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Monday, September 19, 2022

THE HINDU NEWSPAPER IMPORTANT ARTICLES 19.09.2022

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Sunday, September 18, 2022

Art and Culture Handwritten Notes PDF Download

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Art and Culture Handwritten Notes PDF Download

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UPSC CSE Mains 2022 GS Paper Ill: GENERAL STUDIES PAPER-Ill PDF Download

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UPSC CSE Mains 2022 GS Paper Ill: GENERAL STUDIES PAPER-Ill PDF Download

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Saturday, September 17, 2022

Daily Current Affairs, 17th September 2022

18:41

 


1)  World Patient Safety Day observed on 17 September

•World Patient Safety Day is observed every year on 17 September to create awareness about different safety measures that should be taken to ensure patient safety. The day focuses on preventing and reducing risks, errors, and harm that patients face. In modern society, it is important to understand the implications of negligent patient care and work toward modern standards regarding patient care.


•The main objective of World Patient Safety Day is to increase public awareness, enhance global understanding and call for solidarity and united action by all countries and international partners to increase patient safety and reduce patient harm.


World Patient Safety Day 2022: Theme and Slogan


•Every year, World Patient Safety Day is observed under a specific theme. This year, the theme of World Patient Safety Day 2022 is ‘Medication Safety’ along with the slogan ‘Medication Without Harm’ with a call to action to ‘Know, Check & Ask’. Medication errors and unsafe medication practices can lead to severe patient harm, disabilities, and deaths.


2)  Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling recognised as best zoo

•The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP) in West Bengal’s Darjeeling has been adjudged the best zoo in the country, while Kolkata’s Alipore Zoological Garden has secured the fourth position. There are around 150 zoos across the country. As per the list, the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai has secured the second position, followed by the Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens in Mysore, Karnataka.


•The zoological park is internationally recognised for its breeding and conservation programmes of endangered animal species of the eastern Himalayas, including the Snow Leopard and the Red Panda. The Red Panda is one of the top attractions of PNHZP, besides others such as the Himalayan Black Bear, Snow Leopard, Goral and Himalayan Thar.


3)  India To Be Home to Cheetahs After 70 Years

•Eight African cheetahs are all set to move from Namibia into their new habitat at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, September 17, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday. The PM is expected to release the five female and three male cheetahs into the Park’s quarantine enclosures on Friday as part of his efforts to revitalise and diversify the country’s wildlife and habitat, his office has said.


4)  India Stands 4th in Global Crypto Adoption Index 2022

•Blockchain analysis platform Chainalysis published its global crypto adoption index for 2022 of nations with the highest cryptocurrency adoption rate with India ranking fourth in the list, two spots down from last year. Chainalysis report noted that the emerging markets dominate the Global Crypto Adoption Index this year.


5)  Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya launched Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav

•Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched a 15-day blood donation drive on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday. The blood donation drive is known as ‘Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav’ which will continue till 1st October 2022 which is National Voluntary Blood Donation Day.


•Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya urges people to take part in the blood donation drive and donate blood to save lives. The citizens can register themselves on Aarogya Setu App or e-Raktkosh portal to donate blood as part of the ‘Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav’.


6)  Joao Lourenco Re-elected as President of Angola

•The National Electoral Commission announced Joao Lourenco as the President with 51% of the votes. President Joao Lourenco is a member of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), and he was re-elected as the President of Angola. The election results extended the hegemony of the MPLA, which is the only party that has governed Angola since its Independence from Portugal in 1975.


•Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated H.E. Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco on being re-elected as the President of Angola and emphasized on working together to strengthen the bilateral relations between India and Angola.


7)  Kyrgyzstan Reports Heavy Fighting With Tajikistan

•Kyrgyzstan reported “intense battles” with Central Asian neighbour Tajikistan and said 24 people had been killed in the latest outbreak of violence to hit the former Soviet Union. Both of the small impoverished landlocked nations have accused each other of restarting fighting in a disputed area, despite a ceasefire deal. In a statement, the Kyrgyz border service said its forces were continuing to repel Tajik attacks.


8)  Election Commission of India launched BLO e-Patrika

•The Election Commission of India has released a new digital publication ‘BLO e-Patrika’ at an interactive session held with BLOs spread across the states in India. In states/UTs, 50 BLOs from nearby states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi joined the event physically at India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. Over 350 BLOs joined the meeting via video-conferencing from the office of Chief Electoral Officers (CEO).


