UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 7th January 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Context

Recently Gaan Ngai festival was celebrated in the state of Manipur.

About Gaan Ngai festival:

• Gann Ngai is a regional public holiday in the Northeastern Indian state of Manipur on the 13th day of the month of Wakching in the Manipuri calendar.
• It falls in either December or January in the western calendar.
• It is also known as Chakaan Gaan Ngai and is the biggest festival of Zeliangrong community.
• Gann Ngai takes place after the end of the harvest season.
• Gaan-Ngai literally means the festival of winter season. Gaan or Ganh means winter or dry season and Ngai means festival.
• The Zeliangrong people, comprising the Zemei, Liangmei and the Rongmei tribes, are one of the major indigenous communities living in Manipur.
• They also have sizable populations in the neighbouring states of Assam and Nagaland.
• The most significant part of the festival is the worshipping of “Tingkao Ragwang”, which is the Supreme God.
• This is a festival during which those who died in the previous year are given a ritual farewell or departure; their graves are beautified; dances are performed and a feast is held in honour of the dead, which is why this festival is sometimes known as the festival of the dead and the living.
• At the beginning of this festival the head of the village creates a ‘new fire’ by rubbing bamboo cord with bamboo gauze placed under a piece of dry wood.
• This traditional method of making fire is called “Mhai Lapmei”, meaning extraction of the sacred fire.

Source: NewsOnAir

Context

Recently, West Bengal Chief Minister urged Central government to declare Gangasagar Mela as a ‘national mela’ (national festival).

About Gangasagar Mela:

• Gangasagar is largest and oldest living tradition or festival in West Bengal.
• It is celebrated during Makar Sankranti for a week since as early as 400 BCE on the island of Gangasagar in West Bengal’s 24 South Parganas District.
• Gangasagar or Sagar Island is in the Ganges delta, lying on the continental shelf of Bay of Bengal about 100 kms south of Kolkata.
• It is mentioned in both Ramayana and Mahabharata.
• Pilgrimage started when First Kapil Muni’s temple was constructed by Queen Satyabhama in 430 AD.
• Devotees take a sacred dip at the confluence of the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal known as Gangasagar which is an island.
• It is India’s second largest pilgrimage gathering after the Kumbh Mela.

Source:  Hindustan Times

Context

Recently, Union Home Minister inaugurated a 122-foot-high Sagol Kangjei (Polo) Statue at the Ibudhou Marjing complex at Heingang in Imphal.

What is Sagol Kangjei?

• Sagol Kangjei is the name of the game of polo played in Manipur.
• Sagol means pony/horse, Kang means a ball or round object, and jei is a stick used for hitting.
• In the state of Manipur, it has always been a game for the common man. It is played by seven players on each side and the players are mounted on ponies.
• Manipuri polo symbolises the immense cultural heritage of the state, and great efforts have been put made to raise the standard of this popular game.
• The prominent patrons of the game were King Kyamba and King Khagemba ( 1597-1672 A.D.), and King Chandra Kirti ( 1850 - 1886 A.D.). The latter, especially, is to be credited with popularising the sport in other parts of the world
• There are no goalposts in this game. Goal lines determine the end of the two boundaries of the rectangular field. The ball ( hang drum ) is white. To score a goal the ball must cross the line.
• The polo stick is made of cane or wood, and is called Kang – hu and has a head of hardwood and the ball is made of bamboo root.
• The traditional attire consists of a chin - strap ( khadangchet ) and a turban, for protecting the head. Leg - guards ( khongyom ) are worn below the knee. Since no shoes are worn, the players use khumit - Khang. A leash of thick leather is held by the index finger of the left hand.
• This is a seasonal game and is played in the Manipuri month of September / October and in   June / July.

Source: The Hindu

GS-II

Context

Recently, a national database on cooperatives has been initiated by the Ministry of Cooperation for single-point access to information on cooperatives of different sectors and to develop a process for better understanding of cooperatives.

Key Highlights:

• In the first phase of development of the National Cooperative Database, data collection of cooperatives of three sectors – primary agricultural credit societies, dairy and fisheries – is being taken up.
• Maharashtra has the highest number of cooperative societies, followed by Uttar Pradesh.

