UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 26th December 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Context

Recently, the Srimukhalingam temple chief priest urged the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to get the historic Siva temple included in UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites

bout Srimukhalingam Temple:

• Some architectural masterpieces were created by the rulers of the Eastern Ganga dynasty in the then-capital of the Kalinga kingdom.
• Srimukhalingam temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, known as Sri Mukha Lingeswara Swamy, housing 3 Ancient Temples at one Location.
• The Trinity of Madhukeswara, Someswara and Bheemeswara Temples are a testimony to the magnificent architectural skills of Kalinga Kings.
• This temple is built in Kalinga architectural style on the banks of the Vamsadhara river.

Source: PIB

Context

Prime Minister of India had recently announced that 26th December will be observed as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’, to mark the martyrdom of Sri Guru Gobind Singh’s sons.

About Veer Bal Diwas:

• On December 26, 1707, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh attained martyrdom when they were executed on the orders of Aurangzeb.

Who is Guru Gobind Singh?

• He was the 10th Sikh guru.
• He became the Sikh guru at the age of nine, following the demise of his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru.
• Also known for his significant contributions to the Sikh religion, including the introduction of the turban to cover hair.
• He is renowned for founding the principles of Khalsa or the Five ‘K’s i.e kesh (uncut hair), kanga (wooden comb), kara (iron or steel bracelet), kirpan (dagger) and kachera (short breeches).
• He fought against the Mughals later in the battle of Muktsar in 1705.
• Guru Gobind Singh was killed by a Mughal assassin in 1708, a year after the death of Aurangzeb.

Source: The Hindu

GS-II

Context

There was a long standing demand in Uttarakhand for strict action against forced conversions.

• Following this, the Uttarakhand government introduced the Uttarakhand Religion Freedom Amendment Bill in the Assembly.
• Since 2017, five states, all led by Bharatiya Janata Party governments, have either passed new anti-conversion laws or updated existing ones.
• The new versions of the laws put in place stricter punishments and newer grounds for restricting conversions, such as conversion “by marriage” – where a person who adopts another faith to enter into a marriage would be deemed to have been forcibly converted.

Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act:

• It amends the prevalent Freedom of religion Act of 2018 and imposes a fine of Rs. 50,000 on any person who tries to convert the other through “misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means.”
• It also makes it a cognisable and non-bailable offence with a minimum prison term of 3 years that can be extended up to 10 years.
• As per the new law, the convict will have to even pay Rs. 5 lakhs to the victim.

History of Conversion laws in India:

• The Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967 – It is the first such law in the country and prohibits conversion from one religion to the other by “force or inducement or by fraudulent means”.
• The Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 1978 (never enforced) – The law says that “no person shall convert or attempt to convert, either directly or otherwise, any person from one religious faith by the use of force or by inducement or by any fraudulent means nor shall any person abet any such conversion”.
• Those converting and those performing the conversion need to send an intimation within a prescribed period to the DM, or may face a punishment of one year or with fine that go up to thousand rupees or both.
• Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003; Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2006 – The law prescribes punishment of three years for forced conversion, with a fine of up to Rs 50,000.
• In cases involving a woman, minor, Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled Tribe (ST), the fine can go up to one lakh rupees. Prior permission from the DM is required and it is a cognisable offence.
• Chhattisgarh Religion Freedom (Amendment) Act, 2006 –It provides a three-year jail term and penalty up to Rs.20,000 or both. The law makes it mandatory for a person who wants to convert to get approval 30 days in advance from the DM. The DM will have the authority to reject or accept the application after examining the case.

Challenges of conversion laws:

• Freedom of conscience – The petitioners argued that restrictions on conversion contravened their fundamental rights since Article 25(1) of the Constitution should include the right to convert under the word ‘propogation’.
• However, the court held that Article 25 does not give the right to convert but only “to transmit or spread one’s religion by an exposition of its tenets”.
• Judicial criticisms – In 1977, a five-judge upheld the constitutionality of India’s first two anti-conversion laws: the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967 and Madhya Pradesh’s MP Dharma Swatantrya Adhiniyam, 1968.
• But the verdict in this case, Stainislaus vs State of Madhya Pradesh, has been criticised by constitutional experts because the court held that this right does not include voluntary conversions.
• Burden of proving that the conversion was ‘lawful’ lies on the person who ‘caused’ the conversion. This provision ignores the opinion of those who converted and the focuses only on the “converter.
• Substance over form: It is also difficult to ascertain whether a religious conversion is truly conducted solely for the purpose of marriage.
• Watering down provisions – In 2021, both the Gujarat and Allahabad High Courts have watered down the provisions relating to inter-faith marriages in the anti-conversion laws of their states.
• Pending matters – The constitutional validity of the anti-conversion laws in at least four states – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh – has been pending before the Supreme Court since February 2021.
• Vagueness in laws: The UP ordinance law is criticised for the ambiguous terms used like “undue influence”, “coercion”, “allurement or marriage” for specifying the grounds for criminalising conversions.
• Human rights – Several petitions have been filed before several High Courts challenging anti-conversion laws.

