UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 2nd December 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Gurupurab

Subject: Art and Culture

Why in News?

Recently, Gurupurab was celebrated at Nanakshahi Gurudwara in Dhaka.

Background:-

• The 554th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev was observed at the historic Nanakshahi Gurudwara in Dhaka.
• Gurudwara Nanakshahi is a historic Gurudwara in Dhaka.
• Guru Nanak Dev visited Dhaka in the year 1506-07.
• The gurdwara was built in 1830 to commemorate the visit of Guru Nanak.
• Guru Tegh Bahadur also stayed in Dhaka for over two years.
• The Nanakshahi gurudwara at Dhaka houses two important relics including the wooden sandal of Guru Tegh Bahadur and two handwritten copies of Guru Granth Sahib.

About Gurupurab:-

• Celebration Name: Guru Nanak Gurupurab, also known as Guru Nanak Jayanti or Guru Nanak Prakash Utsav.
• Occasion: Marks the birth of Guru Nanak, the first guru of Sikhism.
• Significance: Guru Nanak's teachings and life established the foundation for Sikhism, emphasizing principles of equality, social justice, and devotion to God.
• Birth Details: Guru Nanak was born in Talwandi, now in Pakistan, on the fifteenth lunar day in the month of Kartik according to the Hindu calendar, corresponding to the Bikrami calendar.
• Year of Birth: Guru Nanak was born in 1469, and the celebration in 2023 marks the 554th birth anniversary.
• Alternative Claim: The Bhai Bala Janamsakhi suggests Guru Nanak's birth on the full moon of Karthi, a lunar month, leading some Sikhs to celebrate Guru Nanak Jayanti in November.
• Calendar Variations: The celebration date usually falls in October and November according to the Gregorian calendar.
• Key Principles: Sikhism is a monotheistic religion with key principles of equality, social justice, and devotion to God.
• Cultural Importance: Guru Nanak Gurupurab is a significant cultural and religious event for Sikhs worldwide.

Source: AIR

Earthquake

Subject: Geography

Why in News?

Recently, an Earthquake of magnitude 5.6 hit Bangladesh.

Background:-

• The quake occurred on Saturday morning at 09:05:31 IST and was reported at a depth of 55 km.

About Earthquake:-

• An earthquake is the shaking or trembling of the earth’s surface.
• It is caused by the seismic waves or earthquake waves that are generated due to a sudden movement (sudden release of energy) in the earth’s crust (shallow-focus earthquakes) or upper mantle (some shallow-focus and all intermediate and deep-focus earthquakes).
• A seismograph, or seismometer, is an instrument used to detect and record earthquakes.
• Hypocentre/Focus: The point where the energy is released.
• Epicentre: The point on the surface directly above the focus.
• Isoseismic line: A line connecting all points on the surface where the intensity is the same.

Causes of Earthquakes:-

• Fault Zones
• Plate tectonics
• Volcanic activity
• Human-Induced Earthquakes

Earth's Composition:

• Consists of four primary layers: solid crust, hot and nearly solid mantle, liquid outer core, and solid inner core (commonly considered three layers).

Tectonic Plate Movement:

• Earth's outer shell comprises tectonic plates (Lithospheric plates) that are in constant motion, drifting atop the slowly flowing mantle layer beneath.
• Movements at convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries result in earthquakes as the plates shift along fault lines.

Types of Earthquakes:

• Tectonic Earthquakes:
  • Result from the movement of tectonic plates.
• Volcanic Earthquake:
  • Caused by stress changes in solid rock due to the injection or withdrawal of magma (molten rock).
• Human-Induced Earthquakes:
  • Arise from human activities.
• Collapse Earthquakes:
  • Occur in mining areas when underground mine roofs collapse, causing minor tremors.
• Explosion Earthquakes:
  • Caused by ground shaking due to the explosion of chemical or nuclear devices.

Significance:

• Earthquakes, regardless of their origin, contribute to ground movements with varying degrees of intensity and consequences.

Source: AIR

Iyothee Thass Pandithar

Subject: History and Culture

Why in News?

Recently, the Tamil Nadu government installed a statue of Dalit rights and anti-caste activist Iyothee Thass Pandithar at Gandhi Mandapam in Chennai.

