UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 27th October 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Baba Farid and India’s Connection to Jerusalem

Subject:- Art and Culture

Why in News?

Amidst the timeless and contentious history of Jerusalem, India’s enduring presence is manifested through the Indian Hospice—a two-story stone building nestled within the city’s ancient walls.

• The hospice, established in the 12th century, stands as a testament to the 800-year-old connection between India and Jerusalem.

Baba Farid’s Hospice

• Baba Farid's Spiritual Journey: Legend has it that Baba Farid, a highly esteemed Sufi saint hailing from Punjab, undertook a 40-day meditation at this location.
• Influence on Indian Muslims: His spiritual odyssey had a profound impact, inspiring Indian Muslims making their way to Mecca to include a visit to Jerusalem in their pilgrimage for prayer.
• Evolution into a Shrine: As time passed, this place transformed into a revered shrine and a place of hospitality, extending a warm welcome to Indian travelers and pilgrims.

Who was Baba Farid?

• Baba Farid, born in 1173 CE, hailed from a family that migrated from Kabul to Punjab. He was born near Shakarganj, close to Multan in present-day Pakistan.
• Sufi Connection: Baba Farid was an adherent of the Chishti Order. Notably, he was one of the initial Sufi saints to craft verses in the Punjabi language.
• Influence on Sikhism: A significant portion of Baba Farid's verses has been incorporated into the Guru Granth Sahib, which stands as the sacred scripture of the Sikh faith.

Evolution of the Indian Hospice

• Baba Farid's Residence: Baba Farid resided in a modest dwelling located at one of Jerusalem's gates, known as Bab-az-Zahra for Muslims and Herod's Gate for Christians.
• Location Description: This lodging was situated within a khanqah, which served as a multifunctional structure for Sufi orders, serving as both seminaries and hospices.
• Enduring Connection: The lodge's affiliation with India remained intact despite changing rulers, which included Christian crusaders, Mamluks, and Ottomans.

Hospice through the Ages

• Prominence during Ottoman Rule: The lodge remained prominent during Ottoman rule, predominantly under the leadership of sheikhs from South Asia.
• Shift during Ottoman Dissolution: As the Ottoman Empire began to dissolve in 1919, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Amin Al-Husayni, took charge, initiating extensive renovations. He sought support from Muslim patrons worldwide, including Indian princely states.
• Renovation by Khwaja Nazir Hasan Ansari: In 1921, Khwaja Nazir Hasan Ansari from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, undertook the renovation of the lodge. It became a sanctuary for travellers and pilgrims from British India, even offering refuge to soldiers during World War II in 1939.

Indian Hospice’s Association with Independent India

• Post-Independence Recognition: After India gained independence, Nazir Ansari sought official recognition from the Indian embassy in Egypt, solidifying the lodge’s Indian identity.
• Resilience through Challenges: The hospice faced challenges, including rocket strikes in 1952 and the Six-Day War in 1967.
• Diverse Functions: Over time, the Indian Hospice expanded to host the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the Jerusalem Health Centre.

Diplomatic and Cultural Significance

• Meeting Place for Dignitaries: In 2000, the hospice hosted a meeting between former Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh and Palestinian leader Faisal Husseini.
• Integral Diplomatic Destination: Every Indian diplomat or visiting dignitary includes a visit to the hospice.
• Sheikh Mohammad Munir Ansari: Sheikh Mohammad Munir Ansari, born in Jerusalem in 1928, administers the hospice and received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (Overseas Indian Award) from the Government of India in 2011.

Glimpse of India in Jerusalem

• Ownership and Accessibility: The property is under the ownership of Waqf Board of India, accessible solely to individuals of Indian citizenship or heritage.
• Facilities: The hospice offers guest rooms, a mosque, a library, a dining hall, and a kitchen, encouraging guests to manage their cooking and laundry.
• Ansari Family’s Dedication: The Ansari family diligently maintains the hospice, extending hospitality and preserving a piece of India in the heart of Jerusalem.

Source: Indian Express

Bering Sea

Subject:- Geography

Why in News?

A recent study links a decline in sea ice moving from the Arctic to the Bering Sea in the north Pacific Ocean to an increased occurrence of wildfire hazards in northeast China.

