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

GS-I

Vizhinjam International Seaport

Subject: Indian Geography

Why in News?

Docking of first ship at Vizhinjam port to be delayed by 10 days.

About Vizhinjam International Seaport:

• Location: It is located at Vizhinjam, a coastal town in Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala.
• It is designed primarily to cater to container transhipment besides multi-purpose and break bulk cargo. 
• It is developed in a landlord model with a Public Private Partnership component on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer (“DBFOT”) basis. 
• The private partner, the Concessionaire M/s Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited has, commenced the construction on 5th December 2015.
• The Port is merely a 10 NM diversion from the international east-west shipping route and is also close to the national/regional road and rail network.
• There would be about 30 berths, most of which would be capable of handling Mother Vessels.
• Significance:
  • It is the only transhipment hub in the Indian subcontinent, closest to the international shipping routes, and is centrally located on the Indian coastline.
  • Around 95 per cent of India’s foreign trade is conducted through the sea route. In value terms, this works out to 70 per cent of the foreign trade.
  • Nearly 30 percent of the freight movement takes place through the international shipping route South of the Indian peninsula, which passes 10 nautical miles off Vizhinjam.
  • Currently, India does not have a deep-water container transhipment terminal and depends on Colombo, Singapore and Salalah ports.
  • This results in a significant loss of foreign currency and revenue, estimated to be about Rs 2,500 crore a year. 

Source: Indian Express

Mewar-style painting

Subject: Art and Culture

Why in News?

Recently, a Mewar-style Mahabharata painted by a Muslim was discovered in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

Background:-

• A trunk in a dingy room in Udaipur’s City Palace had been sheltering thousands of miniature paintings of the Mahabharata, painted by Allah Baksh between 1680 and 1698.
• In The Mahabharata by Baksh, they highlight how literature undergoes constant reinterpretation through centuries and millennia.
• A 300-year-old text, in this Baksh’s illustrations is not a Sanskrit Mahabharata but a Rajasthani one.
• It is not painted by a Muslim but by a proponent of the Mewari school of thought, in such a manner that when one sees the paintings, and visualizes Mewari culture in its entirety.

About Mewar-style painting:-

• Timeline: 17th and 18th centuries.
• Mewar painting is one of the most important schools of Indian miniature painting.
• It is a school in the Rajasthani style.
• It developed in the Hindu principality of Mewar (Udaipur).

Salient features:-

• It is characterized by simple bright colour and direct emotional appeal.
• The earliest dated manuscript associated with the Mewar school of Rajput painting is the Chawand Ragamala series (1605), painted by the artist Nasiruddin.
• Most of the paintings of this series are in the collection of Shri Gopi Krishna Kanoria.
• The expressive and vigorous style continued with some variations through 1680 in the region, after which time Mughal influence became more apparent.
• An increasing number of paintings were concerned with portraiture and the life of the ruler though religious themes were popular.
• The Mewar school of miniature painting, is renowned for vibrant colors and intricate narratives within a single frame.
• These paintings provide historical insights, including details like sword storage, turban styles, and the occasions celebrated during the depicted times. (Mural Art)

Famous artists of Mewari school of painting:-

• Allah Baksh: Allah Baksh, a notable Mewari painter during Maharana Jai Singh’s reign (1653-98), is renowned for creating comprehensive depictions of the entire Mahabharata and including every shloka of the Gita.
• Sahibdin: In the later half of the seventeenth century, during the reigns of Raj Singh and Jai Singh, portraiture gained prominence in Mewar.

Source: The Print

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

Subject: Art and Culture

Why in News?

Recently, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture has presented the ‘359^th Report on the Functioning of ASI’ before the Parliament.

What is ASI?

• Premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.
• Ministry - Ministry of Culture
• Prime functions – Custodian of all Centrally Protected Monuments (CPM) in India.
• Maintenance of ancient monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national importance.
• The recently added Hoysala Temples in Karnataka and Santiniketan in West Bengal in UNESCO World Heritage List were conserved and protected by ASI.
• Regulating functions – It regulates all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the,
  • Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
  • Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.
  • Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) (Amendment) Act, 2010.
• Takes actions against encroachments and issues demolition orders to the Collector requesting for the demolition of the encroachments.

