UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 17th March 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Zojila Pass

Why in News?

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) recently reopened the strategic Zojila Pass that acts as a gateway between the union territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

About Zojila Pass:

• Zojila Pass, also known as ‘The Mountain Pass of Blizzards’, is a strategic pass that connects Kashmir Valley to Ladakh.
• It is located on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh highway (NH-1) at a height of 11,650 feet.
• The pass remains closed for almost half of the year due to heavy snowfall.
• History:
  • It was the site of the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947-48.
  • It was captured by militias aided by the Pakistan Army in 1848, with the ultimate aim of capturing Ladakh.
  • However, the pass itself was captured by the Indian Army on 1st November 1948 in an assault codenamed Operation Bison.

What is Zojila Tunnel?

• Location: It is an under-construction tunnel situated at an altitude of 11,578 ft (around 3,500 metres) on the Srinagar-Leh Highway in Jammu and Kashmir.
• The tunnel would provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Leh on NH-1.
• Total Length: 14.15 km.
• It will be India’s longest road tunnel, and Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel.
• It would be 9.5-meter wide and 7.57-meter high in the shape of a horseshoe.

Source: Economic Times

Why in News?

Recent studies show that Africa’s splitting plates could give birth to a new ocean, but with consequences.

About Tectonic Plates:

Plate tectonics was a theory developed in the 1960s.

• It explains how major landforms on earth were created as a result of Earth’s subterranean movement.
• A tectonic plate or a lithospheric plate is a massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock, generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere.
• Tectonic plates are sometimes subdivided into three categories: major (or primary) plates, minor (or secondary) plates, and microplates (or tertiary plates).

Major plates of Earth:-

• African Plate     
• Antarctic Plate 
• Eurasian Plate  
• Indo-Australian plate
• North American Plate   
• Pacific Plate
• South American Plate

Minor Plates of the Earth:-

• Cocos plate: Between Central America and the Pacific plate
• Nazca plate: Between South America and the Pacific plate
• Arabian plate: Mostly the Saudi Arabian landmass
• Philippine plate: Between the Asiatic and Pacific plate
• Caroline plate: Between the Philippine and Indian plates (North of New Guinea)
• Fuji plate: North-east of Australia
• Juan De Fuca’s plate

About Rifting:-

• Major geomorphological features such as fold and block mountains, mid-oceanic ridges, trenches, volcanism, earthquakes etc. are a direct consequence of the interaction between various Tectonic Plates (lithospheric plates).
• There are three ways in which the plates interact with each other.

Divergence:

• In this kind of interaction, the plates diverge (move away from each other).
• Mid-ocean ridges (e.g. the Mid-Atlantic Ridge) are formed due to this kind of interaction.
• Here, the basaltic magma erupts and moves apart (seafloor spreading).
• Example: On continents, East African Rift Valley is the most important geomorphological feature formed due to the divergence of African and Somali plates.

Convergence:

• In this kind of interaction, two lithospheric plates collide with each other.
• The zone of collision may undergo crumpling and folding, and folded mountains may emerge (orogenic collision).
• Himalayan Boundary Fault is one such example.
• When one of the plates is an oceanic plate, it gets embedded in the softer asthenosphere of the continental plate, and as a result, trenches are formed at the zone of subduction.

Transcurrent Edge:-

• In this kind of interaction, two plates slide past each other.
• There is no creation or destruction of the landform but only the deformation of the existing landform.
• In oceans, transform faults are the planes of separation generally perpendicular to the mid-oceanic ridges.
• Example: San Andreas Fault (Silicon Valley lies dangerously close to the faultline) along the western coast of the USA

SOURCE: DOWN TO EARTH

GS-II

Why in News?

Recently, under the Smart Cities Mission, cities across the country were asked to submit proposals for projects to improve municipal services and to make their jurisdictions more liveable. 