Suggestions:

• Some High Courts have ruled in favour of more checks during conversions and inter-faith marriages.
• In December 2020, the Uttarakhand High Court held that the notice to the district magistrate prior to conversion for marriage is compulsory.
• Courts have also regulated conversions – In 2017, in the absence of a law on the subject, the Rajasthan High Court laid down guidelines on conversions and inter-faith marriages
• The court said that anyone who wishes to convert should provide information to the district authorities before conversion and that a marriage can only be solemnised if adequate notice is given to the authorities.
• Adequate groundwork – Anti-conversion laws must be backed by a concrete study on the ground-realty of such forced conversions.
• Upholding diversity – It is the duty of the state to enable and facilitate inter-faith/inter-caste marriages – Allahabad HC ruling on Special Marriages Act is a step in the right direction

Way forward:

• Justice Swaminathan said the physical violence starts with psychological violence and psychological violence comes from the violence embedded in the propaganda.
• Hence, we need to be sensitive in matters of religion and conversion.
• Any challenge to conversion laws would require the Supreme Court to relook at its Stainislaus judgment while also taking the right to privacy judgment into account.

Source: The Hindu

The Prime Minister of India recently highlighted the global appreciation for the country’s flagship Namami Gange Programme for Ganga rejuvenation, giving credit to people’s participation in the programme.

• The United Nations (UN) has recognised the initiative as one of the top 10 World Restoration Flagships and awarded it on 14th December 2022 - the World Restoration Day, at the COP15 to the CBD in Montreal, Canada

About Namami Gange Programme:

• It is an integrated conservation mission, approved as ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in 2014 with budget outlay of Rs.20,000 Crores.
• It is administered by the Ministry of Jal Shakti's Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, to accomplish the twin objectives of -
  • Effective abatement of pollution,
  • Conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.
• The program would be implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organisations i.e., State Program Management Groups (SPMGs).
  • NMCG is the implementation wing of National Ganga Council (NGC, which replaced the National Ganga River Basin Authority).
  • NGC was created in 2016 under the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016, and is headed by the PM.
• In order to implement the programme, a three-tier mechanism has been proposed for project monitoring comprising of:
  • A high-level task force chaired by Cabinet Secretary assisted by NMCG at the national level,
  • State level committee chaired by Chief Secretary assisted by SPMG at the state level and
  • District level committee chaired by the District Magistrate.
• Its implementation has been divided into -
  • Entry-Level Activities (for immediate visible impact),
  • Medium-Term Activities (to be implemented within 5 years of time frame) and
  • Long-Term Activities (to be implemented within 10 years).

Why is the Namami Gange programme needed?

• Rising in the Himalayas and flowing to the Bay of Bengal, the river traverses a course of more than 2,500 km through the plains of north and eastern India.
• The Ganga basin - which also extends into parts of Nepal, China and Bangladesh - accounts for 26% of India's landmass.
• Thus, River Ganga has significant economic, environmental and cultural-spiritual value (one of India's holiest rivers), whose significance transcends the boundaries of the basin.

The key achievements under the programme are:

• Creating Sewage Treatment Capacity: 98 sewage projects have been completed in the states of UK, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, etc.
• Creating River-Front Development: The projects for the construction, modernisation, and renovation of 267 Ghats/Crematoria and Kunds/Ponds have been initiated.
• River Surface Cleaning: River Surface cleaning for collection of floating solid waste from the surface of the Ghats and River and its disposal are afoot and pushed into service at 11 locations.
• Biodiversity Conservation: Cadre of volunteers (Ganga Praharis) have been developed and trained to support conservation actions in the field
• Public Awareness: Ganga Praharis and Ganga Doots are engaged in spreading awareness through planting trees, cleaning ghats, Ganga Aarti, painting and poems.
• Industrial Effluent Monitoring: Regulation and enforcement through regular and surprise inspections of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) is carried out for compliance verification against stipulated environmental norms.
• Deploying best available knowledge and resources across the world: Countries such as Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, Israel, etc., have been collaborating with India for Ganga rejuvenation.

Source: The Hindu

GS-III

Context

In 2022, we have the first observational evidence of mixed-species association between the two threatened primate species Phayre’s langur (Trachypithecus pileatus) and capped langur (Trachypithecus phayrei), in fragmented forest patches of northeast Bangladesh. 

