UPSC Daily Current Affairs - 12th June 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-II/Polity

Speaker

Source: Indian Express

GS-II/International Relations

India-Maldives Relations

Source: Indian Express

Why in News?

The President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, was one of seven leaders from India’s neighbourhood who attended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in at Rashtrapati Bhavan on June 9.

Background:

• Muizzu’s presence was significant, given the way he has positioned himself politically vis à vis India, and the crucial strategic aspect to the India-Maldives relationship.

About INDIA MALDIVES RELATIONS

• Muizzu came to power on November 17 last year on an ‘India Out’ plank.
• The India Out campaign had begun in 2020 as the Maldives opposition’s protest against then President Ibrahim Solih’s policies that were perceived to be friendly towards New Delhi, but had soon turned into a movement against India’s alleged military presence in the archipelago, which both the Solih government and India denied.
• Muizzu demanded the withdrawal of all Indian military personnel from Maldives. Consequently, the final batch of Indian soldiers — who were stationed in the Maldives to operate and maintain two helicopters and three Dornier aircraft India had previously gifted to the country were replaced by civilians in May.
• Like his mentor, former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, under whose rule (2013-18) the India-Maldives relationship deteriorated severely, Muizzu has openly aligned his country with China, India’s geopolitical rival in the Indian Ocean.
• The Chinese influence in the Maldives has increased steadily over the past couple of decades.
• The island nation is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which has led to an influx of Chinese money and a strengthening of the relationship between the two countries — at the expense of India.
• For India, the Maldives is a crucial ally, important to secure its maritime periphery and to keep an eye on the larger Indian Ocean region where China is making aggressive moves.
• Regardless of Muizzu’s pro-China, anti-India posturing, the Maldives cannot simply “let go” of India. It is heavily dependent on Indian imports in almost all important sectors, from food to life-saving medicines, and aircraft used in search and rescue missions.
• At a time when relations between India and the Maldives are at a low, Muizzu’s visit sends an encouraging signal. Some groundwork for a reset in the relationship has been done over the past couple of months.
• In April, India approved the highest-ever export quotas for essential commodities — eggs, potatoes, onions, sugar, rice, wheat flour and pulses, river sand and stone aggregates — to Maldives for 2024-25 under a unique bilateral mechanism that has been in effect since 1981.
• Significance of Maldives for India:
  • Maldives’ proximity to the west coast of India, and its location at the hub of commercial sea lanes running through the Indian Ocean imbues it with significant strategic importance to India. The security scenario in India’s periphery in the Indian Ocean is very much linked to the maritime strength of Maldives.

GS-III/Environment and Ecology

Key Facts about Nitrous Oxide (N2O) Emissions

Source: Business Standard

Why in News?

Planet-warming nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions grew by 40 percent between 1980 and 2020, according to a new report published by the Global Carbon Project.

Nitrous Oxide (N2O): Overview and Impact

Basic Characteristics:

• Chemical Formula: N₂O
• Common Names: Laughing gas, happy gas
• Properties:
  • Colorless, odorless, non-flammable gas
  • Supports combustion like oxygen
  • Soluble in water
  • Vapors are heavier than air
• Effects: Induces euphoria, hence called "laughing gas"

Applications:

• Medical Use: Sedation during minor medical and dental procedures
• Food Industry: Propellant in food aerosols
• Automotive Industry: Enhances engine performance

Environmental Impact:

• Greenhouse Gas: Third most significant after carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄)
• Potency: 273 times more potent than CO₂ over 100 years
• Contribution to Global Warming:
  • Earth's average surface temperature increased by 1.15°C since 1850-1900
  • Anthropogenic N₂O emissions contribute approximately 0.1°C of this warming
• Emission Trends:
  • Emissions grew by 40% between 1980 and 2020
  • Major emitters: China, India, USA (top three), followed by Brazil, Russia, Pakistan, Australia, Indonesia, Turkey, and Canada
  • Sources: Agriculture (74% of emissions), industry, burning of forests/agricultural waste
  • Agricultural sources include nitrogen fertilizers and animal manure

Current Atmospheric Concentration:

• In 2022, reached 336 parts per billion
• 25% higher than the 1850-1900 levels
• Significantly exceeds the predictions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

GS-I/History

Sarod

Source: The Hindu

Why in News?

Sarod maestro Pandit Rajeev Taranath, who was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mysuru, passed away recently.

