UPSC Daily Current Affairs: 8th October 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Context

The Basilica of Our Lady of Graces, one of India’s minor basilicas situated in Sardhana in Uttar Pradesh, was constructed in 1822 by Begum Samru, a woman of humble origins that came to be popularly known as the only Catholic queen of India.

About Begum Samru:

• Begum Samru (1750’s – 1836) was a Muslim who converted to Catholicism.
• She was a nautch-girl (dancing girl) who became a warrior and an aristocrat.
• She was a shrewd leader who was able to find a favourable position in the ever-dynamic political terrain of 18th century northern India.
• While she had first supported the waning Mughal empire, from the 1790’s the Begum began to provide service to the rising Marathas, before joining the British to ensure that she could maintain her landholding rights if they emerged victorious.
• It was in a kotha (household) she met Walter Reinhardt, an Austrian mercenary whom she married.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Graces:

• It is one of the 23 minor basilicas of India, and the only one in the north, after the church was bestowed the status by Pope John XXIII in 1961.
• The architect was an Italian engineer, Antonio Reghellini.
• Completed in 1822, it is commonly believed that the church was built as a replica of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
• The structure consists of a blend of architectural styles, of Indian and Islamic features added to a European cross-plan church.
• The church’s domes lie next to large steeples reminiscent of Islamic minarets, while the central altar contains pietra dura or parchinkari designs that are found in the Taj Mahal and Red Fort.

GS-II

Context

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highway has issued a draft notification proposing new rules to further increase the scope of implementation of the BH series vehicle registrations.

Bharat series (BH-series)

• There was a procedure of re-registration of a vehicle while moving to another state.
• A vehicle bearing BH registration mark shall not require assignment of a new registration mark when the owner of the vehicle shifts from one State to another.
• Format of Bharat series (BH-series) Registration Mark –
• Registration Mark Format:
  • YY BH #### XX
  • YY – Year of first registration
  • BH- Code for Bharat Series
  • ####- 0000 to 9999 (randomized)
  • XX- Alphabets (AA to ZZ)

Why such move?

• Station relocation occurs with both Government and private sector employees.
• Such movements create a sense of unease in the minds of such employees with regard to transfer of registration from the parent state to another state.
• Under section 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, a person is allowed to keep the vehicle for not more than 12 months in any state other than the state where the vehicle is registered.

Who can get this BH series?

• BH-series will be available on a voluntary basis to Defense personnel, employees of Central Government/ State Government/ Central/ State PSUs and private sector companies/organizations.
• The motor vehicle tax will be levied for two years or in multiple of two.
• This scheme will facilitate free movement of personal vehicles across States/UTs of India upon relocation to a new State/UT.
• After the completion of the fourteenth year, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied annually which shall be half of the amount which was charged earlier for that vehicle.

Post-Facto Environmental Clearances

Context

Recently, the Supreme Court has concluded that ex post facto (after being started) Environmental Clearances (EC) are acceptable.

• The court has concluded in response to a claim that a bio-medical treatment facility was set up and run without an EC and it raises concern over Environmental Degradation.

What is an Ex Post Facto Environment Clearance?

• Ex post facto environmental clearance refers to allowing functioning of an industry or project which has started operating without obtaining the green clearance and disclosing the probable environmental impacts of the project.
• A bench of SC observed that the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, did not absolutely prohibit the grant of ex post facto environmental clearance.
• It should not be granted routinely, but in exceptional circumstances taking into account all relevant environmental factors.

What are the Related Concerns?

• A post facto assessment defeats the very purpose of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) because irreversible ecological damage will already have been committed with the commencement of operations.
• The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations defines the purpose of EIA as alerting decision makers, regulatory agencies and the public of environmental consequences of projects “so that those projects can be modified, if need be, to prevent environmental deterioration, to avoid construction errors and to forestall economic losses caused by negative side effects.
• The industries are encouraged to commence operations without bothering for clearance and eventually get regularised by paying the penalty amount. It is likely to open a floodgate of violations and give rise to a situation where damage to the environment is irreversible.

What is the Environment Impact Assessment?

• It can be defined as the study for predicting the effect of a proposed activity/project on the environment.
• It is statutory under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 for some projects.