Earlier conjecture:

• Scientists initially thought that interbreeding among the two groups was more isolated to a particular place and time — specifically, when they encountered each other in western Eurasia shortly after modern humans left Africa.
• This idea stemmed from the fact that the genomes of modern humans from outside Africa are only about 2 per cent Neanderthal, on average.

New findings:

• Multiple interbreeding happened between Neanderthals and the ancestors of modern humans across Europe and Asia than scientists and dilutive effects might have occurred.
• This is because Neanderthal ancestry is 12 to 20 per cent higher in modern East Asians compared to modern Europeans.
• This could be due to following reasons:
• One is that East Asians happen to have interbred more with Neanderthals.
• Of the multiple ancestral populations of Europeans, one had very little Neanderthal ancestry, diluting the overall Neanderthal contribution.
• Denisovans contributed to the modern human gene pool at least twice, leaving behind two distinct genetic components — one mostly in Papuan and Australian aboriginal populations, the other primarily in East Asian populations.
• Probable reasons why Neanderthal DNA was purged from modern human genomes:
• Neanderthal DNA was of less benefit to modern humans as their environments changed over time
• harmful mutations were more common in Neanderthals due to inbreeding.

Hybridization:

• Mixed-species association can result in the production of hybrid offspring in the wild.
• Hybridisation – means a breakdown of species isolation mechanisms
• Traditional belief about hybridisation – is essentially unnatural, and hence unwelcome.
• Today, with rapid strides in science, it may be worthwhile to reconsider the biological importance of hybridisation, a naturally occurring and ubiquitous process, unsullied by value-laden human prejudices.

Methodology:

• Scientists developed computer simulations that modelled how DNA would get shared during a range of numbers of encounters between modern humans and Neanderthals. Then, they looked into which models best fit modern human genetic databases

Source: DTE

Context

Polar bears in Canada’s Western Hudson Bay, an inland sea connected to the Arctic Ocean, are dying at a fast rate, according to a new government survey, the Associated Press reported recently. It also revealed that females and younger polar bears are the worst affected.

About:

• At the time of the survey, conducted by air in 2021, researchers calculated that there were 618 bears left in Western Hudson Bay — the region includes Churchill, the town that is known as ‘the Polar Bear Capital of the World’.
• When the last survey took place in 2016, there were 842 bears in the area.
• According to the researchers, Western Hudson Bay has witnessed a drop of around 50% in the population of polar bears since the 1980s.

Importance of polar bears:

• Polar bears are one of the most significant predators in the Arctic region and they keep biological populations in balance.
• The big kills made by them serve as a food resource for scavengers like Arctic foxes and Arctic birds.
• If polar bears aren’t able to hunt animals like seals, it can severely impact the food chain and health of the ecosystem.
• Researchers have also found that once polar bears can’t find seals to eat, they would quickly move to kill and survive on other creatures in the Arctic region.
• This would threaten the existence of species like the Arctic fox or the walrus.
• Moreover, it might also cause the overpopulation of seals, which could endanger the existence of crustaceans and fish that are an important food source for local human populations as well as other Arctic wildlife.
• The polar bear is classified as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List.

Source: The Hindu

Context

Researchers in Bengaluru’s Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), an autonomous institute under DST, have shown for the first time infrared light emission and absorption with GaN nanostructures.

GaN nanostructures:

• It is a widely used material for blue light emission like Blue LEDs
• It is one of the most advanced semiconductors.
• It is already used in visible and ultraviolet light with LEDs and laser diodes
• Now, for the first time a new method to confine and absorb infrared (IR) light with GaN nanostructures has been developed.

Technology used:

• A scientific phenomenon called surface polariton excitations in GaN nanostructures leads to light-matter interactions at IR spectral range.
• Surface polaritons are special modes of electromagnetic waves traveling at the interface of a conductor and an insulator such as air.
• By altering the morphology and shape of the nanostructures, they are also able to excite plasmon polaritons in GaN, which results in extending the light-matter coupling to further reaches of the electromagnetic spectrum.
• Surface polaritons are quasi-particles which have both light and matter characteristics.
• To grow these GaN nanostructures, the researchers utilized a specialized material deposition instrument called molecular beam epitaxy.
• This instrument uses ultra-high vacuum, like the conditions of outer space.
• This instrument grows high-quality material nanostructures with dimensions about 100000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

Applications:

• It can help develop highly efficient infrared absorbers, emitters, and modulators that are useful in defense technologies, energy technologies, imaging, sensing, and so on.
• Polaritonic technologies have attracted a wide range of applications, such as secure high-speed light-based communication (LiFi), next-generation light sources, solar energy converters, quantum computers, and waste-heat converters.
• In the last 25 years, blue LED with GaN has changed our world significantly.
• The infrared surface polariton excitations can be translated to many other semiconductors as well.

Source: PIB