UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 8th February 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

390 YO Lamp Post in Nalgonda dedicated to Kasi Viswanatha

Subject: Arts & Culture

Why in News?

The recent unearthing of a Deepastambham (lamp post) and other archaeological artifacts along the River Krishna in Nalgonda district, Telangana, provides fresh insights into the historical trade connections during the early medieval period in the area.

Lamp Post and its Structure

• Exceptional Discoveries: Archaeologists have excavated a 20-foot tall lamp post adorned with inscriptions and a small flat-roofed structure near the banks of the Krishna River in Telangana.
• Uncommon Artifacts: Lamp posts are not typically found in the Deccan region but are commonly seen in temple architecture along the west coast, underscoring the distinctiveness of this find.
• Historical Background: The lamp post, dating back to June 1635, features a multilingual inscription in a blend of Telugu and Tamil, indicating its dedication to Kasi Viswanatha.
• Functional Importance: Given its considerable height, the lamp post likely served as a navigational aid along the riverine trade route, playing a crucial role in facilitating navigation and trade activities.

Significance of Inscriptions

• Recording History: The inscriptions offer significant documentation, shedding light on the socio-cultural and economic dynamics of the region in the early medieval era.
• Cultural and Economic Links: The existence of inscriptions implies a link between the local community and expansive trade networks, enhancing our comprehension of historical trade routes.
• Hyderabad's Role: The village's close proximity to Hyderabad, governed by the Qutb Shahi dynasty, indicates its importance within the regional trade network.
• European Perspectives: Accounts from European travelers, like Jean Baptiste Tavernier, allude to the presence of riverine trade routes alongside land routes during the same historical period.

Continuity of Trade Routes

• Longstanding Trade Connections: The discovery of an eighth-century inscription from the Badami Chalukya era underscores the village’s role as a vital trade hub over millennia.
• Cultural Exchange: Trade routes facilitated not only economic transactions but also cultural exchanges, shaping the region’s diverse heritage.

Source: Times of India

Cameroon adopts Nagoya Protocol

Subject: Enviro & Biodiversity

Why in News?

Cameroon's recent embrace of the Nagoya Protocol represents a noteworthy advancement in leveraging its abundant biodiversity for the purpose of sustainable development.

Cameroon’s Biodiversity Wealth

• Biodiversity Hotspot: Cameroon hosts approximately 11,000 species, offering immense genetic resources for research and development.
• Traditional Knowledge: Indigenous communities possess invaluable traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity, contributing to bioprospecting (search for useful products derived from bioresources including plants, microorganisms, animals, etc.).
• Bioprospecting Potential: Bioprospecting projects, such as those focusing on species like Irvingia wombulu, present opportunities for sustainable resource utilization.

About Nagoya Protocol

• Description: The Nagoya Protocol, adopted in October 2010 and in effect since October 12, 2014, is a legally binding global agreement. Its primary purpose is to implement the access and benefit-sharing obligations outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). India is among the countries that are members of this protocol.
• Objectives: The protocol aims to guarantee a fair and equitable distribution of benefits derived from the utilization of genetic resources. It establishes a structured framework for accessing genetic resources for research purposes and provides a secure environment for investments in biodiversity-based research. Additionally, it ensures the fair sharing of benefits stemming from resource utilization and acknowledges the importance of traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources.
• Scope: The Nagoya Protocol covers genetic resources specified by the CBD, along with the benefits arising from their utilization. It also includes traditional knowledge linked to genetic resources as defined by the CBD, along with the benefits derived from their utilization.

