UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 27th December 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Context

Recently, a Bomb cyclone hit the United States and Canada, which triggered road accidents that results in the death of more than 30 people.

What is a Bomb Cyclone?

• About:
  • A bomb cyclone is a large, intense midlatitude storm that has low pressure at its center, weather fronts and an array of associated weather, from blizzards to severe thunderstorms to heavy precipitation.
  • Bomb cyclones put forecasters on high alert because they can produce significant harmful impacts.
• Reasons for the Formation:
  • Storms form when a mass of low-pressure air (warm air mass) meets a high-pressure mass (cold air mass). The air flows from high pressure to low, creating winds.
  • It occurs when a midlatitude cyclone rapidly intensifies, dropping at least 24 millibars over 24 hours.
  • A millibar measures atmospheric pressure.
  • This quickly increases the pressure difference, or gradient, between the two air masses, therefore making the winds stronger.
  • The formation of this rapidly strengthening weather system is a process called bombogenesis.

Source: Indian Express

Context

Recently, the Prime Minister participated in a historic programme marking ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi.

• On 9^th January 2022, the day of the Prakash Purab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the Prime Minister had announced that 26th December would be observed as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’, to mark the martyrdom of sons of Sri Guru Gobind Singh - Sahibzadas Baba Zorawar Singh Ji and Baba Fateh Singh Ji.

Who was Guru Gobind Singh?

• About:
  • The last of the ten Sikh Gurus, Guru Gobind Singh was born on 22^nd December 1666 in Patna, Bihar.
  • His birth anniversary is based on the Nanakshahi calendar.
  • He became the Sikh guru at the age of nine, following the demise of his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru.
  • He was assassinated in 1708.
• Contributions:
  • Religious:
    • He is known for his significant contributions to the Sikh religion, including the introduction of the turban to cover hair.
    • He also founded the principles of Khalsa or the Five ‘K’s.
    • The Five K’s are kesh (uncut hair), kanga (wooden comb), kara (iron or steel bracelet), kirpan (dagger) and kachera (short breeches).
    • These were the five articles of faith that a Khalsa must always adorn.
    • He also laid down many other rules for the Khalsa warriors to follow like abstaining from tobacco, alcohol, halal meat, etc. The Khalsa warrior was also duty-bound to protect innocent people from persecution.
    • He named Guru Granth Sahib, the religious text of the Khalsas and the Sikhs, as the next Guru of the two communities.
  • Martial:
    • He fought against the Mughals in the battle of Muktsar in 1705.
    • In the Battle of Anandpur (1704), the Guru lost his mother and two minor sons who were executed. His eldest son also died in battle.
  • Literary:
  • His literary contributions include the Jaap Sahib, Benti Chaupai, Amrit Savaiye, etc.
  • He also wrote the Zafarnama which was a letter to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

Source: PIB

Context

Recently, experts and conservationists have raised concerns over the proposed location for a mega oil refinery in Barsu village of Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.

About Geoglyphs:

• Barsu sites in the Konkan region were added to a tentative list of UNESCO’s world heritage sites and protected by the state archaeology department and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

What are geoglyphs?

• Geoglyphs are a form of prehistoric rock art, created on the surface of laterite plateaus.
• They are made by removing a part of the rock surface through an incision, picking, carving or abrading.
• They can be in the form of rock paintings, etchings, cup marks and ring marks.

What is the significance of this prehistoric rock art?

• Clusters of geoglyphs are spread across the Konkan coastline in Maharashtra and Goa, spanning around 900 km. Porous laterite rock, which lends itself to such carving, is found on a large scale across the entire region.
• It has more than 1,500 pieces of such art, also called “Katal Shilpa,” spread across 70 sites.
• This is evidence of the continued existence of human settlements from the Mesolithic (middle Stone Age) to the early historic era.
• UNESCO’s tentative world heritage list mentions seven sites with petroglyphs in Ratnagiri district — Ukshi, Jambharun, Kasheli, Runde Tali, Devihsol, Barsu and Devache Gothane, one in Sindhudurg district –Kudopi village, and nine sites at Phansamal in Goa.
• The figures depicted in the geoglyphs include humans and animals such as deer, elephant, tiger, monkey, wild boar, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, cattle, pig, rabbit, and monkey.
• They also include a high number of reptilian and amphibian creatures such as tortoises and alligators, aquatic animals such as sharks and sting rays, and birds like peacocks.