Process:

• Screening based upon scales of investment, type of development, and location of the development is done to see whether a project requires an environmental clearance as per the statutory notifications.
• Scoping is a process of detailing the Terms of Reference (ToR) of EIA, that is the main issues or problems in the development of a project.
• Impact Prediction involves mapping the environmental consequences of the significant aspects of the project and its alternatives.
• The public mandatorily needs to be informed and consulted on the proposed development after the completion of the EIA report.

What is the Environment Clearance Process?

• An EIA report is prepared to get Environment Clearance (EC) for a project.
• A process of ‘Public Hearing’ is conducted before the issue of ‘Consent to Establish (NOC)’ by state regulators. Concerns of people living in the proposed project area are heard.
• An application form with EIA report, details of public hearing and NOC is submitted for environmental clearance with the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) if the project falls under Project A category or the state government if the project falls under Project B category.
  • Category A projects require mandatory environmental clearance and thus they do not undergo the screening process.
  • Category B projects undergo a screening process and they are classified into two types.
    • Category B1 projects (Mandatorily requires EIA).
    • Category B2 projects (Do not require EIA).
• The documents submitted are then analyzed by an Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Ministry. The recommendations of the Committee get processed in the MoEFCC for final approval or rejection.

Solomon Islands PM has assured Australia that his nation will not allow a Chinese military presence in its territory.

Where is the Solomon Islands located?

• The Solomon Islands is a sovereign country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu.
• Its capital, Honiara, is located on the largest island, Guadalcanal.
• It is part of the ethnically Melanesian group of islands in the Pacific and lies between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
• The country takes its name from the Solomon Islands archipelago, which is a collection of Melanesian islands that also includes the North Solomon Islands (a part of Papua New Guinea).
• It excludes outlying islands, such as the Santa Cruz Islands and Rennell and Bellona.

Quick recap of its past

• The islands, which were initially controlled by the British Empire during the colonial era, went through the hands of Germany and Japan.
• It then went back to the UK after the Americans took over the islands from the Japanese during World War II.
• The islands became independent in 1978 to become a constitutional monarchy under the British Crown, with a parliamentary system of government.
• Nevertheless, its inability to manage domestic ethnic conflicts led to close security relations with Australia, which is the traditional first responder to any crisis in the South Pacific.

How did China enter the picture?

• Earlier this year, the Solomon Islands established a security agreement with China, saying it needed Beijing’s assistance with its domestic security situation.
• But the announcement had rattled the west, esp. the US, Australia and others in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The concerns were that the agreement could potentially lead to a Chinese military base on the island nation and a gain in power-projection capabilities.
• At that time, following intense scrutiny, the Solomon Islands had denied that the agreement would allow China to establish a naval base.
• The Island insisted that the agreement was only to assist the Solomon Islands with what he called “hard internal threats”.

What is the Solomon Islands’ stance?

• The government has asked all partner countries with plans to conduct naval visits or patrols to put them on hold until a revised national mechanism is in place.
• The revised national mechanism applied to all foreign vessels seeking access to the country’s ports.
• The nation wanted to build up its own naval capacity.
• It has some unfortunate experiences of foreign naval vessels entering its waters without any diplomatic clearance.

What is behind China’s growing influence in the region?

• There is no dispute that China has been rapidly increasing its presence and influence in the region for over three decades, particularly in the South Pacific.
• Certainly Beijing views the Pacific Island region as an important component of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
• Specifically, it sees the region as a critical air freight hub in its so-called Air Silk Road, which connects Asia with Central and South America.

Concerns of the West

• The United States and its regional allies, such as Australia and New Zealand, are concerned that the China-Solomon Islands security pact allows Chinese naval vessels to replenish there.
• That could open the door to a Chinese naval base, which would significantly extend China’s military reach in the South Pacific.”
• It is likely that this security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands has been driven by, what the CFR calls, Beijing’s “sense of vulnerability” in the region.

What is the rationale for the Solomon Islands’ increasing proximity to China?