•The BLOs participated in the infective session with the Commission sharing their experience, challenges they came across while performing their duties, and success stories. It was first-of-its-kind direct interaction by the Commission with the BLOs across the country.


9)  Air India Unveiled Transformation Plan Vihaan.AI

•Air India, a Tata group-owned airline, unveiled a comprehensive Vihaan.AI to establish itself as a world-class global airline of Indian origin. The plan aims to focus on growing both its network and fleet, revamping its customer’s proposition, enhancing reliability and on-time performance, taking a leadership role in technology, sustainability, and innovation, and investing in the best talent in the airline industry.


10)  India Ratings Cuts FY23 GDP Growth Forecast to 6.9%

•India Ratings became the latest agency to cut its FY23 gross domestic product forecast. The ratings agency cut the forecast to 6.9 per cent from 7 per cent, joining other institutions who have cut their projections to below 7 per cent since the release of the April-June quarter GDP data.
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UPSC CSE Mains 2022 GS Paper II: GENERAL STUDIES PAPER-2 PDF Download

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UPSC CSE Mains 2022 GS Paper II: GENERAL STUDIES PAPER-2 PDF Download

GENERAL STUDIES

PAPER – 2
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The HINDU Notes – 17th September 2022

16:58

 


📰 IAF to fly AN-32 on blended biodiesel for 200 hours

Performance very satisfactory, says Air Vice-Marshal

•As part of efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to fly an AN-32 transport aircraft modified to operate on 10% blended biodiesel for 200 flight hours in the next six months, Air Vice Marshal S. K. Jain, Assistant Chief of the Air Force (Maintenance Plans), said on Friday.

•The aircraft took flight on biodiesel blended with aviation turbine fuel (ATF) for the first time in December 2018. “So far, an AN-32 has flown 65 hours with a 10% blend of biofuel and the performance has been very satisfactory,” he said at a seminar on sustainable aviation biofuels organised by the Aeronautical Society of India.

•A second aircraft, a Dornier, was now undergoing ground tests after it had been cleared by the original manufacturer of the engine, Honeywell, for use of 50% biofuel, he said.

•The global aviation industry is one of the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. The fuel consumption of the IAF for 2021-22 was 6.2 lakh kilo litres, which contributed 15 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide.

•On the civil aviation front, an official from aircraft manufacturer Airbus said it had plans to offer 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) compatibility on its commercial aircraft latest by 2030.

📰 The consequences of declining fertility are many

A below replacement level fertility rate would mean a smaller dividend window than expected

•Though the global population, in terms of numbers, has been steadily increasing — some reports suggest that it could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 — there is an interesting aspect to this: average global fertility has been consistently declining over the past 70 years. The average number of children per woman in the reproductive age group has declined by 50%, from an average of five children per woman in 1951 to 2.4 children in 2020, according to the World Population Prospects 2022 by the United Nations population estimates and projections, and prepared by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat.

•This is the result of speeding up the social phenomenon of demographic transition. Poorer countries seem to be speeding up the transition ladder a lot faster than the richer ones. Britain took 130 years to transition from a fertility rate of five per woman in 1800 to two in 1930, whereas South Korea took 20 years from 1965 to 1985 to achieve the same. The newly released World Population Prospectus notes that the global fertility rate fell from three in 1990 to 2.3 in 2021. Sub-Saharan African countries are expected to contribute more than half the population growth after 2050 and grow through 2100. Most advanced economies have their fertility rate below the replacement rate of 2.1, with South Korea reporting the lowest at 1.05 children per woman.

•The Indian setting is no different, with its fertility rate falling below the replacement level for the first time to 2.0 in 2021, according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS). The rate has dipped 10% in just five years.

•At the time of Independence, India’s fertility rate was six per woman, and it had taken 25 years to reach five, with the government launching the first ever family planning programme in the world in 1952. India’s fertility further declined to four in the 1990s when Kerala became the first State in India to have a fertility rate below replacement level; slowly, other States followed suit. As reported by the NFHS 2021, only five States have a fertility rate above the replacement rate: Bihar (3), Meghalaya (2.9), Uttar Pradesh (2.4), Jharkhand (2.3), and Manipur (2.2). The steady dip in fertility rates has been explained as an effect of increased use of contraception, more years of average schooling, better health care, and an increase in the mean marriage age of women.

