UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 14th February 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Context

Teesta river water conflict between India and Bangladesh.

About Teesta River: 

• Teesta river is a major right bank tributary of the Brahmaputra (known as Jamuna in Bangladesh), flowing through India and Bangladesh.
• It originates in the Himalayas near the Tso Lhamo Lake, in Sikkim and flows to the south through West Bengal before entering Bangladesh.
• Source: Pahurni glacier, Khangse glacier and ChhoLhamo Lake are also considered the sources of the Teesta River.
• River basin Distribution:  The major portion of the river basin lies in India and only 17% of it is in Bangladesh. 
• The river joins the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh before it flows into the Bay of Bengal after meeting with the Ganges and the Meghna.
• Two major large barrages constructed on Teesta –
  • Gajoldoba in West Bengal, India
  • Duani in Bangladesh.

Major Tributaries of Teesta River

• Left-bank Tributaries: Lachung Chhu, Chakung Chhu, Dik Chhu, Rani Khola and Rangpo Chhu.
• Right-bank Tributaries: Zemu Chhu, Rangyong Chhu and Rangit River.

Source: DTE

Dayanand Saraswati

Context

The Prime Minister of India to inaugurate 200th birth anniversary celebrations of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati.

About Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati (1824-1883):

•  He was an Indian philosopher, social leader and founder of the Arya Samaj, a reform movement of the Vedic dharma.
• He was the first to give the call for Swaraj as “India for Indians” in 1876, a call later taken up by Lokmanya Tilak.
• Denouncing the idolatry and ritualistic worship, he worked towards reviving Vedic ideologies.
• Teachings and Contributions: 
  • He believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas and advocated the doctrine of Karma and Reincarnation.
  • Among Dayananda’s contributions were his promoting of equal rights for women, such as the right to education and reading of Indian scriptures.
  • He translated the Vedas and wrote three books 
    • Satyartha Prakash in Hindi, 
    • Veda Bhasya Bhumika, an introduction to his Vedic commentary, and 
    • Veda Bhashya, a Vedic commentary in Sanskrit on the Yajurveda and the major part of the Rig-Veda.
  • He also established Vedic schools for the education of girls and boys of all castes.

Source:  News on air

GS-II

India-Canada Bilateral Relations

Context

The Indo-Pacific strategy announced by Canada uses blunt language against China and sees closer engagement with India as critical to its success.

About India – Canada relations:

Historical Background:

• India established diplomatic relations with Canada in 1947.
• Prime Minister of India’s visit to Canada in April 2015 elevated the bilateral relation to a strategic partnership.
• In recent years, both countries have been working to enhance bilateral cooperation in a number of areas of mutual importance.

Nuclear Cooperation:

• Indo-Canadian relations deteriorated in the wake of India’s Smiling Buddha nuclear test of May 1974 when the Canadian government severed bilateral nuclear cooperation with both India and Pakistan.
• However, in June 2010, a Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (NCA) with Canada was signed and came into force in September 2013.
• The Appropriate Arrangement (AA) for the NCA was signed in March 2013, under which a Joint Committee on Civil Nuclear Cooperation was constituted.

Commercial relations:

• An annualised Trade Ministers dialogue has been institutionalised to review trade and economic relations.
• Both sides are engaged in technical negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) including trade in goods, services, investment, trade facilitation etc.

Science and Technology:

• Indo-Canadian Science and Technology cooperation has been primarily focussed on promoting Industrial R and D which has potential for application through the development of new IP, processes, prototypes or products.
• Canada was a partner country for the Technology Summit 2017.

Security and Defence:

• India and Canada collaborate closely in international fora, particularly through the UN, Commonwealth and G-20.
• Defence ties have been expanding with mutual ship visits.
• There is robust cooperation on counter-terrorism issues, particularly through the framework of the JWG on Counter-Terrorism.

