UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 26th November 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

• Recently, PM Modi addressed at the closing ceremony of the year-long celebrations of 400th birth anniversary of Ahom commander Lachit Barphukan.
• This marked a continuation of his government's efforts to honour the heroes whose contributions haven't received due recognition in the pages of Indian history.

Few Unsung Heroes of India

• Shri Govind Guru
  • Few months back, PM Modi paid homage to Bhil freedom fighter Shri Govind Guru.
  • Govind Guru was a social and religious reformer in the early 1900s in the tribal border areas of present-day Rajasthan and Gujarat states in India.
  • He started working with the Bhil community during the great famine of 1899-1900 and saw their oppression at the hands of the princely states.
  • He started Bhagat Sampradaya (sect) in 1908.
    • His disciples followed strict rules including abstinence from liquor and meat, the adoption of hygienic practices, and the rejection of bonded labour work and witch-doctors.
• Nadaprabhu Kempegowda
  • Recently, PM Modi unveiled the 108-feet-long bronze statue of Sri Nadaprabhu Kempegowda in Bengaluru.
  • Nadaprabhu Hiriya Kempegowda, also known as Kempegowda, was a chieftain under the Vijayanagara Empire.
  • He is also known as the founder of Bengaluru in the 16th century.
  • He is credited for prohibiting the custom of amputating the last two fingers of the left hand of the unmarried women during "Bandi Devaru", an important custom of Morasu Vokkaligas.
• Alluri Sitarama Raju
  • He is believed to have been born in present-day Andhra Pradesh in 1897-98.
  • At a very young age, Raju channeled the discontent of the hill people in Ganjam, Visakhapatnam and Godavari into a highly effective guerrilla resistance against the British.
  • As the government sought to secure forest lands, colonial rule threatened the tribals' traditional podu (shifting) cultivation.
    • The Forest Act of 1882 prohibited the collection of minor forest products like roots and leaves and tribal people were forced to work for the colonial government.
  • While the tribals were exploited by muttadars (village headmen hired by the colonial government to extract rent), new laws and systems threatened their very way of life.
  • Strong anti-government sentiment, shared by muttadars (dissatisfied with the British curtailment of their powers), erupted into armed resistance - the Rampa or Manyam Rebellion - in August 1922.
    • Several hundred tribals led by Raju attacked several police stations in the Godavari agency.
    • The rebellion, which coincided with Mahatma Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement, lasted until May 1924, when Raju, the charismatic 'Manyam Veerudu' or Hero of the Jungle, was finally apprehended and executed.
• Birsa Munda
  • The Union Cabinet approved the declaration of November 15 as, "Janjatiya Gaurav Divas" to honour the contributions of tribal freedom fighters.
    • November 15 was chosen because it was the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda.
  • In November 2021, the PM inaugurated Bhagwan Birsa Munda Museum in Ranch
    • Under his vision, 10 museums, cherishing the memories of tribal freedom fighters from various states, are also being constructed across the country.
  • Birsa Munda, a member of the Munda Tribe of the Chhota Nagpur Plateau, was an Indian freedom fighter, religious leader, and folk hero.
  • His action is recognised as a powerful symbol of opposition to British authority in India.
  • He was a driving force behind the Bengal Presidency's Millenarian movement (Present-day Jharkhand).
• Maharaja Suheldev
  • In February 2021, Modi laid the foundation stone of Maharaja Suheldev Memorial in Bahraich, UP.
    • Legend has it that when waves of Muslim invaders were sweeping through India, Raja Suheldev of Shravasti gathered together heads of tribes including the Tharu and Banjara, and the rulers of several small estates, to resist the invaders.
    • His army is said to have defeated and killed Ghazi Salar Masud, purportedly a favourite nephew of Mahmud of Ghazni, in battle in Bahraich in 1034 AD.

Source: Indian Express

Why India’s push for millets is yet to gain widespread traction

Context

• A pre-launch celebration of International Year of Millets was held recently in New Delhi.
• It was organised by the Ministries of Agriculture and External Affairs.

Millets

• The word “millets” is used to describe small-grained cereals like sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), foxtail millet (kangni/ Italian millet), little millet (kutki), etc.
• They require much less water than rice and wheat, and are mainly grown in rainfed areas.

Historical background:

• Millets were among the first crops to be domesticated.
• There is evidence for consumption of millets by the Indus valley people (3,000 BC), and several varieties that are now grown around the world were first cultivated in India.
• West Africa, China, and Japan are home to indigenous varieties of the crop.