Key Facts about Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

• Overview: The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), adopted in 1992 at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, focuses on the conservation of biological diversity, sustainable utilization of biological diversity, and fair and equitable benefit-sharing. It has garnered 196 contracting parties as members.
• Objectives: The core objectives of the CBD are centered around the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of biological diversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources.
• Scope: The CBD encompasses biodiversity conservation at various levels, including ecosystems, species, and genetic resources.
• Decision-Making Body: The Conference of the Parties (COP) serves as the principal decision-making body for the CBD.
• Secretariat: The CBD's Secretariat is based in Montreal, Canada.
• Supporting Agreements: The CBD has additional supporting agreements, including the Cartagena Protocol (2000), which regulates the movement of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs), and the Nagoya Protocol (2010), which addresses access and benefit-sharing related to genetic resources.

Source: Down To Earth

GS-II

Uttarakhand Assembly Passes Uniform Civil Code

Subject: Polity

Why in News?

The Uttarakhand Assembly recently approved the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), a legislation that establishes uniform regulations for various aspects of personal law, such as marriage, divorce, inheritances, and live-in relationships, applicable to all communities except Scheduled Tribes. The formulation of the UCC is grounded in a draft put forth by a committee appointed by the Uttarakhand government, with retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai serving as its chairperson.

What is Uniform Civil Code (UCC)?

• The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in India aims to replace individual personal laws, which are currently based on the scriptures and customs of major religious communities, with a unified set of regulations applicable to all citizens. The constitutional basis for the UCC is found in Article 44, which is part of the Directive Principles of State Policy outlined in the Indian Constitution. Article 44 specifically states, "The State shall endeavor to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India."
• Directive Principles, as articulated in Article 37, are not justiciable, meaning they are not enforceable by the courts. However, they provide fundamental principles for governance. In contrast, Fundamental Rights are enforceable in a court of law.
• Article 44 utilizes the phrase "state shall endeavour," suggesting a commitment to work towards a Uniform Civil Code. Notably, other articles in the Directive Principles chapter employ phrases like "in particular strive," "shall in particular direct its policy," and "shall be an obligation of the state," indicating varying degrees of commitment. For instance, Article 43 mentions that the state shall endeavor by suitable legislation, while Article 44 does not include the phrase "by suitable legislation." This distinction implies that the duty of the state may be perceived as greater in other directive principles compared to Article 44.

Positive aspects of Uniform Civil Code include

• UCC will divest religion from social relations and personal laws and will ensure equality in terms of justice to both men and women regardless of the faith they practice.
• There will be uniform laws for all Indians with regard to marriage, inheritance, divorce etc.
• It will help in improving the condition of women in India as Indian society is mostly patriarchal
• Informal bodies like caste panchayats give judgements based on traditional laws. UCC will ensure that legal laws are followed rather than traditional laws.
• It can help in reducing instances of vote bank politics. If all religions are covered under same laws, politicians will have less to offer to communities in exchange of their vote.

Challenges in Implementing Uniform Civil Code Include

• Implementation of UCC might interfere with the principle of secularism, particularly with the provisions of Articles 25 and 26, which guarantee freedom relating to religious practices.
• Conservatism by religious groups, which resist such changes as it interferes with their religious practices.
• It is difficult for the government to come up with a uniform law that is accepted by all religious communities. All religious groups- whether majority or minority have to support the change in personal laws.
• Drafting of UCC is another obstacle. There is no consensus regarding whether it should be a blend of personal laws or should be a new law adhering to the constitutional mandate.

Does India not already have a uniform code in civil matters?

• Indian laws do follow a uniform code in most civil matters — Indian Contract Act, Civil Procedure Code, Sale of Goods Act, Transfer of Property Act, Partnership Act, Evidence Act, etc.
• States, however, have made hundreds of amendments and, therefore, in certain matters, there is diversity even under these secular civil laws. Recently, several states refused to be governed by the uniform Motor Vehicles Act, 2019.
• If the framers of the Constitution had intended to have a Uniform Civil Code, they would have given exclusive jurisdiction to Parliament in respect of personal laws, by including this subject in the Union List. But “personal laws” are mentioned in the Concurrent List.
• In 2020, the Law Commission concluded that a Uniform Civil Code is neither feasible nor desirable.

How does the idea of a Uniform Civil Code relate to the fundamental right to religion?