Source: Indian Express

GS-II

Context

In 2014, the then newly-elected Narendra Modi government announced that December 25 would be celebrated as “Good Governance Day”.

About:

• It is observed on the occasion of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary.
• It aims to increase awareness of government services and accountability among people and inculcate “good governance” as a habit for civil servants.
• The day is celebrated to ensure that the country’s residents are treated fairly by the government and they receive advantages of various government services.
• In 2019, the government launched the Good Governance Index on this occasion.
• The GGI is a scientifically prepared tool based on various parameters of good governance which assess the level of any state at a given point of time and help in shaping future development.

Source: Indian Express

Context

On the geopolitical and diplomatic stage, 2022 was a difficult year, especially following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

How did India handle the Ukraine Crisis?

• Following Non-Alignment Policy:
  • The war in Ukraine saw the government spell out its version of “non-alignment”, as it sought to keep a balance in the growing polarisation between the U.S. and the European Union on one side, and Russia on the other.
  • On one side the Indian Prime Minister made his discomfort with the war clear directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin with the words “This era is not for war” and on the other hand refused to accept western sanctions, growing military and oil trade with Russia, and seeking rupee-based payment mechanisms to facilitate them.
• Refusing to Vote on the Resolution:
  • Most significantly, in more than a dozen resolutions at the United Nation Security Council (UNSC), United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Human Rights Commission, and other multilateral platforms seeking to censure Russia for the invasion and humanitarian crisis, India chose to abstain.
  • The Indian Foreign Policy said that India's policy was guided by its national interests, telling those who expected India to take sides, “Tough luck if our policies do not meet your expectations”.

What were the Other Highlights in Foreign Policy in 2022?

• Returning to Free Trade Agreements (FTAs):
  • In 2022, India returned to FTAs, after a break of several years when India had called for a review of all FTAs, scrapped all Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and walked out of the 15-nation Asian Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
  • In 2022, India signed trade agreements with the UAE and Australia, and hopes to progress on talks with the EU, Gulf Cooperation Council and Canada for others.
• Joining US led IPEF:
  • India also joined the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Forum (IPEF), although it later decided to stay out of trade talks.

What about Ties with Neighbours?

• Sri Lanka:
  • India’s foreign policy was marked by economic assistance to Sri Lanka in the midst of its collapse.
• Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal:
  • Foreign policy of India is marked by regional trade and energy agreements with Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal that could see a South Asian energy grid emerge.
• Central Asian countries:
  • India has also strengthened ties with Central Asian countries on connectivity.
  • India has restarted efforts to revive the much-delayed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline project.
  • India also discussed the best use of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
  • Steps have also been taken to operationalize the Chabahar port in Iran which can provide a secure, viable and unhindered access to the sea for the Central Asian countries.
  • In addition, the Ashgabat Agreement on International Transport and Transit Corridor (ITTC) was discussed to enhance connectivity between India and Central Asian countries.
• Afghanistan and Myanmar:
  • The government kept channels open with repressive regimes like Afghanistan’s Taliban and the Myanmar Junta, opening a “technical mission” in Kabul and sending the foreign secretary to Myanmar to discuss border cooperation.
  • Earlier in December, 2022 India abstained on a UNSC vote calling for Myanmar to end violence and release political prisoners.
• Iran and Pakistan:
  • With Iran too, where protests against the killing of an activist have brought thousands onto the streets, India has steered clear of any criticism.
  • However, ties with Pakistan remain flat, with a big showdown at the UN in December, 2022 between the foreign ministers of the two nations.

What Progress has been made in the LAC-China Standoff?

• Despite a visit to Delhi by China’s Foreign Minister and disengagement at some stand-off points, tensions at the Line of Actual Control remained high, and an unsuccessful Chinese PLA attempt to take Indian posts at Yangtse in Arunachal Pradesh ended the year, signaling more violent clashes in 2023.
• In spite of the fraught state of relations, India is due to host the Chinese President twice in 2023, at the G-20 and SCO summits, opening up the possibility for talks to end the standoff.

What are the Current Challenges in India’s Foreign Policy?