What are recommendations of the parliamentary committee?

• To rationalise the list – Centrally Protected Monuments (CPM) list should be categorised on the basis of their national significance, unique architectural value and specific heritage content.
• This is based on government’s decolonisation agenda where monuments glorifying colonial era would be taken out while that reflecting Indian ethos will be included in the list.
• Deletion of some of the kosminars (milestones of Mughal era) may also be considered in the way of road-widening exercises.
• Ease restrictions around monuments – The provision of 100-metre prohibited area and 300-metre regulated area around ASI protected monuments leads to public inconvenience.
• In some cases, the entire village is within a radius of 300 metres, making it difficult for them to repair their residential houses.
• Fixing ASI’s core mandate – The committee recommended the ASI to
  • Develop preservation plans for all its work, especially before excavations.
  • Establish clear strategies for documenting findings, conserving artefacts, and restoring structures to ensure minimal impact on the site’s integrity
  • Focus on areas that have the potential of historical significance and contribute to a deeper understanding of India’s rich past
  • Use advanced technologies such as LiDAR, ground-penetrating radar and 3D scanning
• Some of these techniques were recently used inside the Gyanvapi complex in Varanasi by the ASI for its court-mandated non-invasive survey.
• It also advised bifurcation of the ASI where the ASI can look after the core mandate while the India Heritage Development Corporation (IHDC) can deal with ASI’s revenue.
• Prioritising conservation – On the backdrop of the CAG report which had declared 92 CPMs as missing, the committee recommend ASI to prioritise the physical security of all CPMs.
• It said that ASI should maintain digital log books that include textual and photographic/ video records with location coordinates to check encroachment of any CPMs at an early stage.
• Enhance financial resources – The panel said that India spends a little amount on the protection and upkeep of monuments.

Source: Indian Express

GS-II

India Post Payments Bank Limited (IPPB)

Subject: Polity

Why in News?

India Post Payments Bank Limited (IPPB) has released admit cards for the IPPB Executive Exam 2023 recently.

About India Post Payments Bank Limited (IPPB):-

• Launched: 2018.
• Governed by: Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• It was launched with 100% equity owned by the Government of India.
• It is a payments bank of the Indian postal department.
• It works through a network of post offices and nearly 4 lakh postmen.
• Objective: to build the most accessible, affordable, and trusted bank for the common man in India.
• Focus group: While its services are available to all citizens, the IPPB is primarily focusing on serving social sector beneficiaries, migrant laborers, un-organized sector, Micro Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Panchayats, low-income households, in rural areas and the unbanked and under-banked segments in both the rural and urban areas.
• IPPB offers services through a mix of physical and digital platforms.

Functions of IPPB:-

• It accepts deposits and offers remittance services, mobile banking, and third-party fund transfers.
• It offers 3 types of saving accounts:
  • Regular Account – Safal,
  • Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account (BSBDA) – Sugam and
  • BSBDA Small – Saral
• The maximum limit on deposits for current and savings accounts is Rs 1 lakh.
• The bank offers a 4% interest rate on savings accounts.
• They can issue debit cards and ATM cards.
• It cannot issue credit cards.
• It cannot loan money.
• It provides social security payments like MNREGA wages, and direct benefit transfer and gives access to third-party services insurance, and mutual funds.
• IPPB account holders will be issued a QR code-based biometric card with a unique QR code.

Significance:-

• IPPB is committed to providing a fillip to a less cash economy and contributing to the vision of Digital India.

Source: Times of India

Production-Linked Incentives (PLI) Schemes and its Implications

Subject: Governance

Why in News?

According to the recent study conducted by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), despite the production-linked incentive scheme, manufacturing telecom hardware in India is 12-13% costlier than China.

• Indian Networking and Telecom Equipment Manufacturing (NATEM) companies face relative cost disability up to 13.32% in comparison to the companies operating in China and up to 22% in comparison to the companies operating in Vietnam.
  • In case PLI benefits are not considered, the relative cost disability goes further up by at least 4%.
• TRAI observed that China offers programmes like “High- and New-Technology Enterprise (HNTE)” and “Made in China 2025” that provide multiple benefits to companies engaged in technological fields, including electronics production.
• But In India, subsidy schemes focus on providing incentives on the number of finished goods produced.
  • The regulatory authority has recommended the Union government to move beyond the PLI schemes.

About Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI):

• The PLI scheme was conceived to scale up domestic manufacturing capability, accompanied by higher import substitution and employment generation.
• Launched: March 2020
• Initially targeted three industries but later it was extended to 14 sectors:
  • Mobile and allied Component Manufacturing
  • Electrical Component Manufacturing and
  • Medical Devices.

Targeted Sectors:

• The 14 sectors are mobile manufacturing, manufacturing of medical devices, automobiles and auto components, pharmaceuticals, drugs, specialty steel, telecom & networking products, electronic products, white goods (ACs and LEDs), food products, textile products, solar PV modules, advanced chemistry cell (ACC) battery, and drones and drone components.

Salient features of the scheme:

• Output-oriented: The schemes are output-oriented rather than input-based.
  • They reward manufacturers for increasing their production and sales rather than for investing in capital or infrastructure.
• Time-bound: The schemes are time-bound and have a sunset clause.
  • They are valid for a period of five to six years depending on the sector.
• Performance-based: The schemes are performance-based and have a graded incentive structure.
  • The incentive rate varies according to the category of the manufacturer (domestic or foreign), the level of value addition, the type of product and the year of operation.
• Flexible: The schemes are flexible and allow manufacturers to choose their own base year, investment plan and production targets within the prescribed guidelines.
• Aligned with the national priorities: The schemes are aligned with the national priorities and strategic sectors.
  • They aim to reduce import dependence, promote innovation and R&D, create employment opportunities and enhance India’s share in the global value chain.

Significance achievements of the PLI Scheme:

• Increased export growth: Under the PLI scheme, sectors such as electronics, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, white goods, and textiles have witnessed significant growth in exports.
  • For example, exports of electronic goods increased by 57.36 percent during March 2023 at USD 2.86 Billion as compared to USD 1.82 Billion in March 2022.
• Employment creation: The PLI scheme has played a crucial role in generating employment opportunities across sectors.
  • For example, the drone manufacturing sector alone is expected to create more than 10,000 direct jobs, while the textile sector is estimated to create over 7.5 lakh additional jobs
• Incremental production and investments: The PLI scheme has stimulated incremental production and investments in targeted sectors.
  • It is expected to bring in incremental investment of Rs 7,920 crore and incremental production worth Rs 1,68,000 crore.
• Attracting investments: The PLI scheme has successfully attracted both domestic and foreign investments in various sectors.
  • Companies have shown interest in setting up manufacturing facilities in India to leverage the incentives provided by the scheme.
  • For instance, The 20 automobile companies have proposed a total investment of around Rs. 45,000 crores (US$ 5.95 billion).
• Improving India’s Global Manufacturing Rankings: India’s efforts towards manufacturing growth, including the PLI scheme, have been recognized globally.
  • India secured second position after China in the Global Manufacturing Risk Index 2021, reflecting the progress made in the manufacturing sector.
• Contribution to GDP: The PLI scheme is expected to have a positive impact on India’s GDP.
  • It is estimated to add 1.7% to the country’s GDP by 2027, generating significant economic growth and contributing to overall prosperity.

Challenges associated with the schemes:

• Lack of a Centralized Database: The lack of a centralized database that captures information like increase in production or exports, number of new jobs created etc. make the evaluation process an administrative complexities.
  • This information ambiguity impacts transparency and can lead to malfeasance, further widening the fault lines and weakening the policy structure.
• Coordinated approach: The schemes require a coordinated approach among various ministries, departments, agencies and stakeholders to avoid duplication, overlap or conflict of policies and regulations.
  • The government needs to harmonize the PLI schemes with other existing or proposed schemes such as Make in India, Digital India, Startup India, etc.
• Supportive ecosystem: The schemes require a supportive ecosystem of infrastructure, logistics, finance, skilling and market access to enable the manufacturers to scale up their production and exports.
  • The government needs to address the bottlenecks and gaps in these areas through reforms and investments.
• Dynamic and responsive design: The schemes require a dynamic and responsive design to adapt to the changing market conditions and consumer preferences. The government needs to review and revise the PLI schemes periodically based on feedback from the manufacturers and other stakeholders.
• WTO Constraints: WTO rules prevent India from tying PLI subsidies to domestic value addition.
  • Although India’s aspiration to make chips is sound, chips are complex components.
  • The absence of significant domestic value addition likely stems from these constraints.