• The Solomon Islands had cultivated strong ties with Taiwan, which ended with the emergence of the current government in Honiara.
• In 2019, the regime change switched Taiwan for China.
• This was supposedly after Beijing offered half a billion US dollars in financial aid, roughly five times what Taiwan spent on the islands in the past two decades.
• It has been alleged by the pro-Taiwan Opposition that the incumbent government has been bribed by China.

Why is China interested in the Solomon Islands?

• Isolating Taiwan: The Solomon Islands was one among the six Pacific island states which had official bilateral relations with Taiwan.
• Supporter in UN: The small Pacific island states act as potential vote banks for mobilising support for the great powers in international fora like the United Nations.
• Larger EEZ: These states have disproportionately large maritime Exclusive Economic Zones when compared to their small sizes.
• Natural resources: Solomon Islands, in particular, have significant reserves of timber and mineral resources, along with fisheries.
• Countering US: But more importantly, they are strategically located for China to insert itself between America’s military bases in the Pacific islands and Australia.

What does this mean for the established geopolitical configuration in the region?

• Diminishing western influence: The Pacific islands, in the post-World War II scenario, were exclusively under the spheres of influence of the Western powers, in particular, the US, UK, France and Australia and New Zealand.
• Inserting into western hegemony: All of them have territorial possessions in the region, with the three nuclear powers among them having used the region as a nuclear weapons testing ground.
• Shifting of dependencies: The smaller island nations of the region are heavily dependent on them, especially Australia as it is a resident power.

GS-III

Context

The union territory of Ladakh will host India’s first Dark Sky Reserve which will be set up in Hanle area in the next three months. The Dark Sky Reserve is being built as part of Ladakh’s high-altitude Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary.

What is Dark Sky Reserve (DSR)?

• Definition of Dark Sky Reserve: The International Dark Sky Association (IDSA) defines an international dark sky reserve (IDSR) as “a public or private land of substantial size (at least 700 km², or about 173,000 acres) possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and nocturnal environment, and that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment.

What is Core Area of Dark Sky Reserve?

• A dark sky reserve requires a “core” area that has clear sky without any light pollution, which can enable telescopes to see the sky in its natural darkness.

Why Ladakh is chosen as ideal location for DSR?

• Ladakh is ideal for long-term observatories and dark-sky sites because of its large arid area, high elevation, and sparse population, extreme cold and minimum temperature drops to minus 40 degree celcius.
• The Changthang wildlife Sanctuary, the DSR site is situated around 4,500 metres above sea level, which makes it a perfect host for telescopes.

Who is managing India’s DSR?

• The Department of Science and Technology and Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in Bengaluru are providing support for the facility. The IIA already manages the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) complex in Hanle, Ladakh.

What are the International standards for DSR?

• International Dark Sky Association’s Recognition: The IDSA recognizes and accredits dark-sky areas worldwide, in three categories. The Mont Mégantic Observatory in Quebec is the first such site to be recognized (in 2007) as an International Dark Sky Reserve.
• Categorical Certification: Individuals or groups can nominate a site for certification to the International Dark Sky Association (IDSA). There are five designated categories, namely International Dark Sky parks, communities, reserves, sanctuaries and Urban Night Sky Places.
• Global Recognition: The certification process is similar to that of a site being awarded the UNESCO World Heritage Site tag or getting recognised as a Biosphere Reserve. Between 2001 and January 2022, there have been 195 sites recognised as International Dark Sky Places globally, the IDSA said.
• Dark Sky Park: IDSA recognized Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah as the world’s first International Dark Sky Park.
• Dark Sky Sanctuary: In 2015, the IDSA introduced the term “Dark Sky Sanctuary” and designated the Elqui Valley of northern Chile as the world’s first International Dark Sky Sanctuary. The Gabriela Mistral Dark Sky Sanctuary is named after a Chilean poet.

What is India’s objective with DSR?

