UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 2nd April 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Misogyny in the matrimonial market

Why in News?

In a recent study, carried out on a large matrimonial website to understand the marital preferences of men, it was found that there exists a striking penalty for employed women in the “marriage market”, especially in north India.

• India was ranked 143 out of 146 countries in 2022 in the Global Gender Gap Report’s category for economic participation and opportunity category for women.
• In contrast to countries at similar income, education and fertility levels, female labour force participation rates in urban India at 24 per cent continue to be the lowest (Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS 2017-18)).

Can partner preferences in the marriage market influence women’s labour market decisions?

In a setting with near-universal marriage, the preferences of potential spouses or their families may loom large for Indian women. If men systematically discriminate against employed women when it comes to choosing a life partner, this could contribute to women who might otherwise wish to work, choosing not to.

1. Let us observe the findings of the study:

• The ones who were employed received nearly 15 per cent fewer responses from male suitors relative to those who were not working.
• The preference for non-working female partners holds across all education groups of female profiles.
• Moreover, women employed in “masculine” occupations were additionally 3 per cent less likely to receive responses compared to women employed in “feminine” occupations.
• Lastly, a woman in a “masculine” job who stated a preference to continue to work after marriage was less likely to elicit male interest, relative to a woman in a “feminine” job who preferred to continue working.
• Profiles of working women elicited less interest from men even when their caste, education levels and family incomes matched those of the men.
• These results are driven by responses from higher caste men in Delhi, where patriarchal norms are more salient.
• Further, the level of discrimination against working women was higher by male suitors with lower education levels, who are more representative of the average male population in India.

1. What do these findings indicate?

• Reinforcement of gendered patterns: These patterns are likely to reinforce the gendered patterns that typify the Indian workforce, making it harder for women to work, especially in occupations where they are not already well represented.
• Letting go of additional income: It is worth remembering that having a spouse who works is likely to increase household income significantly. By penalising women for making this choice, men are expressing a preference that is strong enough that they are willing to give up additional household income.
• Gender gap in time spent in domestic work:
  • In urban India, married women spend almost 7.5 times more time on domestic work as compared to married men.
  • Women in north India, and especially amongst high castes, spend more time on domestic work relative to women in the south (Time Use Survey, 2019).
• Working Schedules and their interpretations:
  • Male-dominated occupations may be characterised by more inflexible working schedules.
  • Women who work, in general, and those who work in male-dominated occupations, may even be considered “sexually impure” due to greater interactions with men at work.

Conclusion

• A developing country like India, seeking to achieve rapid economic growth can ill afford educated women staying out of the workforce.
• Changing norms and attitudes of men (besides women) is critical to increasing women’s participation and reducing their occupational segregation.

Source: Indian Express

GS-II

Why in News?

 Recently, the Government has formulated National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) as a separate and independent scheme to motivate farmers to adopt chemical-free farming and enhance the reach of natural farming.

About National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF):-

• Formulated as a separate and independent scheme from 2023-24 by upscaling the Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddati (BPKP).
• The scheme is from 2023 to 2026.

Mission Objectives:-

• To promote an alternative system of farming for freedom from externally purchased inputs, cost reduction and thereby increasing income of farmers.
• To popularize integrated agriculture-animal husbandry models based on desi cow and local resources.
• To collect, validate and document Natural Farming practices.
• To undertake activities for awareness creation, capacity building, promotion and demonstration of Natural Farming.
• To create standards, certification procedures and branding for Natural Farming products for national and international markets.

Benefits to farmers:-

• Incentive to farmers for one-time on-farm manure production infrastructure:-
  • A financial assistance of Rs. 15000/- per ha @ Rs. 5000/- per ha/year for three years
• Training of Farmers by Champion farmers and CRP
• Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) formation for farmers practicing Natural Farming:
  • 100 FPOs in the Gangetic belt
  • Another 400 FPOs across the country
• Farmer Field School:–
  • It will involve activities to create awareness.

About Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddati (BPKP):-

• It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).
• It is a sub-mission under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), which falls within the umbrella of the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA).
• Objectives:-
  • To improve farmers’ profitability, availability of quality food and restoration of soil fertility and farmland ecosystem as well as generate employment.
  • Contribute to rural development.
  • Promoting traditional indigenous practices, which give freedom to farmers from externally purchased inputs.
• It focuses on on-farm biomass recycling with major stress on biomass mulching
  • Use of cow dung–urine formulations and
  • Exclusion of all synthetic chemical inputs either directly or indirectly.
• Under BPKP, financial assistance of Rs 12200/ha for 3 years is provided for cluster formation, capacity building and continuous handholding by trained personnel, certification and residue analysis with a vision of covering 12 lakh ha in 600 major blocks of 2000 hectares in different states.
• The scheme is compliant with PGS-India certification under the PGS India programme.
• 8 States opted: Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh,  Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand.

Source: PIB

Why in News?

France has recently invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra to visit Paris as a guest at the annual Bastille Day parade.

About Bastille Day Parade:

• The Bastille Day military parade, also known as the 14 July military parade, is a French military parade that has been held on the morning of 14 July each year in Paris since 1880.
• It is also one of the oldest regular military parades in the world.
• July 14 is the anniversary of the storming of the infamous Bastille prison in 1789 - a turning point for the success of the French Revolution.
• This day is marked as the National Day of France.

Source: The Hindu

GS-III

Why in News?

A gamma-ray burst that recently hit our solar system was so bright, it temporarily blinded gamma-ray instruments in space, according to a NASA release.

About Gamma Ray Burst (GRB):

• GRBs are short-lived bursts of gamma-ray light, the most energetic form of light.
• GRB emits more energy in a few seconds than our Sun will emit in its lifetime and has two distinct emission phases:
  • The short-lived prompt emission (the initial burst phase that emits gamma-rays), followed by a long-lived multi-wavelength afterglow phase.
• The shortest GRBs likely mark the collision of two compact stellar remnants called neutron stars, and the longest bursts are thought to arise when a massive, rapidly spinning star collapses to form a black hole.
• When a GRB erupts, it is briefly the brightest source of cosmic gamma-ray photons in the observable Universe.

 What are Gamma Rays?

• Gamma rays have the smallest wavelengths and the most energy of any wave in the electromagnetic spectrum.
• They are produced by the hottest and most energetic objects in the universe, such as neutron stars and pulsars, supernova explosions, and regions around black holes.
• On Earth, gamma waves are generated by nuclear explosions, lightning, and the less dramatic activity of radioactive decay.

Source: The Hindu

Akash Weapon System

Why in News?

Recently, the Prime Minister termed the signing of the contract for the procurement of the Akash Weapon System for the Indian Army, a welcome development.

About Akash Weapon System:-

• AKASH is a Short Range Surface Air Missile system.
• It is a Russian-made missile system.
• It was planned and developed as part of India’s Integrated Guided-Missile Development Program (IGMDP
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) created it, and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). produced it
• It can track aeroplanes up to 50–80 kilometres away and at altitudes of 18,000 metres.
• It can destroy aerial targets such as fighter jets, cruise missiles, and air-to-surface missiles, as well as ballistic
• It is to protect vulnerable areas and vulnerable points from air attacks.
• AKASH Weapon System can simultaneously engage Multiple Targets in Group Mode or Autonomous Mode.
• It has built-in Electronic Counter-Counter Measures (ECCM) features.
• The entire weapon system has been configured on mobile platforms.
• AKASH Weapon Systems has been inducted and is operational with the Indian Air Force (IAF) as well as the Indian Army (IA).

Source: AIR

Why in News?

Bandipur Tiger Reserve recently completed 50 years as a Project Tiger Reserve.

About Bandipur Tiger Reserve:

• It was established in the 1930s as a wildlife sanctuary, which became a tiger reserve in 1973 under Project tiger.
• It is situated in two contiguous districts (Mysore and Chamarajanagar) of Karnataka and located at the tri-junction area of the States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• Bandipur Tiger Reserve is surrounded by:
  • Nagarahole Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu) in the North West (Kabini Reservoir separates the two).
  • Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu) in the South.
  • Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) in the South West.
• This area has the River Kabini in its north and River Moyar in its south.
• Flora: It comprises diverse vegetation of dry deciduous to tropical mixed deciduous. It includes rosewood, Indian kino tree, sandalwood, Indian laurel, clumping bamboo and giant clumping bamboo etc.
• Fauna: It is a shelter for the largest population of wild Asian elephants in South Asia. It comprises other mammals such as Bengal tiger, gaur, sloth bear, golden jackal, dhole and four-horned antelope etc.

Source: PIB