Many economic implications

•Countries in the earlier stages of demographic transition find positive effects of lower fertility on income as a major portion of the workforce moves to modern sectors of the economy with fertility dipping. Lower fertility rates can be viewed as both a cause and consequence of economic development. Lower fertility impacts women’s education positively, which in turn lowers the fertility of the next generations. With better infrastructure development, better health care, and education, fertility drops and income rises. The spiral of lower fertility leads to a window of time when the ratio of the working-age population is higher than that of the dependent age groups. This high proportion of people in the workforce boosts income and investment, given the higher level of saving due to lower dependence.

•The falling fertility rate will also lead to lower pressure on land, water and other resources and would also contribute to achieving environmental goals. After the window where a country reaps the benefits of the demographic dividend, the huge working age population moves to old age, supported by fewer workers.

•Japan was the first country to experience the implications of falling fertility rates. The increasing dependency ratio has led to near zero GDP growth since the 1990s, and the country is facing fiscal challenges to meet rising social security costs. Other Asian countries such as South Korea are now reporting lower fertility than Japan which is now optimistic about having managed the lower fertility without moving to an utter demographic collapse.

•A fall in fertility rate beyond replacement level would have a negative effect on the proportion of the working population, which in turn will affect output in an economy. A rise in education and independence among women would enhance their labour participation, which could arrest the fall in labour participation up to a limit. An influx of immigrants from countries with higher population growth could also play a positive part.

•The impact of fertility drop on productivity is also highly debated. While a higher level of education and technological advancement in areas including artificial intelligence could increase the productivity of the lower working age population, a paper, “The End of Economic Growth? Unintended Consequences of a Declining Population”, by Stanford economist Charles Jones argues that falling fertility could diminish the creative capacity of humankind. He points to the need for ideas in technological advancement and productivity boost, which even artificial intelligence is still not capable of.

•An ageing population will also affect global interest rates negatively as the share of people over 50 years will form almost 40% of the population by 2100. In their book The Great Demographic Reversal: Ageing Societies, Waning Inequality and an Inflation Revival, economists Charles Goodhart and Manoj Pradhan explain how falling fertility will have a positive effect on inflation through higher wages due to lower labour supply and a change in the nature of unemployment inflation trade-off, as now low inflation can be maintained even with low unemployment.

•The book also takes a different view on the impact of lower fertility on public finance. Popular theory suggests increased pressure on governments due to a high dependency ratio. The book puts up an alternate narrative of the fall in government debt due to lower savings of households and corporates due to higher dependency and the government thus running on surplus than deficit banking on the logic of accounting and higher inflation.

Dealing with fertility decline

•The fall in fertility around the globe has been a result of decades of demographic process, and hence needs scientific and sustainable policies for mitigation. Even though there is looming pessimism about a lower fertility rate, there are ways to get the most out of it and diminish its negative effects. The advancement in health care and better nutrition around the world have increased the life expectancy and productivity of older citizens. Reforms in the labour market to induce more flexibility in the labour market would encourage working women to have more children and non-working mothers to enter the labour market.

•Countries across the globe are experimenting with policies to boost fertility. Germany found success in boosting births through liberal labour laws, allowing more parental leave and benefits. Denmark offers state-funded IVF for women below 40 years, and Hungary recently nationalised IVF clinics. Poland gives out monthly cash payments to parents having more than two children, whereas Russia makes a one-time payment to parents when their second child is born. Russia also reinstituted the Soviet-era ‘Mother Heroine’ title, who bore and raised more than 10 children amounting to almost a one-time payment of ₹13 lakh.

In perspective

•Though the benefits of demographic dividend are being reaped, the below replacement level fertility rate would mean a smaller dividend window than expected. Although India’s working-age population will continue to grow for many more decades, it would need to keep an eye on fertility dips. Liberal labour reforms, encouraging higher female labour force participation rate, and a higher focus on nutrition and health would ensure sustained labour supply and output despite lower fertility. India, like other countries in the globe, would need to be equipped to aid the patter of more tiny feet sooner or later.

📰 Remember Periyar with a pledge to embrace dissent

With majoritarianism on the rise, the iconoclast’s ideas on debate and rationality of thought are more relevant than ever

•We celebrate Periyar E.V. Ramasamy’s birth anniversary (September 17) as Social Justice Day. At a fundamental level, I consider this a day for recalibrating our vision for a world where social justice and rationality define “the best possible version of truth” for a large majority of people. Even Periyar would have wanted us to question every concept and framework in the world, and not accept anything, because someone told us so. He converted interested crowds into keen listeners, listeners into avid thinkers, and thinkers into principled politicians and die-hard activists. Even those who did not enter the political fray tried to understand why he was steadfast about what he stood for.

