UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 2nd January 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Kharsawan Massacre of 1948: A Tragic Chapter in Jharkhand’s History

Subject: Modern History

Why in News?

On January 1, 1948, the town of Kharsawan in present-day Jharkhand witnessed a massacre reminiscent of what happened in Jallianwala Bagh in 1919.

• Police opened fire at a crowd gathered for a protest and the weekly haat (market), killing hundreds, or by some accounts, thousands of Adivasis.

Kharsawan Massacre: A Background

• Since the creation of the Bihar and Orissa Province in 1912, Adivasis in the region sought a separate state, reflecting their unique culture and grievances.
• This demand gained momentum over the years, with the Simon Commission acknowledging the distinct nature of the region in 1930.
• In 1938, the Adivasi Mahasabha was established to further this cause, led by prominent leader Jaipal Singh Munda.

Kharsawan’s Merger Controversy

• Merger with Orissa: In 1947, Kharsawan, a princely state with a significant Odia-speaking population, decided to join Orissa during India’s princely states’ integration.
• Adivasi Opposition: However, most Adivasis opposed this merger, desiring a separate state instead.

The Massacre

• Protest Gathering: On January 1, 1948, a large gathering was organized in Kharsawan to protest the merger, coinciding with the weekly market day. Over 50,000 people, including those from distant villages, assembled, many to see Jaipal Munda, who was expected but did not arrive.
• Police Open Fire: The large crowd and tense atmosphere led the Orissa military police to open fire, resulting in a massacre. The exact number of casualties remains unclear, with estimates ranging from a few dozen to several thousand.
• Aftermath: The bodies were disposed of in a well and the jungle, and many injured were left untreated. The incident remains a dark and unresolved chapter in Indian history.

Legacy

• Uncertain Death Toll: Official records state 35 deaths, but other sources, like P.K. Deo’s “Memoir of a Bygone Era,” suggest numbers as high as 2,000.
• Lack of Accountability: No definitive report or accountability for the massacre has been established.
• Memorial and Remembrance: A memorial in Kharsawan serves as a reminder of this tragedy, with political leaders often visiting to pay respects.

Conclusion

• The Kharsawan massacre is a poignant reminder of the complexities and tragedies during India’s transition to independence, particularly for marginalized communities like the Adivasis.
• It underscores the unresolved issues of tribal rights and recognition in India’s history.

Source: The Hindu

GS-II

Electoral Bond Scheme

Subject: Polity and Governance

Why in News?

The government has announced a fresh tranche of electoral bond sales for a 10-day period starting through the authorised branches of State Bank of India across the country.

About the Electoral Bond Scheme

 Source: Indian Express

GS-III

India’s 1991 Crisis and the RBI Governor’s Role

Subject: Economy

Why in News?

S. Venkitaramanan, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), passed away, leaving behind a legacy of significant contributions.

• His tenure is marked by crucial interventions during India’s economic crises and a commitment to open dialogue and innovative policies.

Navigating the Balance of Payments Crisis

• Economic Turbulence in 1990: India faced a severe balance of payments crisis due to reduced remittances and increased oil prices.
• Critical Measures: Under Venkitaramanan’s leadership, the RBI took bold steps, including pledging gold reserves, to avert a default on international payments.
• Impact of Gold Pledging: This move, though criticized domestically, was crucial in maintaining India’s international credibility and financial stability.

Role in Economic Reforms

• Import Compression Strategy: Venkitaramanan initiated a program of import compression, significantly reducing the current account deficit.
• Foundation for Future Reforms: These measures laid the groundwork for the economic reforms introduced by the Narasimha Rao government and Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Challenges and Controversies

• The Harshad Mehta Scam: Venkitaramanan’s tenure was marred by the securities scandal involving Harshad Mehta, overshadowing his earlier achievements.
• Public Perception: Despite his significant contributions, the public memory often overlooks his role in steering India through economic turmoil.

Remarkable Openness and Inclusivity

• Engagement with Diverse Opinions: Venkitaramanan was known for his openness to different viewpoints, engaging with economists and critics alike.
• Innovative Approach to Policy Making: His willingness to consider varied perspectives contributed to more inclusive and effective economic policies.

Legacy in the RBI and Beyond

• Establishment of the Development Research Group: Venkitaramanan’s vision led to the creation of this group, aiming to foster interaction between the RBI and independent economists.
• Influence on Current Economic Policies: His belief in relying on India’s intellectual resources continues to influence the RBI’s approach, though challenges like inflation management persist.