• Article 25 lays down an individual’s fundamental right to religion; Article 26(b) upholds the right of each religious denomination or any section thereof to “manage its own affairs in matters of religion”; Article 29 defines the right to conserve distinctive culture. An individual’s freedom of religion under Article 25 is subject to “public order, health, morality” and other provisions relating to fundamental rights, but a group’s freedom under Article 26 has not been subjected to other fundamental rights.
• In the Constituent Assembly, there was division on the issue of putting Uniform Civil Code in the fundamental rights chapter.
• The matter was settled by a vote. By a 5:4 majority, the fundamental rights sub-committee headed by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel held that the provision was outside the scope of Fundamental Rights and therefore the Uniform Civil Code was made less important than freedom of religion.

Source: The Hindu

Indian Ocean Conference

Subject: International Relations

Why in News?

On February 9, 2024, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar is scheduled to deliver the keynote address during the inaugural session of the 7th Indian Ocean Conference.

About 7th Indian Ocean Conference

• India’s External Affairs Minister will address the inaugural session of the 7th Indian Ocean Conference to be held in Perth, Australia on February 9.
• It is a flagship consultative forum for countries in the Indian Ocean Region, organized annually by the Ministry of External Affairs since 2016, in association with the India Foundation.
• Theme: “Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean”.
• The Conference will feature Ministers from over 22 countries and senior officials from 16 countries and 6 multilateral organizations.

About Indian Ocean Conference

The Indian Ocean Conference (IOC), established in 2016 as an annual event, plays a vital role as a platform for regional countries to engage in discussions on matters relevant to the Indian Ocean region.
Key features of the IOC include:

• Focus and Objectives:
  • The IOC is centered around fostering regional cooperation within the framework of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).
  • It convenes key states and maritime partners in the Indian Ocean region to address significant issues and challenges.
• Participants:
  • While its primary focus is on coastal countries of the Indian Ocean, the conference has broadened its scope to encompass important global issues.
  • Distinguished dignitaries attending the conference include the President of Mauritius, Vice President of Maldives, and India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar.
  • Foreign Ministers from Bhutan, Nepal, Bahrain, and Singapore, along with ministerial representatives from Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar, are expected to participate.
  • The conference anticipates around 150 foreign guests, including representatives from D8, SAARC, and BIMSTEC.
• Significance of the IOC:
  • The IOC holds considerable importance in terms of strengthening partnerships with Indian Ocean countries.
  • It serves as a platform for promoting regional political engagement and facilitating decision-making during crisis situations.
  • The conference provides an avenue for participating countries to discuss global events and make informed decisions regarding future actions.

Source: The Hindu

Enhancing Accessibility in Indian Cinema: Draft Guidelines and Implementation

Subject: Governance

Why in News?

Promoting inclusivity and ensuring equal participation in cultural activities necessitate crucial steps, one of which involves enhancing accessibility in cinema halls for individuals with hearing and visual impairments. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has proposed draft guidelines with the objective of addressing this imperative. These guidelines aim to mandate accessibility features in film screenings, thereby making cinema more accessible and accommodating for individuals with hearing and visual challenges.

Accessibility Guidelines: Rationale Behind

• Legal Mandate: The guidelines are framed under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which emphasizes universal access in the information and communication sector.
• Population Statistics: With approximately 2.21% of the Indian population classified as disabled, the guidelines aim to cater to the needs of individuals with hearing and visual disabilities, constituting a significant portion of this demographic.

Proposed Guidelines Overview

Accessibility Features: 

• Producer Responsibility: Film producers are mandated to submit two versions of their films to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC): an original version and another featuring accessibility components. These features include audio description, open/closed captioning, and interpretation in Indian Sign Language.
• Certification Requirement: Cinema halls are required to ensure that both versions of feature films, the original and the one with accessibility features, receive certification from the CBFC for theatrical release.

