligned with the Japanese as the conflict unfolded on Burmese soil.
• Citizenship Issues: The Rohingya have been denied citizenship by the Myanmar government, which considers them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. This statelessness has left them without basic rights and protections.
• Ethnic and Religious Discrimination: The Rohingya, being a Muslim minority in a predominantly Buddhist country, have faced systemic discrimination and marginalization. This has been exacerbated by nationalist sentiments and policies that favour the Buddhist majority.
• Political Manipulation: Various political entities in Myanmar have used the Rohingya issue to gain support and consolidate power. This includes the military, which has portrayed the Rohingya as a security threat to justify its actions.
• Economic Factors: Rakhine State is one of the poorest regions in Myanmar. Competition over scarce resources has fuelled tensions between the Rohingya and other ethnic groups.
• Military Actions: The Myanmar military’s operations against the Rohingya, often justified as counter-insurgency measures, have led to widespread violence, displacement, and human rights abuses.

Source: India Today

 Syllabus

• Prelims – ENVIRONMENT

Context: Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) has been added to the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

Background:

• The IUCN Red List is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity.

About Neelakurinji

• Neelakurinji, also known as Kurinji, is a shrub found in the shola forests of the Western Ghats in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
• It belongs to the Acanthaceae family and is known for its purplish-blue flowers.
• This plant is famous for its unique blooming cycle, flowering once every 12 years.
• Neelakurinji grows at altitudes ranging from 1300 to 2400 meters.
• It used to cover the Anamalai Hills, Cardamom Hills, Nilgiri Hills, Palani Hills, Kudremukh, and Bababudangiri.
• The Paliyan tribal people of Tamil Nadu used the blooming of Neelakurinji to calculate their age.
• The flower has also given the Nilgiri Mountains their name, with “Nilgiri” meaning “blue mountains” in Tamil and Malayalam.
• Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) has been added to the IUCN Red List of threatened species. It is classified as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List.
• The main threats to Neelakurinji include habitat loss due to conversion for tea and softwood plantations, urbanization, and the invasion of exotic species like eucalyptus and black wattle. Climate change and infrastructure development also pose significant risks.

Source: Hindu

Q1.) Consider the following statements about Great Barrier Reef

1. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is located off the northwestern coast of Australia.
2. It is the largest coral reef system in the world, stretching over 2,300 kilometers.

Which of the statement given above is/are correct?

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

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

1. Neelakurinji is a tropical hardwood tree.
2. It is found in the shola forests of the Western Ghats.
3. It is classified as “Critically Endangered” on the IUCN Red List.

Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1,2 and 3

Q3.) Rakhine State, recently seen in news located in

1. Bangladesh
2. Myanmar
3. Israel
4. Ukraine

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  12th August 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs

Q.1) –  a

Q.2) – b

Q.3) – c