UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 12th November 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS - I

Context

• Recently, the Prime Minister of India has paid tributes to Acharya Kripalani on his Jayanti.

Who was Acharya Kripalani?

• About:
  • He was born on 11^th November 1888 in Hyderabad, Sindh.
  • His original name was Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani but was popularly known as Acharya Kripalani. He was an independence activist, Indian politician and an Educationist.
• Educationist:
  • From 1912 to 1927, he taught at various places before becoming wholly involved in the freedom movement.
  • He earned the moniker ‘Acharya’ around 1922 when he was teaching at the Gujarat Vidyapith, founded by the Mahatma a couple of years before.
• An Environmentalist:
  • He, along with Vinoba Bhave, was involved in preservation and conservation activities throughout the 1970s.
• Independence Activist:
  • He was associated with Gandhi by 1917 after Gandhi had taken up the cause of indigo workers in Gujarat.
  • He was part of the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22) and the Civil Disobedience movements (started in 1930) and Quit India Movement (1942).
  • He was the President of Indian National Congress (INC) at the time of independence. He served in the Interim government of India (1946–1947) and the Constituent Assembly of India.
• Political Career:
  • He became one of the founders of the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party (KMPP) after independence leaving congress.
  • He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1952, 1957, 1963 and 1967 as a member of Praja Socialist Party.
  • He moved the first-ever No confidence motion in Lok Sabha in 1963, immediately after the India-China War (1962).
  • In 1963, Sucheta Kripalani, a Congress leader became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, a first for any woman in the country while her husband Acharya remained an opponent to the Congress.
  • He was a critic of Nehru's policies and Indira Gandhi’s rule. He was arrested during Emergency (1975).
• Books:
  • My Times, his autobiography published posthumously in 2004.
  • Kripalani was the author of several books, including Gandhi: His Life and Thought (1970).

Source: PIB

Context

Recently, the Prime Minister of India unveiled a 108-foot statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda and inaugurated Terminal 2 of Bengaluru airport, which is named after the 16^th-century figure credited with founding the city.

• The status is called the “Statue of Prosperity”.

What are the Key Features of the Statue of Prosperity?

• As per the ‘World Book of Records’, it is the first and the tallest bronze statue of a founder of a city.
• Renowned sculptor and Padma Bhushan awardee Ram Vanji Sutar has designed the statue.
• Sutar had built the ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat and the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Bengaluru’s ‘Vidhana Soudha’.
• As a precursor to the unveiling, ‘Mruthike’ (sacred mud) was collected from over 22,000 locations across the state, which was mixed symbolically with the mud beneath one of the four towers of the statue.

Who was Nadaprabhu Kempegowda?

• About:
  • He was born in 1513 in a village near Yelahanka.
  • He was the chieftain under the Vijayanagara Empire of the 16^th century.
  • He is an iconic figure among Vokkaligas, Karnataka’s second most dominant community after Lingayats.
• Education:
  • He studied for nine years in a GuruKula near Aigondapura (present day Hessaraghatta) where he learnt statecraft and martial skills.
• Achievements:
  • He is widely acknowledged as the founder of Bengaluru, Karnataka.
  • It is said that he conceived the idea of a new city while hunting with his minister, and later marked its territory by erecting towers in four corners of the proposed city.
  • He is also credited with having developed around 1,000 lakes in the city to cater to its drinking and agricultural needs.
  • Kempegowda has been credited for abolishing the practice of cutting the fingers of the left hand of an unmarried woman during a custom known as ‘Bandi Devaru’, an important custom of Morasu Vokkaligas.
• Death:
  • He died in 1569, having ruled for about 56 years.
• Recognition:
  • State governments have dedicated important landmarks after him – the Kempegowda International Airport, the Kempegowda Bus Stand, and the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Metro Station.

Source: Indian Express

GS-II

Context

• The US Department of Treasury has removed India from its Currency Monitoring List of major trading partners.
• Along with India, the United States also removed Italy, Mexico, Thailand and Vietnam from its Currency Monitoring List.
• India had been on the list for the last two years.

Currency Monitoring List

• Currency Monitoring List of major trading partners of the USA is the list of countries that merit close attention to their currency practices and macroeconomic policies.
• Basically, it is a monitoring list of countries with potentially “questionable foreign exchange policies” and “currency manipulation”.
  • Currency manipulator label is given by the US government to countries it feels are engaging in unfair currency practices by deliberately devaluing their currency against the dollar.
  • The practice would mean that the country in question is artificially lowering the value of its currency to gain an unfair advantage over others.

