UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 30th October 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Context

U.P. promotes tombs of Muslim devotees of Krishna for tourism

About Taj Bibi:

• She was born in the 17th century.
• Taj Bibi’s father’s name was Padna Khan.
• Taj Bibi, also known as the ‘Mughal Mirabai’, was the daughter of a Muslim nobleman, appointed by the Mughals to protect the Gokul area.
• Taj Bibi was married to Emperor Akbar.
• Emperor Akbar had great reverence for Gusain Shri Vitthalnath Ji and he used to come to Govardhan from time to time to have darshan of Gusain Ji.
• Once Taj Bibi came to Govardhan to see Gusain Ji with permission from Akbar.
• Taj Bibi returned to Delhi after a few days as per Akbar’s orders.

About Raskhan:

• Syed Ibrahim Khan (1548-1628) was an Indian Sufi Muslim poet who became a devotee of the Hindu deity Krishna.
• Raskhan was his takhallus (pen name) in Hindi.
• He accepted Krishna as the supreme god (Svayam Bhagavan) and became a Vaishnava.
• He died in 1628 AD.
• His samadhi is at Mahaban, about six miles east of Mathura.
• He translated Bhagavata Purana into Persian.
• The poetry of Raskhan focuses on Lord Krishna.
• Rachnavali is the collection of Raskhan’s poetry
• His poetry is in the form of Doha, Padawali and Savayya.
• Raskhan’s Khariboli writings are numerous, the five most important being the Sujana Raskhana, the Premavatika, the Danalila, the Astayama and a collection of Padas (rhymed couplets).

Source: The Hindu

Context

• Recently, the 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment was published, showing that the Deforestation rates worldwide declined only modestly in 2021 by 6.3 % compared to the 2018-20 baseline.
• Some 145 countries affirmed their commitment to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow (2021).
• Forest Declaration Assessment publishes annual updates on progress toward global forest goals.
• In 2014, the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) was adopted as a political declaration calling for the end of natural forest loss and the restoration of 350 million hectares of degraded landscapes and forestlands by 2030.

What are the Findings?

• Overview
  • Not a Single Global Indicator is on Track' to Reverse Deforestation by 2030.
  • To be on course to halt deforestation completely by 2030, a 10% annual reduction is needed.
  • While afforestation and restoration efforts have been commendable, more forest area is being lost than gained.
  • Global forest loss decreased in 2021, but the crucial climate goal of stopping deforestation by 2030 would still be missed.
• Contributors to Deforestation:
  • Brazil was the world’s largest contributor to deforestation in 2021.
  • The country marked a 3% rise in the rate of deforestation in 2021 compared to the baseline 2018-2020.
  • Although Brazil didn’t show a large increase, its total deforestation rates each year remained high — making it the world’s largest contributor.
  • Bolivia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo underwent deforestation at 6 % and 3 %, respectively.
• Gain in Tree Cover:
  • Global tree cover increased by 130.9 million hectares over the past two decades.
  • Three-quarters of the global gain was concentrated in 13 countries.
  • The most significant improvements were observed in Russia (28.4 %), Canada, the United States, Brazil, and China.
  • China showed the largest net gain in tree cover — 2.1 million hectares (Mha). India also marked a gain of 0.87 Mha in tree cover.
  • Globally, 118.6 Mha of the total tree cover gain is likely due to natural regeneration and assisted natural regeneration that occurred outside plantations.
• Reduction in Deforestation:
  • Gabon reduced deforestation by 28% in 2021 compared to 2018-20.
  • The country implemented measures to combat illegal logging and the enforcement of protected areas.
  • Indonesia reduced deforestation after implementing the forest moratorium and improved enforcement measures.
  • The moratorium, which covers around 66 million hectares of primary forest and peatland (terrestrial wetland ecosystems), was first introduced in 2011 and has been renewed regularly as part of the efforts to reduce emissions from fires caused by deforestation.
  • In Brazil, the decline in deforestation rates between 2004 and 2012 can be partly attributed to the coordinated implementation of the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Amazon.
  • It created protected areas and effective monitoring systems.
  • Recent years have seen legal interventions in the European Union, Ecuador and India to protect forests.
  • In 2021, a constitutional court in Ecuador upheld the rights of nature enshrined in the country’s constitution.
• Recommendation:
  • It is essential to note that tree cover gain does not cancel out tree loss.
  • Forest cover gains don’t negate the impacts of forest loss in terms of carbon storage, biodiversity, or ecosystem services. The highest priority efforts should be directed towards safeguarding primary forests from losses in the first place.
  • Forest finance needs to be on track to meet global goals to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030.
  • It will cost up to USD 460 billion per year to protect, restore and enhance forests on a global scale.
  • Currently, domestic and international mitigation finance for forests averages USD 2.3 billion per year — less than 1 % of the required.
  • Forest funding must increase by up to 200 times to meet 2030 goals.
  • Forests are the backbone of our economies and crucial to our wellbeing. It is now more important than ever to speed up action and concerted efforts to halt deforestation and scale up restoration in a way that benefits people, nature and climate.
  • This means more ground-up inclusive solutions, stronger collaboration and coordination among the public and private sectors and the civil society, and moving from commitments to implementation.