About Geospatial data Infrastructure:

• A Spatial Data Infrastructure, also called geospatial data infrastructure, is a data infrastructure implementing a framework of geographic data, metadata, users and tools that are interactively connected in order to use spatial data in an efficient and flexible way.

About Cooperative society:

• Cooperatives are organizations formed at the grassroots level by people to harness the power of collective bargaining in the marketplace.
• This can mean different kinds of arrangements, such as using a common resource or sharing capital, to derive a common gain that would otherwise be difficult for an individual producer to get.
• Amul is perhaps the best-known cooperative society in India.
• On July 6, 2021, the government carved out a separate Cooperation Ministry.

Constitutional Provision:

• Cooperatives are a state subject in seventh schedule of the Indian Constitution.
• However, there are many societies whose members and areas of operation are spread across more than one state.
• g. most sugar mills along the districts on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border procure cane from both states.
• Through the 97th constitutional amendment, Part IXB (The Co-Operative Societies) was inserted into the Constitution.
• The right to form cooperative societies was included as Right to Freedom under article 19 (1) under part III of the Indian Constitution.
• Article 43-B (Promotion of Cooperation societies) was inserted as one of the Directive principles of state policy.

Report of the Geospatial Infrastructure in India:

• National Geospatial Policy 2022 provides the framework to develop geospatial infrastructure, skills and knowledge, standards and businesses.
• By 2030, the government will look to establish an Integrated Data and Information Framework, under which a Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure will be developed.
• A high-resolution topographical survey and mapping as well as a high-accuracy Digital Elevation Model for the entire country will be developed by 2035.
• The national database for cooperatives needs to have geospatial database creation with geo-referencing of cooperative societies to make a decision-support model.

Significance of Geospatial Mapping of Cooperative Societies:

• Understanding of the Heterogeneity and Diversity: The cooperative movement is all set for acceleration of membership.
  • The plan of acceleration requires an understanding of the heterogeneity and diversity in spatial distribution.
• Analyzing the Polarisation of Cooperatives: The distribution of cooperative societies reflects polarization of societies in a few States in the west and south while the number of cooperative societies in the east and northern parts is low.
  • Geospatial mapping of these cooperatives will help to analyze the reason for such polarization.
• District-wise mapping of cooperatives: District-wise mapping of cooperatives along with database collection is essential to provide a more precise picture of cooperatives at the State and national levels.
  • The advanced geospatial tools and technologies will help in predicting, analyzing, modelling, and visualizing spatially explicit information.
• Understanding the Contrasting Diversities: Some contrasts are seen like nil dairy cooperatives in the North-East States of Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, while Sikkim is better positioned.
• Fisheries cooperatives are also formed around inland water resources in contrast to coastal lines in the western and eastern parts of the country.
• It is essential to map these contrasting diversities and analyze the reasons, which could be the resource base of the State.
• It is essential to undertake research on the major parameters that contribute to the development of such societies and their distribution in specific regions.

Way Forward:

• Thematic GIS mapping along with research and analysis of the distribution of cooperative societies is to be committed towards addressing the developmental issues at the grassroots level.
• The proposed database shall facilitate all stakeholders in policy-making and implementation to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country.

The geospatial mapping of the cooperative ecosystem will generate ease of doing business outcomes and the potential to be utilized to conduct in-depth mapping and analysis which will be of immense help to planners, managers and administrators in quickly storing, retrieving and updating the required information for the management of cooperatives.

Source:  The Hindu

Context

The Indian Army has deployed its largest-ever contingent of women soldiers for UN peacekeeping operations in the volatile oil-rich Abyei region of Africa.

• Abyei region is situated between northern and southern Sudan and is hotly contested by both.

UN Peacekeeping

• The UN Charter gives the Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
• In fulfilling this responsibility, the Council can establish a UN peace operation.