Way Forward:

The PLI schemes are a bold and ambitious step by the Govt to revitalize the manufacturing sector and make India a global hub for production and innovation thereby promoting employment generation, increase exports and decrease imports. Therefore the success of these schemes depends on their effective implementation and coordination among various actors. If done well, these schemes can transform India’s economic landscape and create a new wave of growth and development.

Source: The Hindu

Role of Sports in the Soft Power Race

Subject: International Relations

Why in News?

The day before the opening of 19^th Asian Games, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur cancelled his visit to China as a mark of protest to the last-minute denial of entry to three Indian Wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh.

• The three athletes — Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu — were given the accreditation needed to travel along with the rest of the Indian team for the Games.

About soft power:

• Joseph Nye Jr., a political scientist coined the term soft power in 1980s.
• Unlike in case of military hard power, it is the power of attraction through culture, political ideas, and policies rather than coercion.
• Over the years, India has been wielding its soft power in the form of Yoga, Bollywood, Sufi music and the shared heritage in art, cuisine, architecture and even democratic values.
• In the recent years, countries, including India, have been investing more in elite sports as success in international sporting events is boosting their soft power.

Significance of sports in the soft power race:

• The survey of French citizens’ perception of Chinese performance in the Olympics, by Professor Dongfeng Liu, showed that the country’s sporting achievements had a positive effect on Chinese soft power in 2020.
  • Despite this, countries like China, Russia and North Korea aren’t able to garner a completely positive perception as a consequence of their human rights record.
    • Hence, brand building is a very difficult task for such countries.
  • Large sports events generate massive viewership, providing a platform for the countries to showcase their tradition, culture and values.
    • For instance, the Tokyo Olympic Games was watched by more than 3.05 billion people– a 74% increase in digital viewers compared to Rio Games 2016.
    • This shows that there is a great opportunity in using such events as a platform to boost soft power.
  • Sports as brand for soft power: A strong nation brand and positive soft power perceptions allow a nation to promote itself as a place for people to visit, invest in, and build a reputation for their quality of goods and services.
  • Scope for domestic sector: The soft power can encourage domestic tourism, consumption of domestic goods and services (rather than imports).

China’s soft power through sports:

• China uses its superiority in elite sports to build “people-to-people” relations with other countries.
  • For example, athletes from African countries such as Madagascar are trained in swimming, badminton, table tennis, etc. in China, which helps Beijing create a positive impact on a wider population and results in better formal relations as well.
• China’s memorandum of understanding with countries such as Kenya so that Chinese runners can train with Kenyan athletes, as they are among the best in the world when it comes to long-distance running.

India’s tortoise-like walk due to various reasons:

• Poor population-to-medal Talley: India’s medal tally in the Tokyo Olympics Games seven was its most decorated Olympic Games in Indian history.
  • India has won 35 medals at the Olympics since the 1900 edition.
  • But as of 2022, China has finished first in the Summer Olympics once, second three times, third twice and third once in the Winter Olympics.
• Low exposure at the school level: Professional engagement in sports is hampered by the relatively low and scant exposure of Indians to sports at the elementary school level.
• Need for a favourable atmosphere: In 2016, a NITI Aayog report came up with a 20-point plan to improve India’s Olympics performance.
  • The report said India still lacks a favourable atmosphere for sports to polish the skills of early-stage athletes.
  • It recommended efforts to be made at the family, community school, regional academies, and State and national levels to improve things.
• Funding: Ensuring competent coaches, and having adequate funding and more sports academics remain major issues even decades later.
  • A reply in Parliament (2018) said that India spends only three paise per day per capita on sports.
  • In contrast, China spends ₹6.1 per day per capita.