Criteria for inclusion in the list:

• Country’s inclusion is based on the three key criteria:
  • a significant bilateral trade surplus (equivalent to $20 billion) with the United States;
  • a material current account surplus (equivalent to 2 per cent of gross-domestic product); and
  • engaged in persistent one-sided intervention in the foreign exchange market.
• Countries remain on the list for two report cycles to ensure that if there are any improvements in the performance of the country it should not be due to temporary reasons.
• An economy meeting two of the three criteria is placed on the Watch List. Countries that meet all three of the criteria are labelled as currency manipulators by the Treasury.

What happens if a country gets included in the list?

• The designation of a country as a currency manipulator does not immediately attract any penalties.
• However, it tends to dent the confidence about a country in the global financial markets.

India’s inclusion in the list

• India was last included in the currency watchlist in October 2018, but was removed from the list in May 2019.
• Again, in December 2020, India was included in the list. Since then, it had been on the list, only to be removed recently.
• Indian policymakers criticized India’s inclusion in the list by saying that the move is an intrusion of the policy space of the RBI.
  • RBI is mandated to provide stability in the currency, as a result of which central banks buy and sell foreign currency.
• As per India, RBI is not accumulating reserves and its activity in the foreign exchange market is perfectly balanced.

Why India was Included in this list?

• As per the US Department of Treasury, India had fulfilled the criteria for inclusion in the list in December 2020 and it continued to do during the review of April 2021.
• For example, the reasons cited by the US for India’s inclusion in April 2021 were:
  • India’s trade surplus with the United States had gone up by nearly $5 billion in the financial year 2020/21.
  • India’s bilateral trade surplus in goods with the United States totalled $24 billion in 2020, along with a services trade surplus of $8 billion.
  • The report also highlighted that the RBI’s dollar purchase stood at 5% of the GDP exceeded the 2% threshold.

News Summary

• India, along with four other countries has been removed from the Currency Monitoring List by the US Department of Treasury.
• The countries that have been removed from the list have met only one out of three criteria for two consecutive reports.
• Currently, after the removal of five states, China, Japan, Korea, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan are the remaining seven economies that have remained on the list and are a part of the current monitoring list.

Source: The Print

Context

Recently, Bhopal Railway Station has been awarded a 4- star 'Eat Right Station' certification for providing high-quality, nutritious food to passengers.

• The 4-star rating indicates full compliance by the station to ensure safe and hygienic food is available to passengers.

What is 'Eat Right Station' Certification?

• About:
  • The 'Eat Right Station' certification is awarded by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to railway stations that set benchmarks in providing safe and wholesome food to passengers.
  • The station is awarded a certificate upon a conclusion of an FSSAI-empanelled third-party audit agency with ratings from 1 to 5.
  • The certification is part of the 'Eat Right India' movement.
• Other Railway Stations with this Certification:
  • Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station; (Delhi), Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus; (Mumbai), Mumbai Central Railway Station; (Mumbai), Vadodara Railway Station, Chandigarh Railway Station

What is the Eat Right Movement?

• It is an initiative of FSSAI to transform the country’s food system in order to ensure safe, healthy and sustainable food for all Indians. Its tagline is ‘Sahi Bhojan, Behtar Jeevan’.
• It is aligned to the National Health Policy 2017 with its focus on preventive and promotive healthcare and flagship programmes like Ayushman Bharat, POSHAN Abhiyaan, Anaemia Mukt Bharat and Swachh Bharat Mission.
• Eat Right India adopts a judicious mix of regulatory, capacity building, collaborative, and empowerment approaches to ensure that our food is suitable both for the people and the planet.

What are the Related Initiatives?

• State Food Safety Index:
  • FSSAI has developed it to measure the performance of States on five parameters of food safety - Human Resources and Institutional Data, Compliance, Food Testing - Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training & Capacity Building and Consumer Empowerment.
• Eat Right Awards:
  • Instituted by FSSAI to recognize the contribution of food companies and individuals to empower citizens to choose safe and healthy food options.
• Eat Right Mela:
  • Organised by FSSAI, it is an outreach activity for citizens to nudge them towards eating right.

What is the Importance of Food Safety?

• Access to sufficient amounts of safe food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health.
• Foodborne illnesses are usually infectious or toxic in nature and often invisible to the plain eye, caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances entering the body through contaminated food or water.
• An estimated 4,20,000 people around the world die every year after eating contaminated food and children under 5 years of age carry 40% of the foodborne disease burden, with 1,25, 000 deaths every year.
• Food safety has a critical role in assuring that food stays safe at every stage of the food chain - from production to harvest, processing, storage, distribution, all the way to preparation and consumption.
• Food production is responsible for up to 30% of global greenhouse-gas emissions contributing to global warming.

What is FSSAI?