Implementation Options for Cinemas: 

• Dedicated Screenings: Cinema halls have the option to designate specific days and times for screenings that include accessible services.
• In-theater Equipment: Alternatively, theaters can choose to employ specific equipment during regular screenings to enhance the movie-watching experience for individuals with impairments.

Accessibility Equipment: 

• Availability Requirement: Theaters are obligated to provide a minimum of two pieces of equipment for every 200 seats. This may include smart glasses for displaying captions, closed caption stands positioned near seats, small screens beneath the main screen for captions or subtitles, headphones/earphones for audio description, and the integration of mobile apps and other technologies to assist individuals during shows.

Implementation Timeline

• Initial Phase: Films dubbed in multiple languages must incorporate accessibility features within six months of guideline implementation.
• National Platforms: Feature films for national awards and film festivals must include accessibility features starting January 1 of the following year.
• Full Compliance: All other certified feature films must provide accessibility features within three years from the guideline issuance date.

Onus and Monitoring Mechanisms

• Exhibitor Responsibility: Cinema owners must develop a self-regulatory mechanism to provide accessible seating within three years and train staff to assist customers with disabilities.
• Monitoring and Oversight: Licensing authorities will ensure compliance, and a committee, including members with disabilities and film industry representatives, will oversee implementation.
• Grievance Redressal: A structured grievance mechanism will allow individuals to file complaints, ensuring accountability and transparency.

Key Initiatives for Divyangjan’s Accessibility

• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016: Enacted in 2016, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act safeguards the rights and dignity of individuals with disabilities across various domains, including education, social services, legal matters, and economic opportunities.
• Accessible India Campaign (2015): Launched in 2015, the Accessible India Campaign is dedicated to ensuring the full accessibility of government buildings for people with disabilities. The campaign aims to enhance inclusivity and mobility for individuals with disabilities.
• Sugamya Bharat App (2016): Introduced by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 2016, the Sugamya Bharat App addresses accessibility challenges faced by differently-abled individuals in buildings and transportation systems. It contributes to making public spaces more accessible.
• New Education Policy (2020): Rolled out in 2020, the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, implemented under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, provides in-service training for teachers and special educators. This initiative ensures barrier-free access to education for children with disabilities, promoting inclusive education.
• Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances (1981): Operational since 1981, the Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP) scheme assists disabled individuals in acquiring modern aids and appliances. This support enhances their physical, social, and psychological rehabilitation.

Conclusion
The outlined roadmap for implementation emphasizes a dedication to actualizing the principles of universal access and ensuring the protection of the rights of individuals with disabilities within the sphere of entertainment.

Source: HT

GS-III

World’s Hottest January On Record

Subject: Environment and Ecology

Why in News?

The global community recently witnessed the hottest January on record, a notable indication of the exacerbation of climate change.

Key points

• As per the latest report by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), January 2024 is the world’s warmest January on record.
• Every month since June has been the world’s hottest on record, compared with the corresponding month in previous years.
• The report stated that January 2024 is not only the warmest on record but also the world just experienced a 12-month period of more than 1.5 C (1.7 F) above the pre-industrial reference period.
• It stressed the need for Rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions as the only way to stop global temperatures increasing.
• The US scientists have also said that 2024 has a one-in-three chance of being even hotter than last year, and a 99% chance of ranking in the top five warmest years.

Evolution of climate change

• India witnessed alternate wet and dry periods. Archaeological findings show that the Rajasthan desert experienced wet and cool climate around 8,000 B.C.
• The period 3,000- 1,700 B.C. had higher rainfall. From about 2,000-1,700 B.C., this region was the centre of the Harappan civilisation. Dry conditions accentuated since then.
• In the geological past, the earth was warm some 500-300 million years ago, through the Cambrian, Ordovician and Silurian periods.
• During the Pleistocene epoch, glacial and inter-glacial periods occurred, the last major peak glacial period was about 18,000 years ago.
• The present inter-glacial period started 10,000 years ago.