Government Initiatives for the development sports in the country:

• Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) was launched by the Ministry of Sports in 2014.
  • It seeks to improve Indian athletes’ performance at the Olympic and Paralympics Games.
• NITI Aayog recommendations: The Government should work on a public-private partnership (PPP) model to create basic sporting infrastructure at the district level so that talent can be captured at an early stage.

Way Forward:

The soft power is a means to an end, not the end itself. It would help cement India’s standing in the global arena. It is always important to remember that sports are primarily intended to be a universal language of communication, uniting continents, and different peoples of the world. This means that it is necessary to realize the powerful potential of “sports diplomacy”. The Government should work on a public-private partnership (PPP) model to create basic sporting infrastructure at the district level to capture young talents at an early stage.

Source: The Hindu

GS-III

What is circular RNA?

Subject: Science and Technology

Why in News?

 IISER Bhopal scientists develop novel molecule that can hinder viral transcription of HIV-1 virus

About circular RNA:

• Ribonucleic acid is a molecule in living cells that carries genetic information and helps in the production of proteins.
• RNAs are in general straight-chain, free-end structures but these circular RNA (‘circRNA’ ) forms a closed-loop.
• The circRNA plays a pivotal role in regulating gene expression and is essential for various biological processes.
• Its role in HIV-1 replication has remained unclear for a long time.
• Characterizing circular RNA can be tricky because it usually is less abundant, making it further challenging to detect in the native form.
• During viral infections, there's so much information from the virus that it can make it hard to find the less common ones like circular RNA.

 Highlights about the recent findings

• The researchers developed a novel approach called ‘circDR-Seq’, to successfully capture circRNAs from T-cells (white blood cells) infected with the HIV-1 virus and identified a specific circRNA named ciTRAN, which plays an important role in the multiplication of the virus.
• HIV-1 viral protein R (VpR) is a multifunctional protein that plays specific roles at multiple stages of the HIV-1 viral life cycle and affects anti-HIV functions of the immune cells.
• Further found that HIV-1 infection induces ciTRAN expression in a Vpr-dependent manner and that ciTRAN interacts with serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 1 (SRSF1), a protein known to repress HIV-1 transcription,”
• How does this work?
  • The results suggest that HIV-1 hijacks ciTRAN which is generally altered during immunological signaling, inflammation, and viral infection.
  • It further prevents (SRSF1) from doing its job, thereby promoting efficient viral transcription. 
  • In addition, researchers demonstrated that an SRSF1-inspired mimic can inhibit viral transcription regardless of ciTRAN induction.
  • The hijacking of a host circRNA thus represents a previously unknown facet of primate lentiviruses in overcoming transmission bottlenecks.

Source: Down to Earth

Nilgiri tahr

Subject: Environment and Ecology

Why in News?

Tamil Nadu and Kerala may soon join hands to perform a synchronized census of the Nilgiri tahr.

About Nilgiri tahr:-

• The Nilgiri tahr is the only mountain ungulate in southern India amongst the 12 species present in India.
• It is also the state animal of Tamil Nadu. 
• Habitat: open montane grassland habitat of the South Western Ghats montane rain forests eco-region.
• Distribution: It is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• Eravikulam National Park is home to the largest population of this Tahr.
• It has become locally extinct in around 14% of its traditional shola forest-grassland habitat.
• Unique feature: The Adult males of Nilgiri Tahr species develop a light grey area or “saddle” on their backs and are hence called “Saddlebacks”

Cultural significance:-

• The species is locally known as Varaiaadu.
• There are multiple references to the Nilgiri Tahr in Tamil Sangam literature dating back to 2,000 years.
• The late Mesolithic (10,000-4,000 BC) paintings highlight the significance of the Tahr in folklore, culture, and life.

Population decrease:-

• The Nilgiri tahr, which used to be found along the entire stretch of the Western Ghats.
• It is presently found only in small fragmented pockets.
• A large part of its population has been wiped out from its historical range.

Threats:-

• Habitat loss
• Hunting
• Poaching
• Climate Change
• Invasive plants such as wattles, pines, and eucalyptus.

Conservation Status:-

• IUCN: Endangered
• Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972: Schedule I

Source: The Hindu