• It is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. It has been established under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which consolidates various acts and orders that have hitherto handled food related issues in various Ministries and Departments.
• The Food Standards and Safety Act, 2006 replaced several Acts and Orders like the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954; Fruit Products Order, 1955; etc.
• FSSAI is headed by a non-executive Chairperson, appointed by the Central Government, either holding or have held a position, not below the rank of Secretary to the Government of India. It is not under the charge of Director General of Health Services.
• FSSAI has been created for laying down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

Source: PIB

Context

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released ‘Global Vaccine Market Report 2022’.

• This is the first report to capture the implications of Covid-19 for vaccine markets highlighting the issue of vaccine inequity.

What are the Findings of the Report?

• Vaccine Inequity, not a Unique Phenomenon:
  • It shows that inequitable distribution is not unique to Covid-19 vaccines, with low-income countries consistently struggling to access vaccines that are in-demand by high-income countries. Limited vaccine supply and unequal distribution drive global disparities.
  • The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine against cervical cancer has only been introduced in 41% of low-income countries, even though they represent much of the disease burden, compared to 83% of high-income countries.
• Price Disparities:
  • Affordability is a major obstacle to vaccine access. While prices tend to be tiered by income, price disparities see middle-income countries paying as much – or even more – than wealthier ones for several vaccine products.
• Free-Market Dynamics:
  • Free market dynamics is depriving some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people of their right to health. Therefore, changes are much needed to the global vaccine market to save lives, prevent disease and prepare for future crises.
• Scale-up during Health Emergencies:
  • Approximately 16 billion vaccine doses, worth US$ 141 billion, were supplied in 2021, almost three times the 2019 market volume (5.8 billion) and nearly three-and-a-half times the 2019 market value (US$ 38 billion).
  • The increase was primarily driven by Covid-19 vaccines, showing the incredible potential of how vaccine manufacturing can be scaled up in response to health needs.
• Concentrated Manufacturing Base:
  • Although manufacturing capacity worldwide has increased, it remains highly concentrated.
  • Ten manufacturers alone provide 70% of vaccine doses (excluding COVID-19).
  • Several of the top 20 most widely used vaccines (such as PCV, HPV, measles and rubella containing vaccines) each currently rely mainly on two suppliers.
  • In 2021, the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions were dependent on manufacturers headquartered elsewhere for 90% of their procured vaccines.
  • This concentrated manufacturing base leads to risk of shortages as well as regional supply insecurity.
  • Entrenched intellectual property monopolies and limited technology transfer further limit the ability of building and using local manufacturing capacity.
• Limited Investment in Vaccines Other than Covid-19:
  • The health of markets is also concerning for several of the vaccines commonly needed for emergencies, such as against cholera, typhoid, smallpox/monkeypox, Ebola, meningococcal disease, where demand surges with outbreaks and is hence less predictable.
  • The continued limited investment in these vaccines could be devastating for people’s lives.
• Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030):
  • The report highlights the opportunities for more alignment of vaccine development, production and distribution with a public health agenda, towards achieving the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) goals and informing pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response efforts.

What are the Recommendations of the Report?

• For Governments:
  • Frame clear immunization plans and more aggressive investment
  • Get a stronger oversight of vaccine development, production and distribution
  • Emphasise on regional research and manufacturing hubs
  • Devise pre-agreeing rules for government collaboration in times of scarcity on issues such as vaccine distribution, intellectual property and the circulation of inputs and goods.
• For Industry:
  • Focus on research efforts for WHO-priority pathogens
  • Ensure transparency.
  • Facilitate technology transfer.
  • Commit to specific equity-driven allocation measures.
• For International Organizations and Partners:
  • Prioritize Immunization Agenda 2030 goals.
  • Support country-driven initiatives.
  • Push for the application of resolutions on market transparency.

Source: DownToEarth

GS-III

Context

At the ongoing 27th Session of Conference of Parties (COP27) at Sharm El-Sheikh, the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) was launched with India as a partner.

Mangroves

• Mangrove trees can grow in saline waters, and can sequester up to four times more carbon than tropical rainforests.
• Eighty per cent of the global fish populations depend on mangrove ecosystems.

Why are mangroves significant in fighting climate change?

• With notable adaptive features, mangroves are the natural armed forces of tropical and subtropical nations.
• They are the best option to fight against consequences of climate change such as sea level rise and increased frequency of natural calamities like cyclones and storm surges.
• They are among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics and account for three per cent of carbon sequestered by the world’s tropical forests.
• Mangroves are the economic foundations of many tropical coastal regions.
• To sustain the blue economy, it is imperative to ensure the sustainability of coastal habitats, particularly mangroves for tropical nations, at the local, regional, and international levels.

India and the mangroves

• India holds around 3 percent of South Asia’s mangrove population.
• According to the Forest Survey report 2021, mangroves cover in the country is 4,992 square km, which is 0.15 percent of the country’s total geographical area.
• Since 2019, the cover has risen by only 17 sq km.
• West Bengal has the highest percentage of mangrove cover in India. It is followed by Gujarat and Andaman, and Nicobar Islands.
• Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Kerala too have mangrove.
• In India, mangrove ecosystems are legally protected by the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2011 under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.