Vision for the future

•When he presented his thoughts, there was nuance, honesty, and an explicitness, which prompted even people practising different faiths to discuss and debate his ideas on rationality and religion. Periyar himself said, “Everyone has the right to refute any opinion. But no one has the right to prevent its expression.”

•Periyar is often referred to as an iconoclast, for the rebellious nature of his ideas and the vigour with which he acted. His vision for the future was a part of all his actions. He did not merely aim at the eradication of social evils; he also wanted to put an end to activities that do not collectively raise standards of society. The radical nature of his ideas drew constant opposition.

•Here, I would also want to debate some of the concepts propounded by Periyar. It is good that we refer to Periyar as an iconoclast and not an icon, because he would have dismantled that notion of an all-powerful icon himself.

•He was one of the pioneering voices against the Kula Kalvi Thittam introduced by the then Chief Minister C. Rajagopalachari. It was not just a political statement; Periyar felt that it would encourage divisions based on caste that might cause irreparable damage to the social fabric. Kula Kalvi Thittam proposed to impose on schoolchildren a method of education, wherein students would learn their family’s profession as part of the school curriculum. The proposal led to an uproar in the State led by voices such as Periyar and C.N. Annadurai. It was withdrawn and a message was sent to the wider world that Tamil Nadu stood united when it comes to caste oppression-related issues.

Foundation of rationalism

•Periyar’s vision was about inclusive growth and freedom of individuals. He was an important ideologue of his day because of the clarity in his political stand. More importantly, he understood the evolution of political thought and was able to glide through time with this. He presented rationalism as a solid foundation for thinking along these lines. He said, “Wisdom lies in thinking. The spearhead of thinking is rationalism.”

•Periyar was way ahead of his time. All the reforms he shared with people could not be implemented at the time because of the searing discussions they led to. It took years for the ideas to take shape in a way that could be implemented.

•One such reform measure he felt was needed to change the caste dynamic in society was ‘Priesthood for all castes’. Has the opposition to such ideas been reduced in a way? Not really. But we shall continue to maintain a civil debate for the overall betterment of society, as Periyar said.

•The struggle against the eradication of social evils takes several decades and Periyar with his idea of meaningful rebellion has guided me to play a part in this movement. It will be a guiding force for every student reading Periyar too. “Whomsoever I love and hate, my principle is the same. That is, the educated, the rich and the administrators should not suck the blood of the poor.”

•Periyar said, “Any opposition not based on rationalism or science or experience, will one day or other, reveal the fraud, selfishness, lies, and conspiracies.” We can posit this with regard to the extreme-right activities we see happening across the country and sometimes abroad too.

Violence against minorities

•On one level, a few people are benefiting greatly from the rampant rise of acts of violence against minorities. These people have such an external defence mechanism that it becomes easy for them to use incendiary rhetoric and get away with it. The discussion that Periyar initiated continues to-date, and is the antithesis to this manner of societal regression. Periyar proclaimed that he would always stand with the oppressed in the fight against oppressors and that his enemy was oppression.

•There have been several social reformers in Tamil Nadu who shared their revolutionary thoughts with the people in the past century. In that spectrum, Periyar occupies a unique place because he made interactions of multiple worlds possible. The world of social reform movements interacted with the world of people’s politics when Periyar took over a stage or when he wrote. He focused on the progress of Tamil Nadu and was clear that it would be a never-ending journey.

•Spaces for debate are shrinking all over the world. Majoritarianism and populism are not enabling sensible conversations in any public sphere. At such a time, Periyar stands as a stellar precedent, reminding us of a time when people with opposing ideas were invited to the stage for a debate. As a part of creating a society with social justice at its core, let us pledge to create open spaces for discussions in our communities. If need be, let us spearhead such activities on whatever scale. Only these spaces have the potential of creating a positive change at an ideological level.

📰 Eat and learn
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THE HINDU NEWSPAPER IMPORTANT ARTICLES 17.09.2022

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UPSC CSE Mains 2022 GS Paper I: GENERAL STUDIES PAPER-I PDF Download

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 UPSC CSE Mains 2022 GS Paper I: GENERAL STUDIES PAPER-I PDF Download

GENERAL STUDIES

PAPER – 1

1. How will you explain the medieval Indian temple sculptures represent the social life of those days? (Answer in 150 words) 10
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Friday, September 16, 2022

Daily Current Affairs, 16th September 2022

18:01

 


1)  International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2022: 16th September

•World Ozone Day or the International Day for the preservation of the Ozone Layer is observed on the 16th of September. The day aims to create awareness about the importance and need of the Ozone layer which is the single protection on Earth against UV rays coming out from the sun. The UN Environment Programme also aims to bring awareness about the importance of getting rid of the substances that damage the ozone layer. It also calls for taking time-targeted actions to protect Earth’s protective shield.