About The Smart Cities Mission:-

• It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched in 2015.
• It is under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• It covered 100 cities for the duration of five yearsstarting from the financial year (FY) 2015-16 to 2019-20.
• It aims to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of peopleby enabling local development and harnessing technology as a means to create smart outcomes for citizens.

Objective: To promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of Smart Solutions.

Four pillars:-

• Social Infrastructure, Physical Infrastructure, Institutional Infrastructure, and Economic Infrastructure.

Significance:-

• India is the world’s second-most populous nation.
• Urban areas are anticipated to house 40% of India’s people and contribute around 75% of India’s GDP by the year 2030.

Status of the projects:-

• As of  March 2023, the 100 cities have issued work orders for 7,799 projects worth Rs 1.80 lakh crore.
• Out of these, 5,399 projects worth Rs.1.02 lakh crore have been completed, and the rest are ongoing.
• Only around 20 cities are likely to meet the June deadline; the rest will need more time.
• Cities selected in January and June 2018 have achieved 44% of their targets.
• Cities selected in 2016 in the second round are not much farther ahead with 46% completion.
• Shillong has completed just one of its 18 proposed projects.

Source: Indian Express

Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)

Why in News?

The Central government recently appointed the new Chairperson of the PFRDA.

About Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA):

• It is a statutory regulatory body set up under PFRDA Act enacted in 2014.
• Objective: To promote old age income security by establishing, developing, and regulating pension funds and to protect the interests of subscribers to schemes of pension funds and related matters.
• It  comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Composition: It consists of a Chairperson and not more than six members, of whom at least three shall be Whole-Time Members, to be appointed by the Central Government.
• Functions:
  • Regulate National Pension System (NPS) and other pension schemes to which PFRDA Act applies;
  • Establish, develop and regulate pension funds;
  • Protect the interest of pension fund subscribers;
  • Register and regulate intermediaries;
  • Laying down norms for management of corpus of pension funds;
  • Establish grievance redressal mechanism for subscribers;
  • Settle disputes among intermediaries and also between intermediaries and subscribers;
  • Train intermediaries and educate subscribers and the general public with respect to pension, retirement savings, and related issues;
  • Call for information, conduct inquiries, investigations, and audit of intermediaries and other entities connected with pension funds;

Key Facts about National Pension System (NPS):

• It is a government-sponsored pension scheme launched in January 2004 for government employees.
• It was opened to all sections in 2009.
• NPS is mandatorily applicable to Central Government employees (except Armed Forces) recruited on or after 01.01.2004.
• Under NPS, a subscriber can contribute regularly to a pension account during her working life, withdraw a part of the corpus in a lumpsum and use the remaining corpus to buy an annuity to secure a regular income after retirement.

Source: Financial Express

GS-III

Landfill Fires

Why in News?

 The Kochi landfill site around Brahmapuram that caught fire earlier this month was a stark reminder that Indian cities need to be prepared for more such incidents as summer approaches.

About Landfill:

• A landfill site, also known as rubbish dump, garbage dump, or dumping ground, is a site for the disposal of waste materials. It is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal.
• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established specific guidelines regarding creation and management of the Landfills.
• But in India, landfills are managed under the new Solid Waste Management Rules (SWM), 2016. However, many of the guidelines are not adhered to rules.

Landfill fires: Surface and Underground fires

• Surface fires: It involves recently buried or uncompacted refuse, situated on or close to the landfill surface in the aerobic decomposition layer.
  • Surface fires generally burn at relatively low temperatures and are characterized by the emission of dense white smoke and the products of incomplete combustion.
• Underground fires: Underground fires in landfills occur deep below the landfill surface and involve materials that are months or years old.
  • The most common cause of underground landfill fires is an increase in the oxygen content of the landfill, which increases bacterial activity and raises temperatures (aerobic decomposition).
  • These so-called “hot spots” can come into contact with pockets of methane gas and result in a fire.