About Bering Sea:

• Location: The Bering Sea is a marginal sea at the northernmost part of the Pacific Ocean, separating Asia and North America.
• Geography:
  • To the north, it connects to the Arctic Ocean via the Bering Strait, with the narrowest point being about 53 miles (85 kilometers) wide.
  • It's bordered by the US state of Alaska to the east and northeast, Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula and the Far Eastern region to the west, and the Aleutian Islands to the south.
  • The US-Russia boundary passes through the sea and the strait.
• Division: The Bering Sea can be divided into two distinct parts:
  • A shallow area along the continental shelf in the northern and eastern regions.
  • A deeper area in the southwestern part.
• Bering Strait: This relatively shallow passage is about 100 to 165 feet (30 to 50 meters) deep.
• Canyons: There are approximately 16 submarine canyons in the Bering Sea. The most prominent one is the Zhemchug Canyon, which is the world's largest and deepest submarine canyon.
• Rivers: Two rivers, the Anadyr and the Yukon Rivers, drain into the Bering Sea.
• Islands: In addition to the Aleutian and Komandor groups, several other significant islands are found in the sea and strait, including Nunivak, St. Lawrence, and Nelson islands in Alaskan waters and Karagin Island in Russian waters.
• Seasonal Migration: During spring in the Bering Strait, one of the largest migrations on Earth occurs, with millions of birds and hundreds of thousands of marine mammals following retreating sea ice north through the Bering Strait.

Source: PIB

GS-II

APAAR: One Nation, One Student ID Initiative  

Subject:- Polity

Why in News?

Recently, state governments in India have initiated the process of obtaining parental consent for the issuance of a revolutionary student identity card known as the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR).

• This move is a crucial component of the ‘One nation, One Student ID’ initiative, a brainchild of the Union government, which emanates from the National Education Policy of 2020.

What is APAAR?

• What is it? : APAAR serves as a unique identification system for all students across India, commencing from early childhood.
• Lifelong Student ID: Every student is assigned a lifelong APAAR ID, simplifying the tracking of academic progress from pre-primary education through higher education.
• Gateway to Digilocker: APAAR functions as a gateway to Digilocker, a digital repository where students can securely store crucial documents, including exam results and report cards, for convenient access during future endeavours such as higher education or job applications.

How does APAAR ID function?

• Unique Identification: Each individual receives a unique APAAR ID, linked to the Academic Bank Credit (ABC), a digital repository housing a student’s earned credits throughout their academic journey.
• Seamless Data Transfer: When students change schools, whether within the state or to another state, their data in the ABC is seamlessly transferred to the new school by sharing the APAAR ID, eliminating the need for physical document submission.
• All-Inclusive Repository: APAAR allows students to store certificates and credits from both formal and informal learning experiences, with digital certification from authorized institutions.

Rationale behind APAAR

• Streamlined Education: APAAR’s introduction aims to streamline education processes, reducing the burden on students to carry physical documents.
• NEP 2020 Initiative: This initiative was launched as part of the National Education Policy 2020 by the Ministry of Education.
• Empowering State Governments: APAAR empowers state governments to monitor literacy rates, dropout rates, and educational improvements effectively.
• Combatting Fraud: It seeks to combat fraud and the proliferation of duplicate educational certificates by providing a single, reliable reference for educational institutions, ensuring authenticity through first-party verification.

How to get an APAAR ID?

• Registration Process: To enrol for APAAR, students provide basic details such as name, age, date of birth, gender, and a photograph, all of which are verified using their Aadhar number.
• Aadhar Authentication: The Aadhaar number is used solely for verification purposes to match the name and date of birth, with no sharing of this data during registration.
• Parental Consent for Minors: For minors, parental consent is mandatory for using the student’s Aadhar number for authentication with UIDAI.
• Voluntary Registration: Registration for creating an APAAR ID is voluntary, not mandatory.

Concerns surrounding APAAR

• Data Security Concerns: Parents and students express concerns about sharing their Aadhar details, fearing potential leaks of personal information to external parties.
• Government Assurance: The government assures that shared information will remain confidential and will only be disclosed to entities engaged in educational activities, including UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus), scholarships, academic record maintenance, educational institutions, and recruitment agencies.
• Data Control: Students retain the option to cease sharing their information with these entities at any time, with a halt in data processing. However, previously processed data remains unaffected if consent is withdrawn.

Source:- Indian Express

Management & Entrepreneurship and Professional Skills Council (MEPSC)

Subject:- International Relations

Why in News?

Management & Entrepreneurship and Professional Skills Council (MEPSC) recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Magic Bus India Foundation, a leading non-profit organisation in the education and skilling space.