News Summary

• At the United Nations climate summit – the 27th Session of Conference of Parties (COP27) – held at the Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, India was among the first countries to join the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC).

Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC)

• MAC is an initiative spearheaded by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in partnership with Indonesia to strengthen efforts on conserving and restoring mangrove forests.
• It aims to raise awareness about the role of mangroves as a “nature-based” solution to climate change.
• India is among the first countries to join the alliance; the others include Australia, Japan, Spain, and Sri Lanka.
• As part of this alliance, an international mangrove research centre will be established in Indonesia.
• This centre will conduct studies on mangrove ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and ecotourism.

Working

• The intergovernmental alliance will work on a voluntary basis and countries will set their deadlines for mangrove conservation.
• The parties will decide their own commitments and deadlines regarding planting and restoring mangroves.
• It will be difficult to hold members accountable. However, the member nations will share expertise and back each other in the endeavour to protect coastal areas.

India’s association would strengthen MAC

• As part of its Nationally determined contributions (NDCs), India has committed to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
• Hence, India is keen on growing the mangrove plantation.
• India has demonstrated expertise in mangrove restoration activities for nearly five decades and restored different types of mangrove ecosystems both on its east and west coasts.

Source: Indian Expess

Context

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the hot test of CE20 cryogenic engine.

About:

• According to ISRO, CE20 cryogenic engine is indigenously developed for LVM3.
• This will enhance the LVM3 payload capability up to 450 kg with additional propellant loading.
• The Launch Vehicle Mark-III went through the hot test at an uprated thrust level of 21.8 tonnes for the first time.
• The major modifications carried out on this test article compared to previous engines was introduction of Thrust Control Valve (TCV) for thrust control.
• In addition to the hot test, a 3D printed LOX and LH2 turbine exhaust casings were inducted in the engine for the first time.
• The LVM3 is the heaviest launch vehicle of ISRO.

Source: The Hindu

Context

The Union government has informed the Supreme Court that the per capita income of the Indian population has increased in real terms by 33.4% in the 8 years after the enactment of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.

• This response comes in response to a SC order for a comprehensive survey of migrant labourers who faced great hardship and job loss during the first lockdown in 2020.

• Objective:
  • The NFSA, 2013 was notified to provide for food and nutritional security, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity.
• Salient features:
  • It provides a legal right to persons belonging to “eligible households” to receive food grains at subsidised price/central issue prices under the under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
  • The percentage of population covered under TPDS in rural and urban areas shall be calculated on the basis of Census of India.
  • State governments are tasked with identifying Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY - poorest of the poor) and priority households (PHH) beneficiaries within the TPDS-covered population.
  • Every person in the PHH category receives 5 kg of food grains per month at - rice at Rs 3/kg, wheat at Rs 2/kg and coarse grain at Re 1/kg. Each AAY household gets Rs 35 kg of food grains per month.
  • The Act covers up to 75% of the rural population and up to 50% of the urban population for receiving subsidised food grains (overall 67% of the total population).
• Special focus on the nutritional support to women and children:
  • Women: It provides meals to pregnant women and lactating mothers during pregnancy and six months after the child birth.
    • Such women will also be entitled to receive maternity benefits of not less than 6,000.
  • Children: Up to 14 years of age will be entitled to nutritious meals as per the prescribed nutritional standards.
  • Food security allowance: In case of non-supply of entitled food grains or meals, the beneficiaries will receive food security allowance.
  • Grievance redressal mechanism: The Act also contains provisions for setting up of grievance redressal mechanisms at the District and State levels.
• News Summary - The Central government’s response:
  • Under the NFSA, around 4.7 crore ration cards, equivalent to approximately 18-19 crore individuals, have been introduced in the last eight years (2013-2021).
  • As of August 31, the overall national ceiling under the NFSA is 81.4 crore, while actual national coverage is about 8 crore.
  • Under the NFSA ceiling, there is still room for an extra 1.6 crore beneficiaries in the AAY and PHH categories.
  • The rise in per capita income is likely to have moved a substantial number of households into a higher income bracket, and they may no longer be as vulnerable as they were in 2013-14.
  • Due to this, the top limit of 75% for rural and 50% for urban populations classified vulnerable in 2013-14 would have been significantly reduced.
  • The inclusion of non-eligible households in the NFSA raises the Union government's subsidy burden.
  • The SC had asked the government to undertake a comprehensive exercise to re-determine the total number of beneficiaries in rural and urban areas.
  • To this the government replied that the Census 2021 and publishing final data of the census will take time.
  • Also, the new National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) survey has been started in July 2022 and the field work will be completed by June 2023.

Source: The Hindu