International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer: Theme


•The theme announced by the UN Environment Programme for International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 2022 is ‘Global Cooperation Protecting Life on Earth’. The Montreal Protocol’s impact is recognized with this theme and brings to notice the ‘need to act in collaboration, forge partnerships and develop global cooperation to address climate challenges and protect life on earth for future generations.


2)  Andhra Pradesh, Odisha Attract Maximum Industrial Investment In 2022

•Andhra Pradesh has ranked one on the list of states in attracting industrial investments in the first seven months of 2022. According to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Andhra Pradesh has generated an investment of Rs 40,361 crore. Andhra Pradesh stood at 45 percent of the total investment that the entire country got from January to July 2022. India got a total investment of Rs 1,71,285 crore by the end of July as per the DPIIT data.


•Andhra Pradesh rolled out its new ‘industrial Development Policy 2022-2023’ which focuses on a sustainable development model of growth, Infrastructure development, and asset creation. The Industrial Development Policy 2020-2023 aims to improve the ease of doing business and incentivize high-value additional industrial investments. In July 2022, Karnataka generated an investment of Rs 3712 crore, Gujarat generated an investment of Rs 2969 crore, and Odisha generated an investment of Rs 1493 crore.


3)  Jharkhand ups reservations for SC, ST, and others to 77%

•Jharkhand Government agreed to the proposal for granting 77 percent reservation in state government jobs for the SC, ST, Backward Classes, and OBC and further economically weaker sections. The chief minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren hiked the OBC reservation to 27 percent which was earlier 14 percent. The Jharkhand Government also accepted the proposal to use the 1932 land records to determine those who are local inhabitants.


4)  Sikkim government hikes minimum wage by 67%

•The Sikkim government hiked the minimum wage for unskilled workers by 67 percent to Rs 500. The daily wage for unskilled laborers was Rs 300 which is now increased to Rs 500 with retrospective effect from 11th July 2022. The daily wage for semi-skilled workers was increased from Rs 320 to Rs 520. The skilled laborers or workers will now get Rs 535, which was earlier Rs 335. Highly skilled labor will be paid Rs 565 per day, instead of Rs 365 per day.


5)  Fitch Cuts India’s Economic Growth Forecast for FY23 to 7% from Previous Estimate of 7.8%

•Fitch Ratings slashed India’s GDP growth projection for FY23 to 7 per cent, saying the economy is expected to slow against the backdrop of the global economy, elevated inflation and high-interest rate. In June, it had forecast 7.8 per cent growth for India. As per official GDP estimates, the Indian economy expanded 13.5 per cent in the June quarter, higher than the 4.10 per cent growth clocked in January-March. The RBI expects the economy to grow 7.2 per cent in the current fiscal year.


6)  PM Modi In Samarkand, Will Meet President Xi

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which is set to deliberate on regional security challenges, boosting trade and energy supplies among other issues. The SCO is holding its first in-person summit in Samarkand in Uzbekistan after two years. The summit will also see the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Modi is also expected to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit, including with Putin, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev among other leaders.


7)  Eastern Economic Forum And India’s Act Of Balancing

•On September 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed Russia’s Eastern Economic Forum 2022 held in Vladivostok. With the outbreak of the Ukraine war participation and attendance at this forum is significant messaging. While Russian President Vladimir Putin was of course in attendance, along with him were Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, Mongolia PM Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Myanmar Min Aung Hlain, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Li Zhanshu, while Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yacob and Vietnam PM Pham Minh Tinh participated virtually.


8)  Senior IAS BVR Subrahmanyam appointed as next CMD, ITPO

•BVR Subrahmanyam (lAS) has been appointed as the new Chairman & Managing Director of the India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO). He will be replacing LC Goyal. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Subrahmanyam on September 15. A 1987 batch Indian Administrative Services officer of Chhattisgarh cadre, he is currently working as the Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Senior IAS Subrahmanyam has been appointed to the post on a contractual basis for two years.
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ESSAY QUESTION PAPER : UPSC Civil Services IAS Exam MAINS 2022

14:51

ESSAY QUESTION  PAPER – UPSC Civil Services  IAS Mains – 2022
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