About the Management & Entrepreneurship and Professional Skills Council (MEPSC):

• MEPSC is a horizontal Sector Skill Council (SSC) incorporated as a Section-8 (Not for Profit Company) under the Companies Act, 2013, in a one of its kind, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
• The Council has been working under the tutelage of the Ministry of Skill Development.
• It is being promoted by All India Management Association (AIMA), the apex body of management profession in India, as its sole promoter.
• MEPSC is recognised as an awarding body by the skills regulator, the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), and is supported by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).
• MEPSC is targeting to train and certify approximately 4.75 lakh trainees, develop and frame 50 Qualifications Packs (QPs)/National Occupational Standards (NOS), and train more than 550 trainers over the next 10 years.
• MEPSC shall lead skill development initiatives in five key segments, namely
  • Training and Assessment
  • Office Management
  • Professional skills (including Security)
  • Non-Teaching job roles in the education Sector
  • Entrepreneurship
• The MEPSC Board is comprised of several equally renowned and experienced business leaders, academicians, NSDC, AIMA, and Ministry officials.

Key Facts about the All India Management Association (AIMA):

• AIMA was created as an apex body of the management profession with the active support of the Government of India and Industry in 1957.
• AIMA is a not-for-profit, non-lobbying organisation, working closely with industry, government, academia, and students to further the cause of the management profession in India.
• AIMA has a membership base of over 38,000 members and close to 6,000 corporate /institutional members through 67 local management Associations affiliated with AIMA.
• It is represented in a number of policy-making bodies of the Government of India and national associations.
• AIMA offers various services in the areas of testing, distance education, skill development & training, research, publications, executive education, and management development programmes.
• Apart from its flagship Post Graduate Diploma in Management, AIMA offers topical and industry-oriented programmes and initiatives to help management professionals and students keep in step with the times while offering state of the art business solutions for organisations and institutions.
• AIMA is frequently co-opted by the government on specialised committees.
• AIMA is an active member of the Asian Association of Management Organisations (AAMO), which is the Asia-Pacific regional body of the World Management Council (CIOS).

Source: AIR

India- Qatar Diplomatic Conundrum

Subject: International Relations

Why in News?

The recent verdict of the death penalty for eight Indian Navy officials in Qatar has sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles.

• The Indian MEA expressed deep shock and initiated a quest for legal remedies.

What is the case about?

• Arrest Details: The Indian Embassy learned about their arrests in mid-September the previous year.
• Consular Access: The first consular access was granted on October 3, more than a month after their detention.
• Solitary Confinement: While the specific charges were never disclosed publicly, the detainees’ confinement in solitary cells hinted at possible security-related offences.

India-Qatar Relations

• Historical Relations: India and Qatar have maintained friendly relations for decades. PM Manmohan Singh’s visit to Qatar in 2008 marked a significant turning point, followed by reciprocal visits from the Emir of Qatar and PM Narendra Modi.
• Economic Ties: The bilateral trade between India and Qatar, valued at $15 billion, primarily involves LNG and LPG exports from Qatar to India.
• Defence Cooperation: Defence cooperation is a key component of India-Qatar ties, with the India-Qatar Defence Cooperation Agreement serving as a pivotal milestone.

Challenges in the Relationship

• Religious Controversy: In June 2022, a controversy involving derogatory remarks about the Prophet on a TV show led to tension between India and Qatar. Qatar demanded a public apology, which India addressed by swiftly sacking the individual responsible.
• Recent shift-overs: The imprisonment of the eight ex-Navy personnel constitutes the second significant challenge. It took India by surprise in a country where a large Indian expatriate community resides, making India-Qatar relations a sensitive issue.

Why does Qatar matter to India?

• Expatriate Community: Indians constitute the largest expatriate community in Qatar, with approximately 800,000 individuals working and living there.
• Remittances: The flow of remittances from Qatar and the safety of Indian citizens make Qatar vital for India’s interests.
• Energy Security: Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India, making it critical for India’s energy security.
• GCC Membership: Qatar’s membership in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is strategically significant for India, especially concerning issues like Kashmir.
• UNSC Support: India’s bid for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council requires support from countries like Qatar.
• Business Presence: Several Indian companies, including Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, Wipro, MahindraTech, and Larsen & Toubro Limited, operate in Qatar.
• Stability in the Gulf: The stability of the Gulf region is of paramount importance to India’s energy and maritime security.