• Pakistan-China Strategic Nexus:
  • The most formidable threat India faces today is from the Pakistan-China strategic nexus that seeks to change the status quo at the contested borders and undermine India’s strategic security.
  • China’s aggressive actions since May 2020 to change the status quo at the Line of Actual Control have severely damaged Sino-Indian relations.
• China’s Expansion:
  • For India, the issue of how to balance China's forays into South Asia and the Indian Ocean region is another concern.
  • Under the rubric of China’s much touted Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), it is developing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan (through the Indian territory in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir), building China-Nepal Economic Corridor, China-Myanmar Economic Corridor and dual use infrastructure in the littorals of the Indian Ocean.
• Balancing Big Power Relations:
  • India’s strategic autonomy precludes New Delhi to join any military alliance or strategic partnership that is inimical to another country or group of countries.
  • Traditionally, the West has perceived India closer to the Soviet Union / Russia. These perceptions are accentuated with India actively participating in SCO, BRICS and Russia-India-China (RIC) forum.
  • For India to balance an assertive China, it has to rely on external balancing in the Indo-Pacific to overcome the security dilemmas posed by the Pakistan-China hybrid threats.
  • India’s participation in QUAD, signing of foundational agreements with US, Japan, France, UK and Indonesia should be seen from that perspective.
• Refugee Crisis: In spite of not being a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, India has been one of the largest recipients of refugees in the world.
  • The challenge here is to balance protection of human rights and national interest. As the Rohingya crisis unfolds, there is still a lot that India can do to facilitate the finding of long-term solutions.
  • These actions will be key in determining India’s regional and global standing on human rights.

Way Forward

• India should look forward to creating an external environment which is conducive for an inclusive development of India so that the benefits of growth can reach the poorest of the poor in the country.
• And ensure that India’s voice is heard on global forums and that India is able to influence world opinion on issues of global dimensions such as terrorism, climate change, disarmament, reforms of institutions of global governance.
• As rightly said by Mahatma Gandhi, politics without principles and ethics would be disastrous. India should move towards collective development with an ethical persuasion reclaiming its moral leadership in the world at large.
• As we live in a dynamic world, India's foreign policy is therefore geared up to be proactive, flexible, and pragmatic in order to respond quickly to changing situations.

Source: The Hindu

GS-III

Context

The Government has recently said that the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic (AVGC) sector has the potential to provide employment to over 20 lakh people in the coming 10 years. It is expected that the sector will witness 16 to 17 percent growth rate in the next decade.

About:

• The AVGC sector in the country has witnessed an unprecedented growth rate in recent times, with many global players entering the Indian talent pool to avail of offshore delivery of services.
• India today contributes about 2.5 to 3 billion dollars out of the estimated 260 to 275 billion dollars worldwide in the AVGC market.
• Task Force recently submitted report on ‘Realising AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics - Extended Reality) Sector Potential in India’ on the 22nd of December, 2022 by the Chairman of the Task Force, Apurva Chandra.

Recommendations:

• To make India a global content hub and create job opportunities in the AVGC sector, the Task Force has laid emphasis on establishing a National Centre of Excellence for the sector.
• The Regional Centre of Excellence will be instituted in collaboration with the State Governments to provide access to local industries and to promote local talent and content.
• It has been recommended by the Task Force to leverage National Education Policy to develop creative thinking with dedicated AVGC course content at school levels to build foundational skills and to create awareness about AVGC as a career choice.
• It has also been recommended to establish AVGC accelerators and innovation hubs in academic institutions, on the lines of Atal Tinkering Labs.
• The Task Force has recommended establishing a dedicated production fund for domestic content creation from the country to promote Indian culture and heritage globally.

Source: The Hindu

Context

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), a British consultancy, has said India will become third largest economy by 2035 from the current fifth spot.

About:

• In its annual World Economic League Table, the Centre for Economics and Business Research said that over the next five years, India's annual rate of GDP growth is expected to average 6.4 percent after which growth is expected to average 6.5 percent in the subsequent nine years.
• CEBR also adds that by 2037, world gross domestic product will be doubled as developing economies will catch up with the richer ones.
• The shifting balance of power will see the East Asia and Pacific region account for over a third of global output by 2037, while Europe's share shrinks to less than a fifth.
• The global economy will face recession in 2023 mainly due to rises in interest rates by the central banks to arrest higher inflation.
• The global economy surpassed 100 trillion Dollar for the first time in 2022, but will stall in 2023 as policy makers continue their fight against soaring prices.

Source: The Hindu