About Iyothee Thass Pandithar:

• He was born on 20 May 1845 in Madras presidency.
• He was a prominent anti-caste activist and a practitioner of Siddha medicine.
• Association with tribal people: In the 1870s, Iyothee Thass organised the Todas and other tribes of the Nilgiri Hills into a formidable force for the freedom movement.
• In 1876, Thass established the Advaidananda Sabha and launched a magazine called Dravida Pandian in collaboration with Rev. John Rathina.
• He established the “Dravida Mahajana Sabha '' in 1891 along with Rettamalai Srinivasan.
• He established the Sakya Buddhist Society in Madras, with branches all over South India.
  • The Sakya Buddhist Society, also known as the Indian Buddhist Association, was established in 1898.
  • To manage and coordinate the functioning of society, he began a weekly magazine, Tamizhan, in 1907.

Source: The Hindu

GS-II

Stay Order

Subject: Polity

Why in News?

The Supreme Court recently agreed to review its 2018 judgement on the expiry period of stay orders to expedite trial proceedings.

About the Stay Order:

• A 'stay' or ‘stay order’ is defined as the act of temporarily stopping or postponing any judicial proceeding through the court or legal authorities in India to secure the rights of a citizen.
• It could lead to the suspension of a case or even the suspension of any specific proceeding within an ongoing case.
• So, till a stay order is in effect, the operation of the Court’s proceedings is made standstill, and the party who seeks it can cause the operation of the other party (against whom the order is given) to cease.
• In the case of any key development that may require it, a judge may decide to issue a stay order without even formally prompting the other party or even a request being made to them in this regard.
• There are two types of stay orders: ‘stay of proceedings’ and ‘stay of execution’.
  • A stay of proceedings is issued by the court in case there are parallel proceedings that take place, which may affect either one. 
  • A stay of execution refers to the complete halting of the enforcement of a verdict or judgement against someone, for example, when it is believed that a person is innocent and is given a pardon. 
• This means that stay orders can persist conditionally or even absolutely.
• The Supreme Court on March 28, 2018, passed several directions with regard to stay orders, applicable to both civil and criminal matters, which are as follows:
  • In all pending cases where a stay is granted and is operating, the stay will come to an end on expiry of 6 months from March 28, 2018, unless, in exceptional cases, a speaking order extends the stay.
  • In cases where the stay is granted in the future, e., after March 28, 2018, the stay order will expire 6 months from the date of such order, unless an order of extension is granted by a speaking order.
  • The speaking order granting an extension must show that the case was of such an exceptional nature that continuing the stay was more important than having the trial finalised.
  • The trial court may fix a date not later than 6 months from the date of the stay order.
  • On the expiration of the period of 6 months, the trial court will resume the proceedings without waiting for any other intimation unless an express order extending the stay is produced.

Source: Times of India

GS-III

India pitches for Green Credit Scheme at COP28

Subject: Environment and Ecology

Why in News?

India introduced the Green Credits Scheme at COP28 in Dubai. PM Modi emphasized that this program goes beyond the commercial nature of carbon credits, offering a broader environmental impact.

What is Green Credits Programme?

• Objective: The initiative aims to generate Green Credits through plantation on degraded wasteland.
• Inception: Launched in October by the Environment Ministry, it is designed to incentivize various environment-positive actions.
• Action Areas: Includes tree plantation, water management, sustainable agriculture, waste management, air pollution reduction, mangrove conservation, ecomark label development, and sustainable building.
• Scope beyond Carbon: Unlike existing carbon credit systems, this program extends incentives to actions beyond carbon emission reductions, such as water conservation and soil improvement.

Distinctive Features

• Market-Based Approach: The program aims to create a market for trading green credits, similar to carbon credits, where companies can earn credits for environmental actions and trade them.
• Development Stage: Methodologies and standards for measuring and verifying such actions are under development, and the market for these credits is yet to be established.
• Initial Buyers: It is anticipated that private companies might purchase these green credits to fulfill their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) obligations.
• Wider Beneficiaries: Unlike carbon markets, which primarily target industries and corporations, the green credit program can benefit individuals and communities as well.

Source: Indian Express

Hubble Space Telescope

Subject: Science and Technology

Why in News?

Recently, Hubble Space Telescope has been put in safe mode, as NASA paused operations.

Background:-

• Hubble automatically entered safe mode on November 23 when one of its three gyroscopes gave faulty readings.

