aditya
07:39
UPSC CSE Mains 2022 Indian Language Paper Download PDF
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Sunday, September 25, 2022
UPSC Mains 2022 English Language Paper PDF
aditya
07:28
UPSC Mains 2022 English Language Paper PDF
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Saturday, September 24, 2022
Daily Current Affairs, 24th September 2022
aditya
18:48
1) National Cinema Day 2022 observed on 23rd September
•The National Cinema Day was previously announced to be held on September 16, however, on request from various stakeholders and in order to maximize participation, it was rescheduled to September 23. The day has been scheduled by the Multiplex Association of India (MAI). Over 4,000 screens at multiplexes from across the country, including PVR, INOX, Cinepolis, Carnival, and Delite, have teamed up to offer a “celebratory admission price” of Rs 75 to mark National Cinema Day.
2) Nation Observes Antyodaya Divas 2022: 25 September
•Antyodaya Diwas is celebrated annually on 25th September in India. It marks the birth anniversary of Indian leader Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and is celebrated in his honour to remember his life and legacy. He was one of the most prominent personalities in the history of Indian politics. This year, the Antyodaya Diwas marks the 105th birth anniversary of Upadhyaya. He was the co-founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) and a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) thinker.
3) J&K Observes Holiday On Birth Anniversary Of Maharaja Hari Singh
•The Jammu and Kashmir administration has decided to declare Maharaja Hari Singh’s birth anniversary a public holiday. The announcement was made by lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha following his meeting with a delegation comprising prominent political leaders, members of the Yuva Rajput Sabha, civil society members, including head of J&K transport union.
4) India’s under-5 mortality rate declines by 3 points; largest drops in UP and Karnataka
•India’s under-5 mortality rate declines by 3 points: According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2020, India’s under-5 mortality rate has dramatically decreased from 35 per 1,000 live births in 2019 to 32 per 1,000 live births in 2020, with the largest fall observed in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Karnataka. Towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets by 2030, the country has been experiencing a progressive decline in infant mortality rate (IMR), under 5 mortality rate (U5MR), and neo-mortality rate (NMR), according to a report released by the Registrar General of India, said Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
5) Palm oil Alliance formed by 5 South Asian Countries
•Edible oil trade associations from five palm oil importing countries in South Asia – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, announced the setting up of Asian Palm Oil Alliance (APOA). The idea is to gain collecting bargaining power and make imports sustainable.
6) G-4 Countries Reiterates UNSC Reform
•The G4 grouping comprising India, Japan, Germany and Brazil expressed their concern over lack of any “meaningful” forward movement on long-pending reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and demanded “urgency” on the issue.
7) VP Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated Lok Manthan programme
•Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar will inaugurate the third edition of the Lok Manthan program at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati. The event will be facilitated by the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sharma.
•This year’s theme for the Lok Manthan is Lokparampara (Lok Traditions) which will emphasize that the Lok Traditions have kept our culture and heritage alive and intact, and has strengthened our feelings toward National Selfhood.
•The Chief Guest of the Lok Manthan will be the Governor of Kerala Arif Muhammad. The Lok Manthan is an occasion where artists, intellectuals, and academicians from different parts of the country converge and brainstorm on the topics that come out of the society to reshape the narratives of people and lead the nation to play its civilizational roles. The Lok Manthan will be a three-day event, and then it will focus on serious discussions, seminars, cultural events, and exhibitions that showcase the rich diversity of the nation.
8) UCO Bank becomes first lender to get RBI’s approval for rupee trade
•UCO Bank has received the approval of the Reserve Bank of India to open a special Vostro account with Gazprom Bank of Russia for trade settlement in Indian rupees. UCO Bank which is a Kolkata-based lender is the first bank to receive the regulator’s approval following the decision of RBI to allow Indian Banks to settle trade in Indian currency in July.
9) Nirmala Sitharaman to launch e-learning platform Bharat Vidya
•Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman will launch the Bharat Vidya, which is an online learning platform for Oriental and South Asian Studies. The Bharat Vidya is designed and developed by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI).