Reasons Landfills fire:

• India’s municipalities have been collecting more than 95% of the waste generated in cities but the efficiency of waste-processing is 30-40% at best.
• Indian municipal solid waste consists of about 60% biodegradable material, 25% on-biodegradable material and 15% inert materials, like silt and stone.
• The openly disposed waste includes flammable material like low-quality plastics, which have a relatively higher calorific value.
• In summer, the biodegradable fraction composts much faster, increasing the temperature of the heap to beyond 70-80° C.
• Higher temperature + flammable material = a chance for the landfill to catch fire.

Impact of Landfill Fires:

• Air Pollution: When a landfill fire burns, it releases harmful gases and particles into the air, including carbon monoxide, Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
  • These pollutants can cause respiratory problems, exacerbate asthma and other lung conditions, and contribute to smog and acid rain.
• Health impact: It causes health ailments in residents living nearby the landfill like sore throat, itchy eyes and breathing problems.
• Groundwater Contamination: Landfill fires can release toxic chemicals and heavy metals into the groundwater, which can contaminate nearby water sources and potentially harm aquatic ecosystems.
• Soil Contamination: Landfill fires can also release harmful chemicals and heavy metals into the soil, which can harm plant growth and contaminate crops.
• Economic Impact: Landfill fires can result in significant clean-up costs for local governments, as well as economic losses for nearby businesses and property owners.

Landfill fire prevention

• Fire prevention can reduce property damage, injury, health, and environmental hazards of landfill fires.
  • The cost of prevention is usually much less expensive than the cost of fighting and cleaning up a fire.
• Effective landfill management: Management measures include prohibiting all forms of deliberate burning, thoroughly inspecting and controlling incoming refuse, compacting refuse buried to prevent hot spots from forming, prohibiting smoking onsite, and maintaining good site security.
• Monitoring the emission of methane: If methane levels in or around the landfill become explosive, the landfill operator must take immediate steps to mitigate the danger.
• Converting Landfill Gas to Energy: The conversion of landfill gas to energy turns this landfill by-product into a marketable resource. The converted gas can be used to generate electricity, heat, or steam.

Govt Initiatives to prevent Landfill fires

• Swachha Bharat Mission – Urban (SBM-U).
• Swaccha Survekshan: An annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in cities and towns across India is undertaken. It has been launched as a part of the SBM-U under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
• Swachhata Hi Sewa Campaign: It has been launched for ensuring cleanliness through the various stakeholders’ engagement in the ‘Jan Andolan’.
• Compost Banao, Compost Apnao Campaign: It is a multi-media campaign launched by MoHUA on waste-to-compost under SBM-(U).

Way Forward:

While these measures can help reduce the fires’ damage, they’re far from ideal and not long-term solutions. The 4 R’s philosophy of Reducing, Reusing, Recycling, and Recovering Resources should be actively encouraged. The permanent and essential solution is to ensure cities have a systematic waste­ processing system where wet and dry waste are processed separately and their byproducts treated accordingly.

Source:  The Hindu

Why in News?

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) recently approved the capital acquisition of indigenously-developed military hardware worth Rs 70,584 crore.

About Defence Acquisition Council (DAC):

• What is it? The DAC is the highest decision-making bodyof the defence Ministry on procurement.
• Objective: To ensure expeditious procurement of the approved requirements of the armed forces.
• Formation: It was formed after the Group of Minister's recommendations on 'Reforming the National Security System', in 2001, post-Kargil War (1999).
• Composition:
  • The defence minister is the chairman of DAC.
  • Its members include the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
• Functions:
  • Give in-principle approval of a 15 years Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan (LTIPP) for defence forces.
  • Accord of acceptance of necessity to acquisition proposals.
  • Categorization of the acquisition proposalsrelating to ‘Buy’, ‘Buy & Make’, and ‘Make’.
  • Look into issuesrelating to single vendor clearance.
  • Take decisions regarding ‘offset’ provisionsin respect of acquisition proposals above Rs 300 crore.
  • Take decisions regarding the Transfer of Technologyunder the ‘Buy & Make’ category of acquisition proposals.
  • Field trial evaluation.