Peacekeeping mandates

• UN peace operations are deployed on the basis of mandates from the United Nations Security Council.
• These mandates differ from situation to situation, depending on the nature of the conflict and the specific challenges it presents.
• Depending on their mandate, peace operations may be required to:
  • Deploy to prevent the outbreak of conflict or the spill-over of conflict across borders;
  • Stabilize conflict situations after a ceasefire;
  • Assist in implementing comprehensive peace agreements;
  • Lead states or territories through a transition to stable government, based on democratic principles, good governance and economic development.

Principles

• There are three basic principles that continue to set UN peacekeeping operations apart as a tool for maintaining international peace and security. These are:
  • Consent of the parties
    • In the absence of such consent, a peacekeeping operation risks becoming a party to the conflict; and being drawn towards enforcement action.
  • Impartiality
    • Peacekeepers should be impartial in their dealings with the parties to the conflict, but not neutral in the execution of their mandate.
  • Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate

Successes

• Since 1948, the UN has helped end conflicts and foster reconciliation by conducting successful peacekeeping operations in dozens of countries, including Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mozambique, Namibia and Tajikistan.
• UN peacekeeping has also made a real difference in other places with recently completed or on-going operations such as Sierra Leone, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Timor-Leste, Liberia, Haiti and Kosovo.
• In other instances, however, UN peacekeeping have been challenged and found wanting, for instance in Somalia, Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.
• Overall, UN Peacekeeping Forces have an impressive record of peacekeeping achievements, including winning the Nobel Peace Prize (1988).

UN Peacekeeping Operations & India

• India has been actively participating in peacekeeping right from 1950 when it supplied medical personnel and troops to the UN Repatriation Commission in Korea.
• Currently, India is Fifth largest troop contributor with ~5,500 personnel across 9 missions. India’s contribution to the peacekeeping budget stands at 0.16%.
  • Nearly 80% of the Indian peacekeepers are deployed in hostile regions such as Central African Republic and South Sudan in various sections.
• In April 2019, a total of 150 Indian peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have received medals of honour for their dedicated service and sacrifice.
• In August 2021, India, in collaboration with the UN launched UNITE AWARE platform.
  • It is a technology platform to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers.
• India has also proposed a 10-point plan, including making those targeting UN peacekeepers more accountable.
• India has also suggested to build a memorial wall to honour peacekeepers.

News summary

• India has deployed a platoon of women peacekeepers in Abyei as part of the Indian Battalion in the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).
• The women platoon will provide relief and assistance to local women and children in one of the highly operational and challenging conditions under the UN flag.
• This is India’s largest single unit of women peacekeepers in a UN Mission since it deployed the first-ever all women’s contingent from the Central Reserve Police Force in Liberia in 2007 as part of United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
• Indian women particularly have a tradition in Peacekeeping.
  • Dr Kiran Bedi, UN’s first Police Adviser, Major Suman Gawani and Shakti Devi have made a mark for themselves in UN Peacekeeping.

Source: The Hindu

GS-III

Context

Around 99.8% endemic blocks in India have achieved elimination status

• Kala-azar cases in India fell to 834 in 2022 from 44,533 in 2007 — a 98.7 per cent decline.
• As many as 632 endemic blocks (99.8 per cent) spread across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal have received elimination status (less than one case per 10,000).
• Only one block (Littipara) of Pakur district, Jharkhand is in the endemic category (1.23 cases / 10,000 population)

Globally:

• Visceral leishmaniasis or kala-azar is the most serious form of the disease and as of November 2022, about 89 per cent of the global cases were reported from eight countries: Brazil, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan
• India contributes 11.5 per cent of total cases reported globally.
• The disease mainly affects poor people in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and is associated with malnutrition and poor housing, population displacement, weak immune system and lack of resources

Kala-Azar

• After malaria, kala-azar is the deadliest parasitic disease in the world.
• It is one of the three conditions in the disease group called leishmaniasis caused by the protozoa parasite Leishmania.
• The parasite is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected female phlebotomine sandfly, a tiny 2-3 mm long insect vector.
• This type of leishmaniasis affects the internal organs, usually the spleen, liver and bone marrow.
• Some people have no symptoms. For others, symptoms may include fever, weight loss and swelling of the spleen or liver.
• Medication exists to kill the parasites. If left untreated, severe cases are typically fatal.
  • Up to 20% of the patients who are correctly treated and cured, develop a skin condition called Post-Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) which surfaces within months to years after treatment.
  • These patients can contain large amounts of parasites in their skin lesions, making them an important source of transmission.