• To promote AstroTourism: The primary objective of the proposed Dark Sky Reserve is to promote astronomy tourism in a sustainable and environment-friendly manner. Scientific methods will be used here to preserve the night sky from ever-increasing light pollution.
• To offer clear skies for observations: With metros, cities and peripheral areas experiencing light pollution and remaining constantly lit up, there are diminishing areas that offer a view of clear skies on cloudless nights.
• For training purpose: In the pilot phase, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA),has procured ten small and easy-to-handle telescopes and light-reflecting shields. IIA’s scientists and outreach experts will identify locals and train them to use these telescopes.
• Sky gazing and a boost for village economy: This will include basic sky gazing, identification of constellations, and locating the pole star, among others. These telescopes will be installed at the homestays, which is a popular option for tourist accommodation in Ladakh.

Conclusion

The Dark Sky Reserve is likely to boost Astro tourism in India where there has been no such reserve. Once set up, the reserve will be the highest-located site in the country for infrared, gamma-ray, and optical telescopes.

Context

Vyom mitra, the humanoid designed and developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to fly aboard unmanned test missions ahead of the Gaganyaan human space-flight mission, is undergoing pre-flight ground tests at the ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) here.

About the Half-humanoid:

• Vyommitra is a female-looking spacefaring humanoid robot being developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation to function on-board the Gaganyaan, a crewed orbital spacecraft.
• A humanoid is basically a robot with the appearance of a human being.
• ISRO’s Vyommitra (vyoma = space, mitra = friend) is also being called a half-humanoid since she will only have a head, two hands and a torso, and will not have lower limbs. Like any robot, a humanoid’s functions are determined by the computer systems to which it is connected.

Why is ISRO developing a humanoid?

• ISRO plans to send a human into space for the first time by 2022.
• It is racing against time to develop a crew module and rocket systems that will ensure the safe travel and return of the Indian astronaut.
• Other countries that have successfully launched humans into space did so after having used animals for conducting tests of their rockets and crew recovery systems.
• ISRO will use the humanoid to test the efficacy of its GSLV Mk III rocket to transport a human to space and back.
• The humanoid is under development at a robotics laboratory at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.
• Once flown into space, ISRO’s half-humanoid will be able to test systems in the crew module meant for the survival and safe travel of the first Indian astronaut in 2022.

What are the tasks that Vyommitra will perform in space?

• A central character in the science-fiction film Interstellar (2014), which is about space and time travel, is an artificial-intelligence -and-robotics-powered computer system called TARS, which talks to the astronauts, assists them in mission functions, and even rescues them in times of crisis.
• TARS was not a humanoid, but a robotic system with exceptional capabilities.
• The Vyom mitra humanoid, which will test the ground for the human spaceflight, will be a very basic version of a TARS-type, artificial-intelligence-and-robotics system.
• The activities that Vyom mitra will be able to perform, once fully developed for the unmanned flight, will include:
  • procedures to use equipment on board the spacecraft’s crew module such as safety mechanisms and switches,
  • receiving and acting on commands sent from ground stations
  • attaining launch and orbital postures,
  • responding to the environment,
  • generating warnings,
  • replacing carbon dioxide canisters,
  • operating switches,
  • monitoring of the crew module,
  • receiving voice commands,
  • responding via speech (bilingual).
• Vyommitra will also report back to Earth on the changes occurring in the crew module during the spaceflight and return, such as heat radiation levels, to enable ISRO to understand the safety levels required in the crew module that will eventually fly a human being.

Context

A team of researchers has found new evidence for the possible existence of liquid water beneath the south polar ice cap of Mars.

Background:

• The study published in the journal Nature Astronomy is the first independent evidence of liquid water beneath Mars’ South Pole using data other than radar.
• The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, used a spacecraft laser-altimeter.
• Measurements of the shape of the upper surface of the ice cap to identify subtle patterns in its height were carried out.
• It showed that patterns match computer model predictions in the same way a body of water beneath the ice cap would affect the surface.
• The results agree with earlier ice-penetrating radar measurements which predicted a potential area of liquid water beneath the ice.

Significance of the study:

• The liquid water interpretation from the radar data alone has been subjected to debates as some studies suggest the radar signal is not due to liquid water.
• This study is the best indication that there is liquid water on Mars today.
• There is evidence which suggests the existence of subglacial lakes on Mars like the Earth.

Does life exist on Mars?