Millets around the world

• Globally, sorghum (jowar) is the biggest millet crop.
• The major producers of jowar are United States, China, Australia, India, Argentina, Nigeria, and Sudan.
• Bajra is another major millet crop; India and some African countries are major producers.

Significance

• Food security
  • Millets are a climate-friendly crop that can even be grown in drought-hit areas.
  • COVID was a period that reminded the world what a pandemic could do to food security. Hence, experts are highlighting the importance of millets.
• High nutritive value
  • Millets are considered to be powerhouses of nutrition. In April 2018, the Agriculture Ministry declared certain millets as Nutri Cereals for the purposes of production, consumption, and trade
    • These include:
      • Jowar, bajra, ragi/ mandua,
      • the minor millets — kangani/ kakun, cheena, kodo, sawa/ sanwa/ jhangora, and kutki
      • the two pseudo millets, buckwheat (kuttu) and amaranth (chaulai).
  • Millets are more nutritious compared to fine cereals. Millets contain 7-12% protein, 2-5% fat, 65-75% carbohydrates and 15-20% dietary fibre.
• Political significance
  • Millet is grown mainly in low-income and developing countries in Asia and Africa, and are part of the food basket of about 60 crore people across the globe.
  • By proposing the resolution to celebrate 2023 as the International Year of Millets, India pitched itself as a leader of this group.
  • This is similar to the Indian initiative on the 121-nation International Solar Alliance.
• Health benefits
  • Millets reduce Anemia, liver disorders, and Asthma.
  • Their high dietary fiber provides hunger satisfaction and helps reduce obesity and the risk of Type II Diabetes.

Millets in India

Production

• As per the data of Agriculture Ministry, in India, millets are mainly a kharif crop.
• During 2018-19, three millet crops — bajra (3.67%), jowar (2.13%), and ragi (0.48%) — accounted for about 7 per cent of the gross cropped area in the country.
• Jowar is mainly grown in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh.
  • Maharashtra accounted for the largest area and production of jowar during 2020-21.
• Bajra is mainly grown in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
  • Rajasthan accounted to the largest area and production of Bajra during 2020-21.

Millets under PDS

• Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, eligible households are entitled to get rice, wheat, and coarse grain at Rs 3, Rs 2, and Re 1 per kg respectively.
• While the Act does not mention millets, coarse grains are included in the definition of “foodgrains” under Section 2(5) of the NFSA.
• However, the quantity of coarse grains procured for the Central Pool and distributed under the NFSA has been negligible.

Steps taken by the govt.

• The push to distribute coarse grains under the PDS has not gained momentum.
• The Centre has accepted the recommendation of a committee set up by it, that millets be included in the PDS in order to improve nutritional support.
• The government has set a target to procure 13.72 LMT coarse grains during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2022-23, more than double the 6.30 LMT procured during KMS 2021-22.

Year of Millets

• In March, 2021, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
• The proposal was moved by India, and was supported by 72 countries.
• The International Year of Millets will raise awareness about the importance of millets in food security and nutrition.

Source: Indian Express

On November 26, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted our Constitution. Hence, every year we celebrate this day as Constitution or Law Day. India’s Constitution has now endured for almost 73 years.

Did you know?

• The original constitution of India was handwritten by Prem Behari Narain Raizada in a flowing italic style with beautiful calligraphy.
• 2,000 Amendments were made to the 1^st draft of the Constitution before it was finalized.

Circumstances during the Making of the constitution

• Era of constitutional democracies: Constitution-making itself is a relatively unexceptional endeavor. Ginsburg, Elkins and Blount note that in the period from 1789–2005, 806 national constitutions were promulgated.
• Shadow of partition: It was written under extraordinarily difficult conditions, The partition of India which resulted in the displacement of millions of people on both sides of the border.
• Mass death and refugee crisis: Partition was accompanied by mass deaths, devastation, violence, and brutality. Amid all this, as refugees flowed into Delhi, our dual-purpose assembly, a parliament by morning and a constituent body in the afternoon drafted our enduring founding instrument. One that would remain relevant not just for the turbulence of that present, but also would be meaningful for future generations to come.
• A lengthy process: Of the 148 cases, which were randomly chosen from 806, on average, the constitution-making process took 16 months. India’s constitution-making project took about three years from 1946 to 1949.

Legitimacy of the constitution

• Constitution narrates the story of people: It’s not only the text, but also the story crafted of the birth of a constitution that is critical in the internalization of a constitutional order by a people.
• Legitimacy of constitution makers: The drafters deployed the considerable political goodwill enjoyed by key national leaders who were members of the assembly to give legitimacy to the Constitution.
• Egalitarian foundation for decent nation: The Constitution reflects the will of the people, and how its egalitarian foundation would create a better, more decent nation.