•Bharat Vidya is a first-of-its-kind online platform, which will offer both free and paid courses covering various aspects of Indology about art, architecture, philosophy, language, and science. The Bharat Vidya will have six courses at the beginning including Veda Vidya, Bharatiya Darshanshastra, Sanskrit learning, 18 Parvas of Mahabharata, Fundamentals of Archaeology, and Kalidasa and Bhasha. BORI will collaborate with Indian and Foreign universities for awarding credits for its courses. During the inaugural event, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman announced that the courses offered complied with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
10) M Venkaiah Naidu released a book on PM Modi’s selected speeches
•Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released a collection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s selected speeches at Akashvani Bhawan in New Delhi. The book titled “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas” Prime Minister Narendra Modi Speaks (May 2019-May 2020)’ was released in the presence of Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan at a function here organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. During the release of the book, former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said that the book gives the readers a glimpse into PM Narendra Modi’s vision for India’s future and a clear roadmap of journey ahead, through his speeches on diverse topics of national importance.
The HINDU Notes – 24th September 2022
aditya
11:31
📰 In Odisha’s Nayagarh, a data-driven solution to child marriage
•With the aim of eradicating child marriage, Nayagarh, a tiny Odisha district, has adopted a unique initiative by scrupulously recording information on all adolescent girls in the district.
•From birth registration date to Aadhaar number, from family details to skill training, information of 48,642 adolescent girls can be found in registers named Aliva.
•Nayagarh, with a population of 9,62,789, has a skewed sex ratio at 855. Child marriages the district are still considered a part of their social life.
•Observing that child marriages are solemnised in the age group of 14-19 and dropouts among girls’ students continued to be high, the district administration launched the Aliva programme in January this year. Anganwadi workers had been asked to identify every adolescent girl in their jurisdiction and keep tabs on them. There are 1,584 registers available in 1,584 Anganwadi centres of the district.
•The 100-page register maintains a record of the girl, along with the name of her father. From the third page onwards, each page contains data of the adolescent girl, including address, education status, birth registration date, Aadhaar Card Number, contact details and family details. The age of the girl is approved by the local school headmaster, father, supervisor and child marriage prohibition officer (CMPO). Towards the end of the register, information about child marriage, educational progress, skill training status and health issues of the adolescent girls is available. Nayagarh district has decided to maintain the record for a period of 10 years — 2020 to 2030. As per Odisha’s child marriage prevention strategy, the State aims to eradicate child marriage by 2030.
•The register has been useful for law enforcement agencies, as parents lie about the age of their girls. “When tipped off, district administration and the police refer to registers for ascertaining proof of girls’ age,” said Ipsita Agarwal, district coordinator of ActionAid, a non-government organisation, which works closely with district administration to prevent child marriages. Though different districts have come up with other innovative ideas, the Aliva registers are by far the most comprehensive ones that keep tabs on girls’ lives. Ganjam district is maintaining register of every marriage to prevent child marriages.
📰 G4 countries highlight ‘urgent need’ for reform in UN Security Council
Germany, Brazil, Japan and India reiterate support for each other’s bids to become permanent members of the UNSC, and for representation of African countries
•Reform of the United Nations has been a central theme of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to the United Nations this week, and on Thursday, he met with his counterparts from Germany, Brazil and Japan under The Group of Four (G4) banner following the BRICS meeting. The group is primarily focused on UN Security Council (UNSC) reform, and permanent membership for G4 members. On Thursday, they reiterated their commitment to pushing forward reform and expressed dissatisfaction at the lack of progress.
•“Reiterated our joint commitment to work towards text based negotiations that leads to Reformed Multilateralism. Will continue our cooperation towards this goal,” Mr. Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting. India is currently a non-permanent member of the Council.
•In addition to reiterating their support for each other’s bids to become permanent members of the UNSC, the G4 also reiterated its support for African countries being represented in a permanent and non-permanent capacity. The G4 felt that the UN decision making bodies needed to be urgently reformed as global issues were increasingly complex and interconnected, a joint press statement from the group said. The “inability” of the UNSC to “effectively” address these problems “vividly demonstrate[s] the urgent need” for UNSC reform, the statement said.
•U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized its support for expanding permanent and non-permanent seats on the Council, during his UNGA address on Wednesday. However, State Department spokesperson Ned Price had said in 2021 that the U.S. supports expansion of body provided it “does not alter or expand the veto”.
•On Thursday, the G4 ministers expressed concern that the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly did not make “meaningful progress” in the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN), which, according to the G4, was constrained by a lack of transparency.
📰 The Global South’s assertion in geopolitics
Daily Current Affairs, 23rd September 2022
aditya
11:17
1) International Day of Sign Languages observed on 23 September
•The International Day of Sign Languages (IDSL) is celebrated annually across the world on 23 September. The day is a unique opportunity to support and protect the linguistic identity and cultural diversity of all deaf people and other sign language users. Sign language gives people, who are hard of hearing, a medium to converse. As the name suggests, this day aims to spread awareness regarding the importance of sign language in the realisation of the human rights of people who are deaf.