Conclusion

• Enduring Impact: S. Venkitaramanan’s tenure as RBI Governor was marked by courageous decisions and a commitment to intellectual openness.
• Remembering His Contributions: While his term had its challenges, his role in safeguarding India’s economy and fostering a culture of dialogue and research within the RBI remains a significant part of his legacy.
• Inspiration for Future Leaders: His approach to economic policy and management continues to serve as an inspiration for current and future leaders in the field.

Source: The Hindu

Parliament breach accused underwent Psychoanalysis

Subject: Science and Technology

Why in News?

The Delhi Police’s use of psychoanalysis for assessing motives in the Parliament breach incident highlights its contemporary relevance.

Origins of Psychoanalysis

• Development by Freud: Sigmund Freud, a Viennese psychiatrist, developed psychoanalysis as a modern Western system of psychotherapy.
• Evolution over Time: Initially a treatment for unexplained symptoms, psychoanalysis has evolved, influenced by various scientific disciplines.
• Goal of Psychoanalysis: It aims to enhance self-awareness by uncovering unconscious wishes and defenses.

Concept of the Unconscious

• Freud’s Central Theory: The unconscious contains memories and impulses inaccessible to conscious awareness due to their threatening nature.
• Mechanisms of Repression: Repression plays a key role in psychoanalysis, involving the unconscious forgetting of painful ideas to protect the psyche.
• Id, Ego, and Superego: Freud’s model of the psyche includes the instinct-driven id, the rational ego, and the normative superego.

Fantasies, Defenses, and Resistance in Psychoanalysis

• Role of Fantasies: Fantasies, according to Freud, fulfill psychic needs and provide imaginary wish fulfillment.
• Defense Mechanisms: Intrapsychic processes like projection, reaction formation, and rationalization help avoid emotional pain.
• Concept of Resistance: Freud observed resistance in clients reluctant to engage in therapy, leading to the practice of free association.

Transference and Countertransference

• Transference Dynamics: Clients often project past relational templates onto the therapist, offering insights into their behavior.
• Countertransference Issues: Therapists’ unresolved conflicts can affect their feelings towards clients, necessitating self-analysis.

Psychoanalysis as a Therapeutic Tool

• Dream Interpretation: Freud viewed dreams as forms of wish fulfillment, central to psychoanalytic therapy.
• Making the Unconscious Conscious: The goal is to bring unconscious drives into awareness to understand self-defeating behaviors.
• Therapeutic Relationship: The therapist-client relationship can provide new relational experiences, challenging maladaptive models.

Contemporary Psychoanalytic Practice

• Shift to Shorter Sessions: Modern psychoanalysis often involves fewer sessions per week, adapting to practical and individual needs.
• Long-Term vs. Short-Term Therapy: While some issues require long-term treatment, contemporary practice accommodates shorter, more focused consultations.

Conclusion

• Enduring Relevance: Despite its evolution, psychoanalysis remains a vital tool for understanding human behavior and mental health.
• Adaptation and Integration: Modern psychoanalytic practice has adapted to contemporary needs while retaining core principles.
• Broader Applications: Beyond therapy, psychoanalysis offers insights into various aspects of human behavior, as evidenced by its use in legal and investigative contexts.

Source: The Hindu

KH-22 Missile

Subject: Defence and Security

Why in News?

Ukraine Air Force spokesperson recently disclosed that the country’s air defense units were unable to shot down any of the Kh-22 supersonic cruise missiles launched by Russia.

About KH-22 Missile:

• It is a Soviet-era long-range airborne supersonic cruise missile.
• Armed with a nuclear or highly explosive fragmenting cumulative warhead, it was initially designed to destroy aircraft carriers and other large warships, or even groups of such carriers.
• The Kh-22 family was developed in the USSR in the 1960s and specifically designed to be launched from Tupolev-22 bombers.
• Later, both the missiles and the aircraft were modernized as part of the so-called "Kh-22 special air-to-surface missile complex."
• Upgraded in the 1970s, the missile had an impressive speed of 4,000 kilometers per hour, a 1,000-kilogram warhead, and a range of 500 kilometers.
• It weighs 5,820 kilograms.
• A total of approximately 3,000 such missiles were produced in the USSR.
• After the USSR collapsed, quite a few of them remained in Ukraine. However, soon after independence in 1991, Ukraine gave up its nuclear and strategic aviation arsenal.
• In 2000, Ukraine transferred 386 Kh-22 missiles to Russia as an installment against the gas debt.
• The successor to the Kh-22 became the Kh-32, which can be carried by the new Russian Tu-22M3M bombers. The new missile features a conventional warhead, an improved rocket motor, and a new radar imaging terminal seeker. It has a longer range but a smaller warhead.