Recent examples

• The 1990s recorded the warmest temperature of the century and some of the worst floods around the world.
• The worst devastating drought in the Sahel region, south of the Sahara desert, from 1967-1977 is one such variability.
• During the 1930s, severe drought occurred in southwestern Great Plains of the United States, described as the dust bowl.

Causes of Climate Change

The causes of climate change are diverse and can be categorized into different groups:

• Astronomical Causes:
  • Sunspot Activities: Changes in solar output associated with sunspot activities contribute to astronomical causes. Sunspots are dark and cooler patches on the sun that undergo cyclical changes.
• Terrestrial Causes:
  • Greenhouse Gases: Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, contribute significantly to climate change. These gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, leading to global warming.
  • Pollution and Aerosols: Human activities release pollutants and aerosols into the atmosphere, influencing climate patterns. Aerosols can have both cooling and warming effects on the climate, depending on their composition.
  • Ground-Level Ozone: Ozone at ground level, formed by pollutants from vehicles and industrial processes, contributes to climate change as a greenhouse gas.
• Natural Phenomena:
  • Sunspots and Meteorological Effects: Sunspots, which are dark and cooler patches on the sun, are associated with changes in weather patterns. An increase in sunspots may lead to cooler and wetter conditions, while a decrease is linked to warmer and drier weather, according to some meteorologists.
  • Volcanism: Volcanic eruptions release aerosols into the atmosphere, which can block sunlight and lead to temporary cooling of the Earth's surface.
• Human-Induced Factors:
  • Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The most significant human-induced factor contributing to climate change is the rising concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This trend is primarily a result of human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes.

Global Warming

• Due to the presence of greenhouse gases, the atmosphere is behaving like a greenhouse.
• The atmosphere also transmits the incoming solar radiation but absorbs the vast majority of long wave radiation emitted upwards by the earth’s surface.
• The gases that absorb long wave radiation are called greenhouse gases.
• The processes that warm the atmosphere are often collectively referred to as the greenhouse effect.

Source: Indian Express

Workers Safety in Hazardous Industries

Subject: Industry and Infrastructure

Why in News?

In a recent incident in Madhya Pradesh, a explosion at a firecracker factory resulted in the tragic loss of 11 lives and left numerous individuals injured.

MP Firecracker Tragedy

• The explosion in a firecracker industry in Madhya Pradesh’s Harda district led to the death of 11 people and left 174 injured.
• The incident began with a blast inside a tin shed storing gunpowder, which was followed by a second blast of higher intensity.
• Preliminary investigates states that the factory did not follow safety precautions and the building did not even have a fire extinguisher.

Hazardous Industry

• Occasional accidents in an industry dealing in explosive materials may seem inevitable.
• But the probability of such mishaps can certainly be reduced by adopting safe work practices, complying with rules and through cohesive monitoring by Central and State licensing and enforcement authorities.
• Crackdowns against violators have been few and far between despite illegal sub-leasing of works to unlicensed cottage units becoming a widely acknowledged practice in the industry.

Way Forward

• The Chaitanya Prasad Committee, which examined, among other things, statutory and administrative shortcomings that led to the death of 40 workers at Om Shakti Fireworks Industries in 2012, noted the “conspicuous absence” of proper inspection mechanisms at various government departments.
• The committee recommended making sub-leasing of works by licensed units a cognisable penal offence; mandated inter-safety distances between sheds covered with earthen mounds; and provision of a smoothened pathway with a width of 1.5 metres, as part of industrial safety measures.
• Ground reports suggest these recommendations continue to be ignored, with sub-leasing of works still rampant.
• Regulators understandably complain of a lack of manpower in checking violations.
• The number of players has exponentially grown since the 1980s with 1,070 licensed units employing an estimated 10 lakh workers now. But safety is non-negotiable.
• The governments must walk the extra mile to enforce rules in a hazardous industry and prosecute violators.
• The industry too must self-regulate in its own interest.

Source: The Indian Express