Source: Economic Times

Internationalisation of the Indian Rupee

Why in News?

Recently Reserve Bank India Deputy Governor emphasizes the need for better rupee volatility management to deal with risks of internationalization.

About Internationalisation of Indian Rupee:

• Currency internationalization is the widespread use of a currency outside the borders of its original country of issue.
• It refers to the process of making the Indian rupee a globally accepted currency, similar to other major currencies like the US dollar, Euro, and Japanese yen etc.,
• This process aims to promote India’s economic growth and development by increasing the use of the rupee in cross-border transactions, foreign investment, and global trade.
• It requires the liberalization of India’s capital account, which means allowing free flow of capital in and out of the country without any restrictions.

Present Status of Indian Rupee

• Currently, Indian rupee totals over 80 against USD.
• The first country to open a special Rupee Vostro account is Russia followed by Sri Lanka and Mauritius which are expected to use the Indian rupee trade settlement mechanism.
• A further assessment says that by 2040, the Rupee will challenge China’s Renminbi as the strongest global currency.

Advantages of Internationalization of rupee

• Currency risk is reduced for Indian businesses when using the Rupee in international transactions.
  • Protection from currency volatility improves business growth and lowers operating costs, increasing the likelihood that Indian companies will expand internationally.
• The requirement for maintaining foreign exchange reserves decreases.
  • Reserves have an impact on the economy even though they help control exchange rate volatility and project external stability.
• India becomes less susceptible to outside shocks by reducing its reliance on foreign currency.
  • For instance, excessive foreign currency liabilities of domestic businesses result in a de facto domestic tightening during phases of monetary tightening in the US and a strengthening dollar.
  • The discomfort of reversing capital flows would be significantly lessened by reduced exposure to currency risk.
• The bargaining power of Indian business would increase as the rupee’s use increased, adding weight to the Indian economy and raising India’s stature and respect internationally.

Challenges of Internationalisation of rupee:

• It requires integration with global financial markets, which can pose challenges in terms of regulatory compliance, market infrastructure, and investor protection.
• It is the primary challenge of internationalising the rupee as it can create risks for businesses and investors that operate in multiple currencies, leading to uncertainty and higher transaction costs.
• India’s financial markets are still relatively underdeveloped compared to other major economies, which can limit the range of products and services available to international investors.
• The rupee is not yet a widely traded currency, which means there is limited liquidity in global markets making it difficult for investors to buy and sell rupee-denominated assets, which can limit the attractiveness of the currency.
• It requires a supportive regulatory environment that balances the need for openness with the need for financial stability and regulatory oversight which is challenging to achieve, especially given the complexities of global financial markets.

Steps taken for the Internationalisation of the Rupee

• Recently the RBI has introduced a mechanism to facilitate international trade in rupees.
  • Enabling external commercial borrowings in Rupees (especially Masala Bonds).
• The Asian Clearing Union is also exploring a scheme of using domestic currencies for settlement.
  • An arrangement, bilateral or among trading blocs, which offers importers of each country the choice to pay in domestic currency is likely to be favoured by all countries, and therefore, is worth exploring.
• Promotion of offshore rupee markets: The RBI has allowed Indian banks to participate in the offshore non-deliverable market for rupee derivatives, which has facilitated the development of offshore rupee markets.
• Currency swap agreements: The RBI has signed currency swap agreements with several countries, which allow for the exchange of rupee and foreign currency between the central banks of the two countries.
• Bilateral trade agreements: The government has signed several bilateral trade agreements with other countries, which has facilitated greater cross-border trade and investment and increased the use of the rupee in international transactions.

Way Forward:

Therefore, Any possibility of conversation on rupee internationalization must be backed by a sustained and stable position of the Indian Rupee. Scale, stability and liquidity can be achieved through strong economic fundamentals and a process-driven regulatory environment. Overall, increase in the international use of the Indian rupee will go a long way in positioning India as a more attractive destination for foreign investment and trade.

Source: The Hindu