Space:

• India and Canada have been pursuing successful cooperative and commercial relations in the field of Space since the 1990s mainly on space science, earth observation, satellite launch services and ground support for space missions.
• ISRO and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) signed two MOUs in the field of exploration and utilisation of outer space in October 1996 and March 2003.
• ANTRIX, the Commercial arm of ISRO, has launched several nanosatellites from Canada.
• ISRO in its 100th Satellite PSLV launched in 2018, also flew the Canadian first LEO satellite, from the Indian spaceport Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Agricultural cooperation:

• The bilateral MoU on agriculture cooperation was signed at the federal level in 2009.
• The first meeting of the JWG set under this MoU was held in New Delhi in 2010, which led to the creation of three sub-groups
• on knowledge exchange in emerging technologies;
  • animal development and
  • agricultural marketing.
• A Joint Working Group for Pulses has been set up separately.

Indian diaspora:

• Canada hosts one of the largest Indian diasporas in the world, numbering 1.6 million (PIOs and NRIs) which account for more than 4% of its total population.
• The diaspora has done commendably well in every sector in Canada.
• In the field of politics, in particular, the present House of Commons (total strength of 338) has 22 Members of Parliament of Indian origin.

Cultural Exchanges:

• Canada was the Country of Focus at the 48th International Film Festival of India held in Goa in November 2017.
• There is also an India – Canada Coproduction Agreement in films.
• Diwali has been celebrated on Parliament Hill for the last 18

Challenges in India-Canada ties:

• Khalistan separatism issue:
  • There is resurgence of Khalistan separatism and calls for a “referendum” amid the Sikh community in Canada.
  • There are also incidents of vandalism and violence targeting the Indian community in Canada.
• Canadian pronouncements on developments in India:
  • Canadian pronouncements on developments in India, including on rights and freedoms can always set off diplomatic landmines.
• India’s structural impediments:
  • India still has to overcome structural impediments such as complex labour laws, market protectionism, and bureaucratic regulations.
• Inadequate trade:
  • While India–Canada economic relations have made some progress, Canada remains an insignificant trading partner for India.

Way Forward:

Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy, which says India’s strategic importance can only increase as its economy grows and it becomes the world’s most populous country, offers a wider staging ground for the two to come together to work for the mutual benefits.

There could also be a defence and security component with Canada’s resolve to participate more in maritime security and exercises in the Indo-Pacific, and deeper counter-terrorism cooperation than exists now.

Source: Indian Express

What is the President’s Colour Award?

Context

Union Home Minister will present the President's Colour Award to the state police at a ceremony at the Haryana Police Academy

About the President’s Colour Award:

• The President’s Colour is one of the highest honour that can be awarded to any military unit, military training establishments, and state/UT Police Forces of India. 
• It is bestowed upon in recognition of exceptional service rendered to the Nation, both in peace and in war.
• It is also known as “Rashtrapati ka Nishaan” in Hindi.
• Indian Navy was the first Indian Armed Force to be awarded the President’s Colour by Dr. Rajendra Prasad on 27 May 1951. 
• Award:  
• A special flag, also known as ‘Nishaan,’ is given to a unit as part of the award.
• The flag consists of a golden border in the middle; it has insignia of a respective military unit, training establishments, and police forces in the center.
• The flag may also contain the motto, important achievements, and battle participation of those military units to which the award is bestowed.
• During any ceremonial parade, the President’s Colour is kept at a special position, and soldiers often march with the President’s Colour on important dates like on their establishment anniversary.

Source: Indian Express

Context

On the 2nd day of City Sherpa meeting of the sixth Urban20 (U20) cycle, which is being held in Ahmedabad, close to 40 delegates visited the World Heritage walled city of Ahmedabad, where a heritage walk was organised for them early in the morning.