Influence of freedom movements on the crafting of the Constitution

• Rise of constitutionalism: The freedom movement and resistance to colonial power was also good training for constitution-crafting. Dietmar Rothmund highlights the unique evolution of Indian constitutionalism, each set of reforms introduced by the British coloniser, while being designed to fulfil certain demands, leads to inspiring new agitations.
• Tilak’s Swaraj Bill of 1895: As the legal historian Rohit De writes, the Constitution, had its inspiration in sources like Tilak’s Swaraj Bill of 1895 (which included rights to free speech, free press, equality before law) and the Declaration of Rights of 1918 (where the Indian National Congress demanded that civil and political rights to include the right to life and liberty, freedom of press and association and for all this to be included in the Government of India Act 1919).
• Resolution of Fundamental Rights and Economic Changes:
  • Constitutional development that drew from the Resolution of Fundamental Rights and Economic Changes at the Karachi Session of the Congress in 1931. This resolution argues that “in order to end exploitation of the masses, political freedom must include economic freedom”.
  • Along with fundamental rights, it provided for ending of bonded and child labour, free primary education, expansion of labour welfare, regime protection labour unions, women workers, providing for redistribution of resources through state control over key industries and national resources, recognizing the communal problem and laying out protection of minority rights.

Consensus based approach

• It was also the consensus-oriented method that found favor with the Constituent Assembly that has helped our Constitution endure.
• The framers appreciated the link between consensus in adoption and the legitimacy of the Constitution. For instance, when debating the adoption of Hindi as a national language, Rajendra Prasad, president of the Constituent Assembly, said that the choice of national language would have to be “carried out by the whole country”.
• Even if a majority of the Assembly made a choice that was not approved by a section of the people, then, implementation of the Constitution would be rendered perilous. Hence, Hindi was made “the official language of the Union”, while English was retained to be used for all “official purposes”.

Conclusion

• India’s drafters and the methodologies they adopted to craft their glorious product, hold lessons for contemporary politicians and law makers. Consensus, craft and vision are invaluable while making an instrument to endure.

Source: Indian Express

The Union Minister of Environment Forest and Climate Change recently addressed the special meeting of UN Country Team (UNCT) on CoP 27.

About:

• The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) exists in 132 countries, covering all of the 162 countries where there are United Nations programmes.
• The UNCT includes all the UN entities working on sustainable development, emergency, recovery and transition in programme countries.
• The UNCT is led by the UN Resident Coordinator, who is the representative of the UN Secretary-General in a given country.
• The UNCT ensures interagency coordination and decision-making at the country level. The goal is to plan and work together, as part of the Resident Coordinator system, to ensure the delivery of tangible results in support of the development agenda of the Government, including the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework—which guides the UN country team’s development programme cycle, in joint agreement with the host government.

The Resident Coordinator System

• It ensures the coordination of all organizations of the United Nations dealing with operational activities for development at the country level, regardless of the nature of their presence in the country.
• It encompasses the UN Resident Coordinator, the UN Country Team and Resident Coordinator’s Office and is served by the UN Development Coordination Office.

Source: PIB

Context

India wins the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Vice Presidency and Strategic Management Board (SMB) Chair for the 2023-25 term.

About:

• IEC is an international standard-setting body that publishes international Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies. These are known collectively as “electrotechnology”.
• It is a global, not-for-profit membership organization that brings together 173 countries and coordinates the work of 20 000 experts globally. It was founded in London and held its first meeting on 26 and 27 June 1906.
• IEC Standards provide instructions, guidelines, rules or definitions that are then used to design, manufacture, install, test and certify, maintain and repair electrical and electronic devices and systems.
• Standardization Management Board (SMB) is an apex governance body of IEC responsible for technical policy matters.

Source: PIB

GS-III

Y 12705 (Mormugao)

Context

Y 12705 (Mormugao), the second ship of Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyers being built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), was delivered to the Indian Navy recently.