About Hubble Space Telescope:-

• Launched: April 24, 1990.
• Launched by: Discovery.
• Hubble Space Telescope is a large, space-based observatory by NASA/ESA.
• It has been deployed since 1990.
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA): is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
  • European Space Agency(ESA): is an independent space agency.
• The Hubble Space Telescope is the first astronomical observatory placed into orbit around Earth with the ability to record images in wavelengths of light spanning the ultraviolet to near-infrared.
• Hubble orbits roughly 340 miles (547 km) above Earth’s surface.
• Hubble is the first space-based observatory specifically designed for servicing while in orbit.
• Hubble was designed as a general-purpose observatory, meant to explore the universe in visible, ultraviolet, and infrared wavelengths.
• To date, the telescope has made more than 1.5 million observations, collecting data and providing views astronomers were unable to capture from the ground.

Source: Indian Express

Cholelithiasis

Subject: Science and Technology

Why in News?

A recent study sheds light on the complex link between serum lipids, lipid-modifying targets, and cholelithiasis.

About Cholelithiasis:

• The condition of having gallstones is called cholelithiasis.
• It is a common hepatobiliary condition affecting mostly Western populations.
• It is a major risk factor for cholangiocarcinoma, which is a kind of bile duct cancer.
• Gallstones are hardened deposits of digestive fluid that form in the gallbladder.
• The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ that lies beneath the liver and stores bile made by the liver.
• Bile is a digestive fluid made of cholesterol, bile salts, and bilirubin and gets released into the small intestine through the cystic duct and common bile duct to aid in fat digestion.
• Causes: The exact cause of cholelithiasis is not entirely clear. Cholelithiasis most commonly results from a chemical imbalance within the contents of the gallbladder in which the bile contains too much cholesterol or bilirubin. 
• Symptom: The most common symptom of cholelithiasis is abdominal pain localized to the upper right or central abdomen. 
• Treatment: It may be treated with medications or procedures. 

Source: The Print

Pressmud for Green Energy and CBG Production

Subject: Economy

Why in News?

Since 2021-22, India has surpassed Brazil to become the world’s leading sugar producer.

• Second-Largest Exporter: India also holds the position of the second-largest sugar exporter globally.
• Ethanol Biofuel Sector Growth: The expansion of this sector has bolstered the sugar industry and improved the financial health of sugar mills.

Pressmud: A Valuable Byproduct

• Pressmud, also known as filter cake or press cake, is an agricultural waste product from sugar production.
• It is obtained during the repeated filtration of cane juice before sugar extraction.
• Approximately 3-4 percent of press mud is produced per tonne of crushed cane.
• Traditionally, pressmud is recycled as manure through composting and supplied to local farmers.
• Recognized as a resource for green energy, pressmud can be used to produce biogas through anaerobic digestion, leading to compressed biogas (CBG) creation.
• It is beneficial for crops and horticulture due to its richness in micronutrients.

Challenges with Pressmud

• Storage Issues: Pressmud undergoes gradual decomposition, complicating long-term storage and increasing production costs.
• Price Increase: The recognition of its potential has led to a substantial rise in pressmud prices.

Pressmud as CBG Feedstock: Advantages and Challenges

• Supply Chain Simplification: Using pressmud eliminates complexities associated with agricultural residue supply chains.
• Quality and Pre-treatment: Unlike municipal solid waste, pressmud’s quality is consistent, and it lacks lignin, reducing pre-treatment costs.
• Conversion Efficiency: Pressmud is more efficient and economical as a feedstock for CBG production compared to cattle dung and agricultural residue.
• Economic and Competitive Factors: The increasing price of pressmud and competition for its use in fertilizers and bio-composting pose challenges.

Regional Production and Sugar Mills in India

• Primary Sugarcane States: Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra contribute significantly to India’s sugarcane cultivation.
• Operational Sugar Mills: As of 2022-23, India had 531 operational sugar mills.
• Sugar and Pressmud Production: The total sugar production was 32.74 million tonnes, with approximately 11.4 million tonnes of pressmud.

Potential and Future Steps

• CBG Potential: The available pressmud can generate significant quantities of CBG, valued at substantial economic returns.
• Required Interventions: To maximize this potential, states need to implement bioenergy policies, control pressmud prices, and establish long-term agreements with sugar mills.
• Research and Training: Developing storage technologies for pressmud and conducting training for CBG plant operators are essential.

Source: The Hindu