• Liquid water is said to be found on Mars which is an essential ingredient for life but still there is no evidence of existence of life on Mars.
• In order to be liquid at such low cold temperatures of Mars the water beneath the South Pole might need to be really salty.
• This would make it difficult for any microbial life to inhabit it.
• However, the existence of water on Mars gives hope that there were more habitable environments in the past when the climate was less unforgiving.

Exploring water on the Mars’s surface:

• Ice is present on the Mars-
  • Like the Earth, Mars has thick water ice caps at both poles whose combined volume can be equated to the Greenland Ice Sheet.
  • Earth’s ice sheets which are underlain by water-filled channels and even large subglacial lake
  • The polar ice caps on Mars have been thought to be frozen solid all the way to their beds due to the cold Martian climate.
• Technological constraints-
  • European Space Agency’s Mars Express satellite in 2018 revealed an area at the base of the ice that strongly reflected the radar signal which was interpreted as an area of liquid water beneath the ice cap.
  • The Mars Express satellite has an ice-penetrating radar called MARSIS, which can see through Mars’ southern ice cap.
  • Other studies suggested dry materials which exist on Mars, could produce similar patterns of reflectance if they exist beneath the ice cap.
• Geothermal heat source will aid existence of water-
  • Mars has a very cold climate, thus liquid water beneath the ice cap would require an additional heat source, such as geothermal heat from within the planet.
  • The combination of the new topographic evidence, modal results and the radar data make it look at least one area of subglacial liquid water exists on Mars today
  • Mars must still be geothermally active in order to keep the water beneath the ice cap liquid.
• Shape of ice sheets is crucial-
  • On Earth, subglacial lakes affect the shape of the surface topography of the overlying ice sheets.
  • The water in subglacial lakes lowers friction between the ice sheet and its bed, affecting the velocity of ice flow under gravity.
  • This in turn affects the shape of the ice sheet surface above the lake, often creating a depression in the ice surface followed by a raised area further down-flow.

Research methodology

• Researchers used a range of techniques to examine data from NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor satellite of the surface topography of the part of Mars’ south polar ice cap where the radar signal was identified.
• Analysis revealed a 10-15-kilometre-long surface undulation comprising a depression and a corresponding raised area, which deviated from the surrounding ice surface by several meters.
• This is similar in scale to undulations over subglacial lakes here on Earth.
• The team then tested whether the observed undulation on the surface of the ice could be explained by liquid water at the bed.
• They ran computer model simulations of ice flow, adapted to specific conditions on Mars.
• They then inserted a patch of reduced bed friction in the simulated ice sheet bed where water would allow the ice to slide and speed up.
• The researchers also varied the amount of geothermal heat coming from inside the planet.

Way Forward:

• The extensive experiments generated undulations on the simulated ice surface that were similar in size and shape to the real ice cap surface.
• The similarity was observed between the model-produced topographic undulation and the actual spacecraft observations.
• This with the earlier ice-penetrating radar evidence suggests that there is an accumulation of liquid water beneath Mars’ south polar ice cap
• This magmatic activity occurred relatively recently in the subsurface of Mars to enable the enhanced geothermal heating needed to keep the water in a liquid state.

About the Red Planet:

• Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system.
• It is half the size of Earth and is a cold desert world.
• Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos, that may be captured asteroids.
• It’s red because of the presence of rusty iron in the ground surface thus called the red planet.
• It is also a dynamic planet with seasons, polar ice caps, canyons, extinct volcanoes, and evidence that it was even more active in the past.
• It has a very thin atmosphere made of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon.
• There are signs of ancient floods on Mars, but now water mostly exists in icy dirt and thin clouds.

India’s Mars Orbiter Mission /Mangalyaan:

• It was launched by the ISRO from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in November 2013.
• It was launched on board a PSLV C-25 rocket
• It aims of studying Martian surface and mineral composition
• It will scan Mars’ atmosphere for methane which is an indicator of life on Mars.

Some Important Mars missions:

• NASA(USA)—>Phoenix(2007), Curiosity(2011), Maven(2013), Perseverance(2021)
• European Space Agency(EU)—>Mars Express(2001)
• ISRO(India)—> Mangalyaan(2014)
• UAE’s Space Agency—>Amal (Hope Mission)(2021)
• China’s Space Agency—>Tianwen 1(2021)