• The ship is 163 meters long and 17 meters wide, displaces 7400 tonnes when fully loaded, and has a maximum speed of 30 knots.
• Apart from myriad indigenous equipment in the ‘Float’ and ‘Move’ categories, the destroyer is also installed with the under-mentioned major indigenous weapons. The overall indigenous content of the project is approx. 75%.
  • Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (BEL, Bangalore)
  • BrahMos Surface-to-Surface Missiles (BrahMos Aerospace, New Delhi)
  • Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai)
  • Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai)
  • 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (BHEL, Haridwar)

Project 15B

• Project 15B (P15B) / Visakhapatnam-class is the latest destroyer design currently under construction for the Indian Navy.
• These ships have been designed indigenously by the Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design, New Delhi. Each ship spans 163 meters in length and 17.4 meters in beam and displaces 7,300 tonnes.
• These ships will be propelled by four gas turbines to achieve speed in excess of 30 knots.
• According to the Indian Navy, the P15B destroyers incorporate new design concepts for improved survivability, seakeeping, stealth, and maneuverability.

Source: PIB

• Several States, including some governed by the Centre urged to rein in its reliance on raising revenues through cesses and surcharges which reduce their share in the divisible pool of taxes.

What are Cesses and Surcharges?

• The Union government has the authority to collect money through a variety of levies referred to as a tax, fee, cess, and surcharge.

(A) Cess

• Cess is charged on the tax amount and is levied for a specific purpose.
• In India, cess is applicable to all the taxpayers, and it is calculated over, and above the base tax liability of the taxpayer, cess taxes initially go to the consolidated fund of India (CFI) that has to be used for the purpose for which it was collected.
• Education Cess, Swachh Bharat Cess

(B) Surcharge

• The surcharge is levied on the tax payable and not on the total income.
• It directly goes to the CFI, and after that it can be used for any purpose, just like the normal tax.
• Surcharge applies to the taxpayer whose income is more than Rs 50 lakh.
• In simple terms, surcharge is a tax on tax that is not collected for any particular cause, and the union government may use the proceeds of surcharges for any purpose it sees as important.
• The objective behind the surcharge is to put a high tax burden on people with high incomes.

Difference between the two

• The rate of cess under income tax is fixed at 4%, whereas the rate of surcharges varies from 10%, 15%, 25% & 37% based on the taxpayers’ total income.
• Cess is calculated on total tax and surcharge amount; surcharge is calculated on total tax amount only.
• In a nutshell, while both are taxes, cess is collected from every taxpayer to meet a certain purpose, and the surcharge is an additional tax collected from the taxpayers who have higher slab income.

Key difference over which states dispute

• Major difference is that each can be shared with the state government, the surcharge can be kept with CFI, and it can be utilised for other taxes.
• However, cess should be utilised for a particular reason. This restricts the states expenditure.
• Tamil Nadu noted that the share of cesses and surcharges had grown from 10.4% of gross tax revenue in 2011-12 to 26.7% in 2021-22.
• This has deprived the States of their legitimate share of revenue collected by the Union Government.

Source: The Hindu

Context

The Russian state-owned nuclear energy corporation Rosatom has offered a more advanced fuel option to India’s largest nuclear power station at Kudankulam, which will allow its reactors to run for an extended 2-year cycle without stopping to load fresh fuel.

What is the news?

• Rosatom’s nuclear fuel division, TVEL Fuel Company, is the current supplier of TVS – 2 M fuel for the two VVER 1,000 MWe reactors generating power in the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP).
• This fuel has an 18-month fuel cycle, meaning that the reactor has to be stopped for fresh fuel loading every one-and-a-half years.
• TVEL has now offered the more modern Advanced Technology Fuel (ATF), whose fuel cycle is a whopping 24 months.

Benefits of the move

• This fuel will ensure more efficiency and additional power generation due to the prolonged operation of the reactor.
• It will result in sizable savings of the foreign exchange need to buy fresh fuel assemblies from Russia.

What is the Nuclear Fuel Cycle?

• The nuclear fuel cycle consists of front-end steps that prepare uranium for use in nuclear reactors and back-end steps to safely manage, prepare, and dispose of used—or spent—but still highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel.
• Uranium is the most widely used fuel by nuclear power plants for nuclear fission.
• Nuclear power plants use a certain type of uranium—U-235—as fuel because its atoms are easily split apart.
• Although uranium is about 100 times more common than silver, U-235 is relatively rare at just over 0.7% of natural uranium.

Steps involved in fuel enrichment

• Uranium concentrate is separated from uranium ore at uranium mills or from a slurry at in-situ leaching facilities.
• It is then processed in conversion and enrichment facilities, which increases the level of U-235 to 3%–5% for commercial nuclear reactors, and made into reactor fuel pellets and fuel rods in reactor fuel fabrication plants.
• Nuclear fuel is loaded into reactors and used until the fuel assemblies become highly radioactive and must be removed for temporary storage and eventual disposal.
• Chemical processing of spent fuel material to recover any remaining product that could undergo fission again in a new fuel assembly is technically feasible.

Source: The Hindu