Source: Indian Express

Indian Pangolin

Subject: Environment and Ecology

Why in News?

The pangolin conservation project launched to protect pangolins has succeeded at Pench Tiger Reserve and Satpura Tiger Reserve, as the mammals have started to breed there.

What are Pangolins?

• Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, are the only known mammals with large keratin scales covering their skin. 
• Of the eight species found worldwide (four each in Asia and Africa), two are found in India: the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla). 

About Indian Pangolin:

• The Indian pangolin, also called the thick-tailed pangolin, is native to the Indian subcontinent.
• They are one of the most trafficked mammals in the world, despite an international ban on their trade.
• Distribution: It lives in India (south of the Himalayas), Bangladesh, Southern Nepal, Sri Lanka, and small parts of Pakistan.
• Habitat:
  • They are well adapted to desert regions and prefer barren, hilly areas. Their habitat extends up to 2,500 feet above sea level.
  • Overall, they prefer soil that is soft and semi-sandy, suitable for digging burrows.
  • They have also been shown to survive in various types of tropical forests, open land, grasslands, and in close proximity to villages.
• Features:
  • Like other pangolins, it has large, overlapping scales on its body, which act as armor.
  • The Indian pangolin’s armor is among the most effective in the mammalian world. It has about 13 rows of moveable, sharp scales covering its body, which are shed periodically.
  • The colour of its scales varies depending on the colour of the earth in its surroundings. 
  • It can also curl itself into a ballas self-defense against predators.
  • It is an insectivore, feeding on ants and termites.
  • It is nocturnal and it rests in deep burrows during the day.
• Conservation status:
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered 
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
  • CITES: Appendix I

Source: Down To Earth

Eurozone

Subject: Economy

Why in News?

The eurozone economy is set for only modest growth next year, despite wages rising faster than inflation for the first time in three years, according to a recent poll of economists.

About Eurozone:

• The eurozone, officially known as the euro area, is a geographic and economic region that consists of all the European Union countries that have fully incorporated the euro as their national currency.
• As of January 2023, the eurozone consists of 20 countries in the European Union (EU): 
• Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.
• Not all European Union nations participate in the eurozone; some opt to use their own currency and maintain their financial independence.
• The European Central Bank (ECB)exercises the sole power to set the monetary policy for the Eurozone countries.
  • The ECB exercises the sole authority to decide the printing and minting of euro notes and coins. It also decides the interest rate for the Eurozone. 
  • The ECBs is headed by a president and a board, comprising the heads of the central banks of the participating nations.
• How do countries join Eurozone?
  • In order to join the euro area, EU member states are required to fulfil so-called 'convergence criteria' which consists of price stability, sound public finances, the durability of convergence, and exchange rate stability.
  • These binding economic and legal conditions were agreed upon in the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 and are also known as 'Maastricht criteria'.
  • All EU Member States, except Denmark, are required to adopt the euro and join the euro area once they are ready to fulfill them.
  • The Treaty does not specify a particular timetable for joining the euro area but leaves it to member states to develop their own strategies for meeting the condition for euro adoption.
  • The European Commission and the ECB jointly decide whether the conditions are met for euro area candidate countries to adopt the euro.

What is European Union (EU)?

• The EU is a political and economic union of 27 member states located primarily in Europe.
• The EU was established by the Maastricht Treaty, which entered into force on November 1, 1993.
• The main goal of the EU is to promote cooperation and integration among its member states in order to enhance economic and political stability in Europe.
• It has a single market where goods, services, and capital can move freely.

Source: The Hindu

Exercise Desert Cyclone

Subject: Defence and Security

Why in News?

The Joint Military Exercise 'Desert Cyclone 2024' between India and UAE will be held from January 2 to January 15 in Rajasthan.

About Exercise ‘Desert Cyclone’:

• It is the inaugural edition of joint military exercise "Desert Cyclone 2024" between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 
• The exercise aims to enhance interoperability by learning & sharing best practices in Urban Operations.
• This exercise is marking a significant milestone in the strategic partnership.

Key facts about India and UAE relations

• India and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 1972 and UAE opened its Embassy in Delhi in 1972 whereas, India opened its Embassy in Abu Dhabi in 1973.
• The first-ever India-UAE Joint Air Forces exercise took place in September 2008 at the Al-Dhafra base in Abu Dhabi.
• India has also been a regular participant at the biennial International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi.
• Earlier this year, two ships of the Indian Navy, INS Visakhapatnam, and INS Trikand participated in bilateral exercise ‘Zayed Talwar’ with the UAE to enhance interoperability and synergy between the two navies.

Source: AIR