International Day of Sign Languages: Theme
•The theme for the 2022 International Day of Sign languages is “Sign Languages Unite Us!”. Deaf communities, governments and civil society organisations maintain their collective efforts in fostering, promoting and recognising national sign languages as part of their countries’ vibrant and diverse linguistic landscapes.
2) PM Modi receives copy of the Assamese Dictionary Hemkosh in braille
•Assamese Dictionary Hemkosh in Braille: In New Delhi, Jayanta Baruah gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi a copy of the Assamese Dictionary Hemkosh in Braille. Jayanta Baruah and his colleagues received praise from Mr. Modi for their efforts. Assamese Dictionary Hemkosh was one of the first Assamese dictionaries, published in the nineteenth century. Sarbananda Sonowal, the minister for ports, shipping, and waterways, as well as other officials, were present on this occasion.
3) Nation gets its first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Tamil Nadu
•Tamil Nadu has notified the country’s first ‘Dugong Conservation Reserve’ in Palk Bay covering the coastal waters of Thanjavur and Pudukottai districts with an area of 448 square kilometres. In September 2021 Government of Tamil Nadu (GoTN) initiated the idea of the ‘Dugong Conservation Reserve’ to be established in the Palk Bay region, in order to protect the endangered Dugong species and its marine habitats in Tamil Nadu. At present, there are around 240 Dugongs in India and a majority of them are found in the Tamil Nadu Coast (Palk Bay region).
•Tamil Nadu has rich marine biodiversity with a long coastline of 1076 km and 14 coastal districts and is home to several rare and endangered fishes and turtle species. Conserving dugongs will help to protect and improve seagrass beds and sequestering more atmospheric carbon. Seagrass beds are also the breeding and feeding grounds for many commercially valuable fishes and marine fauna. Hence, thousands of fisher families directly depend on dugong habitats for their income.
4) GoI named Bharat Lal as new DG of National Centre for Good Governance
•Retired Gujarat cadre officer, Bharat Lal has been appointed as the Director General, National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG). Bharat Lal, a 1988-batch Indian Forest officer of Gujarat cadre, had served as Gujarat government’s resident commissioner in Delhi and has been known to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the then chief minister of the state. Earlier, during December 2021, Lal was appointed as the Secretary to the Lokpal.
5) India Inc Expects 35-50 bps RBI Rate Hike, After US Fed
•The global economy has been rattled by scorching inflation and geo-political tensions, forcing more central banks to join the US Federal Reserve in raising interest rates. The Fed set the pace with a 0.75% rate hike to a range of 3% to 3.25%. That is the fifth rate hike this year and up from zero at the start of the year. According to market experts, India could see an aggressive rate hike by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in coming week. The RBI’s policy decision is due on 30 September, with most market participants expecting it to hike rates by 35-50 basis points.
6) NCC and UNEP sign an agreement in presence of defence minister
•NCC and UNEP sign an agreement: Rajnath Singh, the defence minister, saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). A Memorandum of Understanding was inked to use the Tide Turners Plastic Challenge programme and the Puneet Sagar Abhiyan to combat plastic pollution and achieve the objective of clean water bodies. It aims to coordinate initiatives to involve young people in promoting clean water bodies.
7) Chinese Scientists create world’s first cloned wild Arctic wolf ‘Maya’
•A wild Arctic wolf was successfully cloned for the first time in the world by a Beijing-based gene firm. The cloning of the Arctic wolf, also known as the white wolf or polar wolf, which is native to the High Arctic tundra of Canada’s Queen Elizabeth Islands, is considered a milestone achievement in conserving rare and endangered species through cloning technology.
•According to the company, the wolf named “Maya” is in good health. The donor cell of the wolf came from the skin sample of a wild female Arctic wolf and its oocyte was taken from a female dog. According to the Global Times report, Maya’s surrogate mother was a beagle, a dog breed. The dog was selected as the surrogate as it shares genetic ancestry with ancient wolves and hence, ensures success in cloning.
8) Veteran swimmer Elvis Ali becomes the oldest Indian to cross North Channel
•Veteran Assamese swimmer, Elvis Ali Hazarika has become the first from the North East to cross the North Channel. The North Channel is the strait between north-eastern Northern Ireland and south-western Scotland. Elvis and his team clocked a timing of 14 hours 38 minutes to achieve this feat. With this, Elvis has become the oldest Indian swimmer to cross the North Channel.