Steps being taken by India to Eliminate this Disease

• Development of a plan for the “unreached poorest” or underprivileged sections in endemic areas.
• Leveraging of Kala-azar elimination programme within POSHAN Abhiyaan for maximum benefit at community level.
• Exploration of the opportunity of providing improved housing under the flagship program of the Prime Minister Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), along with rural electrification, testing, treatment and periodic high-level review, incentivising through award distribution.
• Exploration of the opportunity of providing improved housing under State Schemes.
• Involvement of Rural Health Practitioners (RHPs)
• Co-ordination with the rural development department and engage with Panchayati Raj functionaries for awareness, community engagement, environment management and social empowerment.
• Supporting the states in active case detection, surveillance, treatment as well as supply of diagnostic kits, medicines, sprays.

Source: Down to Earth

Context

A recent article says the endangered Asian Elephant has lost most of its “optimal” habitat: flat terrain that is easily navigable.

Conserving elephants in the southernmost western ghats

• The Western Ghats is an escarpment running north–south along the western coastline of India, interrupted towards the south by the low-lying Palghat Gap that separates the northern from the southern elephant populations.
• The northern part of the WG includes the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve [NBR] and its surrounding PAs [protected areas], which contain the largest remaining population of wild elephants, ca. 6000 animals.
• Nilgiris Elephant Corridor: The corridor is situated in the ecologically fragile Sigur plateau, which connects the Western and the Eastern Ghats and sustains elephant populations and their genetic diversity. It is situated near the Mudumalai National Park in the Nilgiris district.

Challenges for the Elephants

• Human Encroachment: Human settlements and crop cultivation have hindered the movement of the elephants, keeping them confined to the hilly areas, considered sub-optimal habitats.
• Narrow Passage Width + Interception: In these sub-optimal habitats, their chances of survival are lower due to dangerous terrain for animals of this size.
  • Study shows that when barriers are erected, particularly in areas with slopes, their movement is blocked and gene flow reduced.
  • This could ultimately lead to increasing the extinction risk of this endangered species.
  • Presence of highways and Railway lines

What happens when the movement is restricted and gene flow reduced?

• There is more in-breeding
• Low genetic diversity
• Pushing up chances of disease
• Lowering fertility rates

A 2021 paper published in the scientific journal  Global Ecology & Conservation found moderate levels of genetic differentiation between the northern and southern populations, indicating limited gene flow between the two regions.

A blueprint for conservation

• Students in the Nilgiris are being sensitised on the need to protect elephants.
• Ironically, most elephant reserves in India are found in mountainous habitats. Enclosing protected areas without ensuring connectivity through maintaining corridors for elephants to pass through severs gene flow between populations.
• Project Elephant:
  • It is a centrally sponsored scheme and was launched in February 1992 for the protection of elephants, their habitats and corridors.
  • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provides the financial and technical support to major elephant range states in the country through the project.

About Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

• The first biosphere reserve in India established in the year 1986
• States: Located in the Western Ghats Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka
• Exemplifies the tropical forest biome which portrays the confluence of Afro-tropical and Indo-Malayan biotic zones of the world.
• One of the noted Biodiversity Hotspots (regions having highest density of endemic species) for speciation in the tropics.
• Vegetation: Evergreen, semi evergreen, moist deciduous montane sholas and grassland types of vegetation
• Fauna: Nilgiri tahr, Nilgiri langur, slender loris, blackbuck, tiger, gaur, Indian elephant and marten, Freshwater fishes such as Nilgiri danio (Devario neilgherriensis), Nilgiri barb (Hypselobarbus dubuis) and Bowany barb (Puntius bovanicus) are endemic to this Biosphere Reserve.
• Tribal population: Todas, , Kurumbas, Paniyas, Adiyans, Edanadan Chettis, Cholanaickens, Allar, Malayan, Kotas, Irullas, etc.

Source: The Hindu