About Urban-20:

• Urban 20 (U20) is an initiative developed in 2017 under the leadership of the Mayor of Buenos Aires and Mayor of Paris, and convened by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) in collaboration with United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).
• It was launched on December 12, 2017 at the One Planet Summit in Paris.
• U20 seeks to develop a joint position and collective messages to inform and enrich the discussions of national leaders at the G20 Summit through unique urban perspectives.
• Urban 20 aims to tackle global challenges by leveraging the potential of cities as hubs of diversity and innovation.
• The U20 brings together mayors from G20 cities under a common framework and coordinates a joint position to inform the discussions of national leaders.
• Contributions from the U20 are shared with the G20 Presidency and Heads of State enhancing the role of cities as global economic and political leaders.
• Priority areas for Urban 20 event are as follows:
• 
  
  • Encouraging environmentally responsive behaviour
  • Ensuring water security
  • Accelerating Climate Finance
  • Leveraging ‘local’ potential and identity
  • Reinventing urban governance and planning frameworks
  • Catalysing digital urban futures

Source: PIB

GS-III

Context

The Central Government listed 7 priorities – called ‘Saptarishi’ in Budget 2023- inclusive development, Last mile delivery, Infrastructure, Green growth, Youth power, Unleashing potential, and Financial inclusion.

Key Initiatives under Last mile delivery:

Tribal Welfare:

Aspirational Blocks Programme:

• It aims to improve the performance of blocks lagging on various development parameters.
• This will enable holistic development in those areas that require added assistance.
• The programme will cover 500 districts across 31 states and Union Territories initially.
• Over half of these blocks are in 6 states—Uttar Pradesh (68 blocks), Bihar (61), Madhya Pradesh (42), Jharkhand (34), Odisha (29), and West Bengal (29). 
• It is on the lines of the Aspirational District Programme that was launched in 2018 and covers 112 districts across the country.

Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission:

• The mission will saturate the particularly vulnerable tribal groups with safe housing, clean drinking water, education, nutrition, road, and telecom connection, and livelihood.
• A budget of Rs 15,000 crore will be dedicated to this mission in the next three years.
• The scheme will benefit 3.5 lakh tribals.

Eklavya Model Residential Schools:

• EMRS started in the year 1997-98 to impart quality education to ST children in remote areas.
• Implementing ministry: Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• EMRSs will be set up in every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons.
• Budget 2023: In the next three years, the center will recruit 38,800 teachers and support staff for the 740 Eklavya Model Residential Schools.

Water for Drought Prone Region:

• Central assistance of 5,300 crores will be given to Upper Bhadra Project.
• Upper Bhadra Project:
• It is a major lift irrigation Scheme under implementation in the central region of Karnataka State.
• It is planned to irrigate 2,25,515 hectares by micro irrigationin drought-prone districts of Chikkamagalur, Chitradurga, Tumkur and Davangere.
• It also proposes to recharge groundwater tablesand provide drinking water by filling 367 tanks with six tmcft water in drought-prone taluks.

Bharat Shared Repository of Inscriptions (Bharat SHRI):

• It will be set up in a digital epigraphy museum, with the digitization of one lakh ancient inscriptions in the first stage.

Source: The Hindu

Context

Diyodar meteorite that hit India in 2022 was India’s first aubrite in 170 years

About Diyodar Meteorite:

• A meteorite is a celestial object (made of rocks and metals) that enters the atmosphere of the earth and reaches the surface.
• The meteorite is a “rare, unique specimen” of aubrite.
• India has been the site of hundreds of meteorite crashes, but this is only the second recorded crash of an aubrite.

What are aubrites? 

• Aubrites “are coarse-grained igneous rocks that formed” in oxygen-poor conditions, and thus “contain a variety of exotic minerals that are not found on Earth”.
• For example, the mineral heideite was first described in the Basti meteorite.
• Source of Aubrites : not yet sure of their origin, but some signs indicate that they could be from the asteroid 3103 Eger or from the planet Mercury.
• Composition: Around 90% of the meteorite was composed of orthopyroxene. Pyroxenes are silicates consisting of single chains of silica tetrahedra (SiO 4); orthopyroxenes are pyroxenes with a certain structure.

Source: The Hindu