•According to the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association, the distance of the route recognised as a North Channel swim is 34.5 km (21.4 miles). It is known for fickle weather, rough seas, tough currents and an abundance of jellyfish. As it is, over the past four years especially, the ace Assam swimmer has been pushing his limits, persevering and raising the bar from time to time to create significant records, also making Assam and the country proud.
Friday, September 23, 2022
The HINDU Notes – 23rd September 2022
aditya
18:49
📰 Analysing the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan conflict
What are the reasons behind the current clashes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan? What led to the flare-up between both nations? How can the dispute be resolved? How can the international community help?
•The two landlocked countries, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, share a 1,000-km long border, a large part of which is disputed. There have been flare-ups in the past as well over sharing water and land resources.
•The issue of the delimitation of the border is a relic of the Soviet era. While regular talks have tried to resolve the issue, one of the crucial points of disagreement remains over the map which should be used for demarcation purposes.
•The path to resolution of the conflict will require warring groups to agree upon a common map. The international community too will have to make greater efforts to solve the dispute by involving elders in the communities.
What is happening at the border?
•The last few weeks have seen constant shelling, violent confrontations by local communities, and active engagement by security forces on either side. The Batken region of Kyrgyzstan is seeing families being moved out and getting relocated. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan, close to 1,50,000 people out of the 5,50,000 odd population of the Batken region have either fled the area or have been relocated by the state. The situation in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, is no different. The highly militarised borders also add to tensions.
•The clashes are replaying old pre- and post-Soviet era legacies. The borders of the two republics were demarcated under Joseph Stalin's leadership. Historically, the Kyrgyz and Tajik populations enjoyed common rights over natural resources. The issue of the delimitation of the border is a relic of the Soviet era. While regular talks have tried to resolve the issue, one of the crucial points of disagreement remains over the map which should be used for demarcation purposes. Almost half of its close to a 1000 km border is disputed.
•The creation of the Soviet Union saw the large-scale redistribution of livestock to collective and state farms, which upset the existing status quo. Unfortunately, there was only so much land to go around. The Tajik territory saw their livestock increase, and with scarce grazing land, agreements were signed between the two populations over the utilisation of Kyrgyz territory by the Tajiks' livestock.
What led to the current flare-up?
•The ideological basis of the current set of clashes is reinforced by developmental issues, thus providing a fertile ground for the entire geopolitical space to become a hotbed of multiple minor conflicts and clashes. The environmental trajectory of the conflict can be further highlighted by incidents which saw groups from either side planting trees in disputed areas and engaging in a physical confrontation using agricultural equipment as weapons.
•Ferghana valley continues to be a site of struggle and frequent violent outbursts, with the location consisting primarily of Tajiks, Kyrgyz, and Uzbeks, who have historically shared common sociological specificities, economic activities, and religious practices.
•The collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent dissolution of the then-existing water and land agreements saw the creation of multiple smaller independent farms, which led to a marked increase in water consumption patterns among the farmers. Both countries share multiple water channels with undulating trajectories and flow, which upset equitable access to water on both sides. As a result, small-scale conflicts occur practically every year during the crucial irrigation period.
•Both countries, while sharing a closely intertwined historical past, have had differing internal dynamics since coming into statehood. One can trace their instability to transnational challenges and internal ethnic strife. Leaders of both countries have contributed in one way or the other to the continuation of the conflict through the imagination of a particular type of development project, hoping to stabilise the internal dynamics of their respective countries and legitimise their power. This ‘development project’ is similar to how the Soviet Union looked at modernisation — which resulted in the large-scale displacement of nomadic communities, eventually contributing to the ‘environment driver’ of the current conflict.
What is the road ahead?
•The path to resolution of the conflict will require groups to agree upon a common map. The international community will have to make efforts to solve the dispute by involving elders in the communities, as historically, elders have been used to resolve conflicts. The informal small-scale governance mechanisms would also have to be further strengthened through a concerted effort by the respective countries to stabilise the geopolitical dynamics.
📰 A census is not about counting sheep
Vision IAS Weekly Focus Magazine 2022 India 75 and Beyond PDF
aditya
07:35
Vision IAS Weekly Focus Magazine 2022 India 75 and Beyond PDF
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Vision IAS Weekly Focus Magazine 2022 Nuclear Disarmament PDF
aditya
07:26
Vision IAS Weekly Focus Magazine 2022 Nuclear Disarmament PDF
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