Sarod: Overview and Characteristics

Introduction:

• Type: Stringed instrument, part of the lute family
• Genre: Predominantly used in Hindustani classical music
• Accompaniment: Commonly accompanied by the tabla (drums) and tambura (drone lute)
• Origin: Adapted from the Afghan rabab in the 16th century; modern form designed in the 19th century

Design:

• Length: 100 cm
• Materials:
  • Body made from hollow teak, sagwan, or tun wood
  • High-quality sarods feature a body, neck, and peg box from a single piece of wood
  • Resonator with a goatskin membrane and a horn bridge
  • Strings: Traditionally gut or silk, now typically steel or bronze
• Structure:
  • Thin bridge, similar to a violin's
  • Melody strings stretched across the bridge
  • Sympathetic strings run through holes in the bridge
  • Neck features a polished steel plate instead of a fretboard

Playing Technique:

• Sarodiya: Term for a sarod player
• Position: Held across the seated player’s lap
• Plectrum: Strings plucked using a triangle-shaped plectrum (jawa), made from coconut shell, ebony, or horn
• String Pressing: Fingernails of the left hand press the strings

Schools and Styles:

• Ghulam Ali Khan School: One of the two prominent Indian sarod playing traditions
• Allauddin Khan School: The other major tradition
  • Each school has unique playing styles, sarod designs (varying in size, shape, and string number), and tuning systems

Etymology:

• Sarod: Persian for song or melody

GS-III/Science and Technology

Atomic Clock

Source: The Hindu

Why in News?

Researchers have built a portable optical atomic clock that can be used onboard ships.

Atomic Clock: Overview and Functionality

Introduction:

• Definition: An atomic clock is a device that measures time with exceptional accuracy using the vibrations of atoms.
• Basis: Utilizes oscillations of electrons in atoms to keep time.
• Accuracy: Most accurate time-keeping device available, with an error margin of a few billionths of a second per day.
• Precision: Atomic oscillations have a higher frequency and greater stability than conventional clock mechanisms.

Applications:

• GPS Systems: Essential for accurate positioning and navigation.
• Telecommunications Networks: Provides precise timing for data transmission.
• Scientific Research: Used in experiments and measurements requiring high precision.

How It Works:

1. Atom Type: Uses cesium atoms due to their stability and specific vibration frequency.
2. Microwave Cavity: A chamber filled with cesium vapor.
3. Microwave Signal: Sent into the cavity to cause cesium atoms to vibrate.
4. Radiation Emission: As cesium atoms vibrate, they emit radiation at a specific frequency.
5. Detection and Comparison:
   • A detector measures the emitted frequency.
   • Compares it to a standard frequency.
   • Adjusts the clock based on the frequency difference.

Types of Atomic Clocks:

1. Cesium Atomic Clocks:
   • Most common type.
   • Basis for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
2. Hydrogen Maser Atomic Clocks:
   • Even more accurate than cesium atomic clocks.
   • Primarily used in scientific research.

GS-I/Geography

Crete Island

Source: Arkeonews

Why in News?

During excavations for an airport on Greece’s largest island of Crete, a large circular monument dating back 4000 years was unearthed.

About Crete Island:

• It is the largest island in Greece and the fifth largest one in the Mediterranean Sea.
• It is located in the southern part of the Aegean Sea (an arm of the Mediterranean Sea).
• It is bordered by the Sea of Cretein the north, the Libyan Sea in the south, the Myrtoan Sea in the west, and the Carpathian Sea in the east. 
• It covers an area of 8,336 sq. km.
• It is relatively long and narrow, stretching for about 260 km east-west and about 60 km at its widest point. 
• The island is dominated by rugged mountains that crisscross from west to east.
  • The highest point on the island is Ida, also known as Psiloritis, at 2,456 m.
• History:
  • The island of Crete has been inhabited since the Paleolithic Age by early hominids.
  • The earliest advanced European civilization, the Minoan Civilization, started on the island around 2700-1420 BCE.
  • The Minoan civilization ended after a major earthquake, and thereafter, the island’s rule was taken over by the Mycenaean civilization.
  • The island was then subsequently ruled by the Romans, the Byzantines, the Andalusians, the Venetians, and the Ottomans.
  • After the island’s independence from Ottoman rule, Crete became a part of Greece.
  • During the Second World War, the island was occupied by the Nazi German forces and also served as the battleground of the famous “Battle of Crete.”