Conclusion

• The detention and sentencing of eight Indian nationals in Qatar have posed a complex diplomatic challenge for India.
• Against the backdrop of India-Qatar relations, this incident underscores the importance of navigating cultural sensitivities and geopolitical dynamics to secure the release of these individuals.

Source: Indian Express

GS-III

Lorrainosaurus

Subject: Science and Technology

Why in News?

The fossils of a 170-million-year-old ancient marine reptile named ‘Lorrainosaurus’ from the Age of Dinosaurs have been recently identified as the oldest-known mega-predatory pliosaur.

About Lorrainosaurus:

• It is the oldest mega-predatory pliosaur.
• It lived during the ancient Middle Jurassic era in marine environments.
• The regions in which it lived 170 million years ago are now located in northern France.
• This giant reptile probably reached over 6 meters from snout to tail.
• The animal had jaws over 1.3 m long with large conical teeth and a bulky ‘torpedo-shaped’ body propelled by four flipper-like limbs.
• They were ecological equivalents of today’s killer whales and would have eaten a range of prey, including squid-like cephalopods, large fish, and other marine reptiles.

What are pliosaurs?

• Pliosaurs were a type of short-necked plesiosaur: marine reptiles built for speed compared to their long-necked cousins.
• Also known as pliosauroids, these creatures were not dinosaurs but distant cousins of modern turtles.
• They had four large flippers, large heads, extremely powerful jaws, and enormous teeth, and they hunted fish, cephalopod mollusks, and other marine reptiles.
• They lived between 220 million years ago (Triassic period) and 70 million years ago (Cretaceous period) and were mostly found in the prehistoric seas that covered modern-day Europe.
• Famous examples, such as Pliosaurus and Kronosaurus, some of the world’s largest pliosaurs, were absolutely enormous, with body lengths exceeding 10 m.

Source: The Hindu

Indian Oil launches country’s first Reference Fuel

Subject: Economics

Why in News?

India has marked a significant milestone in its quest for self-reliance with the commencement of ‘reference’ petrol and diesel production.

• This specialized fuel, crucial for automobile calibration and testing, has been indigenously developed by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), reducing the nation’s dependence on costly imports.

• Octane Number Distinction: Unlike regular and premium fuels with octane numbers of 87 and 91, reference-grade fuel boasts an impressive octane number of 97. The octane number measures the ignition quality of petrol or diesel.
• Stringent Specifications: ‘Reference’ petrol and diesel adhere to a host of stringent specifications, encompassing parameters like cetane number, flash point, viscosity, sulphur and water content, hydrogen purity, and acid number, as mandated by government regulations.
• Emission Testing: These specialized fuels are indispensable for emission testing of vehicles equipped with spark ignition engines.

• Reduced Import Costs: While imported ‘reference’ fuel costs approximately Rs 800-850 per litre, domestic production slashes the cost to approximately Rs 450 per litre, providing a significant cost advantage.
• Critical for Auto Industry: ‘Reference’ fuels, characterized by higher specifications, are vital for calibrating and testing vehicles by automobile manufacturers and agencies such as the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) and the Automotive Research Association of India.
• Innovation by IOC: The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has achieved a breakthrough by creating indigenous alternatives, ensuring a dependable supply of reference fuel at a significantly lower cost to support vehicle manufacturers and testing agencies.

• Boosting Make in India: The production of ‘reference’ fuel domestically underscores India’s indigenous technical capabilities, bolstering the Make in India initiative.
• Export Prospects: After catering to domestic demand, IOC intends to explore export opportunities for reference fuel.

• Four-Pronged Energy Security: The Indian government has adopted a four-pronged energy security strategy to achieve energy independence by 2047. It involves diversifying energy supplies, expanding exploration and production, leveraging alternate energy sources, and embracing a gas-based economy, green hydrogen, and electric vehicles (EVs).
• Ethanol Blending: India has advanced the rollout of petrol blended with 20 percent ethanol to 2025, accelerating its commitment to reduce emissions. The target of 12 percent ethanol blending has been achieved, with plans to reach 20 percent by the end of 2025.

• India’s achievement in producing ‘reference’ fuel domestically is a testament to its technical prowess and commitment to self-reliance.
• This development not only reduces import costs but also bolsters the nation’s automotive industry and contributes to environmental sustainability.
• It reflects India’s dedication to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat mission, serving as a model for self-sufficiency in specialized sectors.

Source: Indian Express