Source: DownToEarth

Context

The Prime Minister of India will pay tribute to the unsung heroes of the Bhil tribal community, during his visit to the Mangarh Dham in Rajasthan’s Banswara district.

About Mangarh Dham:

• Mangarh Dham is known for the massacre of tribals that took place six years before Jallianwalla Bagh and is sometimes referred to as the “Adivasi Jallianwala”.
  • British forces killed hundreds of Bhil tribals on November 17, 1913, in the hills of Mangarh on the border of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• It is located in the district on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border, a region with a large tribal population.
• Social reformer Govind Guru led the gathering of tribals and forest dwellers in 1913 in Mangarh against the British Raj.

About Bhils Tribal group:

• The word Bhil is derived from “Veel”, which means “bow” in the Dravidian language.
• The Bhil tribe is called “Dhanush Purush of India” because they are highly adept at learning Dhanush.
• Bhils are a group of tribal Indians scattered throughout India from Gujarat in the west to Tripura in the Far East.
• As of 2013, they were the largest tribal group in India with the majority living in the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
• Bhils have a rich and unique culture. The Bhilala subdivision is known for its Pithora painting.
• Ghoomar is a traditional folk dance of the Bhil tribe.
• Ghoomar is the symbol of femininity.
• The young women take art in this dance and declare that they are stepping into women’s shoes.

Source: The Indian Express

GS-II

Context

• Indian Air Force (IAF) and French Air and Space Force (FASF) are participating in 'Garuda VII' at Air Force Station Jodhpur.
• It is being hosted by India for the fourth time so far.

What is Garuda VII?

• About:
  • Garuda VII is the seventh edition of the bilateral air exercise between India and France that is taking place after a gap of two years.
  • The first, third and fifth editions were conducted in India in 2003, 2006 and 2014 at Air Force Stations Gwalior, Kalaikunda and Jodhpur, respectively.
  • In this exercise, FASF will participate with four Rafale fighter aircraft, one A-330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft and a contingent of 220 personnel.
  • The IAF is participating with Su-30 MKI, Rafale, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and Jaguar fighter aircraft, as well as the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Mi-17 helicopters.
  • The IAF contingent will also include Combat Enabling Assets like Flight Refueling Aircraft, Airborne Warning & Control System (AWACS) and Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C).
• Significance:
  • This joint exercise will provide a platform for both the countries to enhance operational capability and interoperability, while also sharing best practices.
  • Participation of the IAF and FASF in this exercise will promote professional interaction, exchange of experiences and enhancement of operational knowledge, besides strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

What are the Other Defence Exercises?

• Varuna - Naval exercise
• Desert Knight-21 - Air exercise
• Shakti - Army exercise

Source: PIB

Context

• Recently, Jharkhand chief minister who was an accused of holding an office of profit, pleaded to government to make his crime public as well as grant him punishment at the earliest.

What is the Concept of ‘Office of Profit’?

• Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislature (MLAs), as members of the legislature, hold the government accountable for its work.
• The essence of disqualification under the office of profit law is if legislators hold an ‘office of profit’ under the government, they might be susceptible to government influence, and may not discharge their constitutional mandate fairly.
• The intent is that there should be no conflict between the duties and interests of an elected member.
• Hence, the office of profit law simply seeks to enforce a basic feature of the Constitution- the principle of separation of power between the legislature and the executive.

What Constitutes an ‘Office of Profit’?

• About:
  • The law does not clearly define what constitutes an office of profit but the definition has evolved over the years with interpretations made in various court judgments.
  • An office of profit has been interpreted to be a position that brings to the office-holder some financial gain, or advantage, or benefit.
  • The amount of such profit is immaterial.
  • In 1964, the Supreme Court ruled that the test for determining whether a person holds an office of profit is the test of appointment.
• Factors which are considered in this determination includes:
  • Whether the government is the appointing authority
  • Whether the government has the power to terminate the appointment
  • Whether the government determines the remuneration
  • What is the source of remuneration
  • Power that comes with the position

What does the Constitution say about holding an ‘Office of Profit’?

• Under Article 102 (1) and Article 191 (1) of the Constitution, an MP or an MLA (or an MLC) is barred from holding any office of profit under the central or state government.
• The articles clarify that “a person shall not be deemed to hold an office of profit under the government of India or the government of any state by reason only that he is a minister”.
• Provisions of Articles 102 and 191 also protect a legislator occupying a government position if the office in question has been made immune to disqualification by law.
• Parliament has also enacted the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959, which has been amended several times to expand the exempted list.

What are the Related Judgments of the Supreme Court?

• CM will be disqualified under Section 9A of the Representation of Peoples’ Act, 1951 in view of three judgments of the apex court.
• Under that section, a contract has to be made for the supply of goods or the execution of any work undertaken by the government.
• A constitution bench of the Supreme Court in 1964 in the case of CVK Rao vs Dentu Bhaskara Rao has held that a mining lease does not amount to a contract of supply of goods.
• In 2001, a three-judge bench of the apex court in the case of Kartar Singh Bhadana vs Hari Singh Nalwa & others also made it clear that a mining lease does not amount to execution of a work undertaken by the government.
• Even if the CM is disqualified by any authority, he can challenge it in the high court and in that case and as per a Supreme Court order, the adjudication has to be completed within four months.
• Under Article 164 (4), one person can be a minister for six months without being a member.

Source: HT

GS-III

Context

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) injected Rs 72,860.7 crore of liquidity into the banking system in October 2022, the highest since April 2019 after liquidity condition tightened on higher demand for credit during the festival season.
• It is the central bank’s intervention in the foreign exchange market to curb volatility in the rupee.

• Liquidity in the banking system refers to readily available cash that banks need to meet short-term business and financial needs.
• On a given day, if the banking system is a net borrower from the RBI under Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), the system liquidity is said to be in deficit. If the banking system is a net lender to the RBI, the liquidity is said to be in surplus.

• A LAF is a monetary policy tool used in India by the RBI through which it injects or absorbs liquidity into or from the banking system.
• It was introduced as a part of the outcome of the Narasimham Committee on Banking Sector Reforms of 1998.
• LAF has two components - repo (repurchase agreement) and reverse repo. When banks need liquidity to meet its daily requirement, they borrow from RBI through repo. The rate at which they borrow fund is called the repo rate. When banks are flush with fund, they park with RBI through the reverse repo mechanism at reverse repo rate.
• It can manage inflation in the economy by increasing and reducing the money supply.
• LAF is used to aid banks in resolving any short-term cash shortages during periods of economic instability or from any other form of stress caused by forces beyond their control.
• Various banks use eligible securities as collateral through a repo agreement and use the funds to alleviate their short-term requirements, thus remaining stable.
• The facilities are implemented on a day-to-day basis as banks and other financial institutions ensure they have enough capital in the overnight market.
• The transacting of liquidity adjustment facilities takes place via an auction at a set time of the day.

Source: The Hindu