UPSC Daily Current Affairs- 7th April 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly PDF Download

GS-I

Azad Hind Government

Subject: History

Why in News?

Recently, there was a controversy regarding the first prime minister of India by mentioning that Subhash Chandra Bose had declared himself the PM of ‘Azad Hind’ in 1943.

About Azad Hind Government:

• In 1943, on October 21, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose announced the formation of the ‘Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind’ or the provincial government of free India in Singapore and declared war on the British Empire.
  • Under the provisional Government, Bose was the Head of State, Prime Minister and Minister of War. 
  • Captain Lakshmi headed the women’s organisation while SA Ayer headed the publicity wing in the newly formed government.
  • Revolutionary leader Ras Behari Bose was designated as the supreme adviser by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. 
• The government was supported by the Axis powers of Imperial Japan, Nazi Germany, the Italian Social Republic and their allies.
• Significance of the Azad Hind government:
  • Soon after the formation of the government, the Azad Hind government proclaimed authority over Indian civilian and military personnel in Southeast Asian British colonial territory and prospective authority over Indian territory to fall to the Japanese forces and the Indian National Army during the Second World War.
  • The provisional government not only enabled Bose to negotiate with the Japanese on an equal footing but also allowed him to mobilise Indians living in East Asia to join and support the Indian National Army (INA).
  • The Indian National Army drew ex-prisoners and thousands of civilian volunteers from the Indian expatriate population in Malaya (present-day Malaysia) and Burma (now Myanmar).
  • The provisional government was also formed in the Japanese-occupied Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The islands were reoccupied by the British in 1945.
  • The Azad Hind government under Bose had in fact started its own bank, currency, civil code and stamps. 
  • Bose had even formed the first women’s regiment of the INA, the Rani Jhansi Regiment, thus laying the foundation for equal opportunity for women in armed forces.

Source: Hindustan Times

GS-II

Forced Labour

Subject: Polity and Governance

Why in News?

The International Labour Organization (ILO) released a report titled ‘Profits and poverty: The economics of forced labour’, which has found that forced labour generates illegal profits worth USD 36 billion per year.

Background

• Forced labor perpetuates cycles of poverty and exploitation, striking at human dignity.
• The situation of forced labor has worsened according to the ILO Director General.

Definition of Forced Labor

• Forced or compulsory labor is work extracted under the menace of penalty without voluntary consent.
• It involves work that is both involuntary and under coercion.
• Involuntary work is undertaken without the free and informed consent of the worker.
• Coercion refers to compelling someone to work without their consent.

Key Highlights of the Report

• Forced labor generates illegal profits amounting to USD 36 billion annually, showing a 37% increase since 2014.
• Europe and Central Asia have the highest total annual illegal profits from forced labor (USD 84 billion).
• Forced commercial sexual exploitation accounts for over two-thirds of total illegal profits.
• Industry, services, agriculture, and domestic work are key sectors with annual illegal profits from forced labor.
• 27.6 million individuals engaged in forced labor on any given day in 2021.

Recommendations from the Report

• Investment in enforcement measures is crucial to curb illegal profit flows and hold perpetrators accountable.
• Strengthening legal frameworks and providing training for enforcement officials are highlighted.
• Extending labor inspection into high-risk sectors is essential for combating forced labor.
• Enforcement actions alone cannot end forced labor; addressing root causes and safeguarding victims is necessary.
• Promoting fair recruitment processes and ensuring workers' freedom to associate are key in combating forced labor.

Source: The Hindu

Sierra Leone

Subject: International Relations

Why in News?

Sierra Leone’s President recently declared a national emergency on substance abuse to crack down on the rising use of synthetic drugs known as kush.

About Sierra Leone:

• It is a tropical country in West Africa. It is bordered on the north and east by Guinea, on the south by Liberia and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean.
• Geography: The nation is largely made up of lightly wooded hills with a concentration of mangrove swamps along the coast. 
• Rivers: Some of the major ones include the Rokel River, Taia River, Moa River and Sewa River.
• History:
  • Sierra Leone was colonized in 1787 by formerly enslaved people arriving from England; other groups followed from Nova Scotia (1792) and Jamaica (1800).
  • They were sponsored and governed by the private Sierra Leone Company until 1808, when Britain made Sierra Leone a crown colony.
  • In 1961, Sierra Leone became independent of the UK. 
• Language: English is the official language; however, Krio is the language that is understood by most of the population.
• Government: It is a constitutional republic with a directly elected president and a unicameral legislature. 
• Capital: The capital, Freetown, commands one of the world’s largest natural harbours.
• Economy:
  • Although most of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture, Sierra Leone is also a mining centre.
  • Its land yields diamonds, gold, bauxite and rutile (titanium dioxide).

Source: The Print

GS-III

Anti-Dumping

Subject: Science and Technology

Why in News?

India has initiated an investigation into the import of a chemical used in the rubber industry from China and Japan due to alleged dumping.

• The chemical in question is 'Insoluble Sulphur,' and the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) is examining the case.

Understanding Dumping

• Dumping refers to when a company sells its products in foreign markets at prices lower than those in its domestic market.
• Countries may impose an Anti-Dumping Duty (ADD) on such imports to counteract this unfair practice.

Anti-Dumping Duty (ADD)

• ADD is a customs duty levied on imports to safeguard domestic industries from the negative effects of dumped goods.
• It helps rectify the distortions caused by dumped goods and can enhance the competitiveness of domestic industries in the long run.

Role of WTO and Distinction from Countervailing Duties

• The World Trade Organization (WTO) allows the use of anti-dumping measures to ensure fair competition in international trade.
• ADD differs from countervailing duties, which target goods benefiting from government subsidies in their home countries.

Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR)

• The DGTR, operating under India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry, oversees various trade remedial measures.
• It conducts anti-dumping investigations, enforces countervailing duties, and implements safeguard measures to support domestic industries.
• The DGTR's primary goal is to uphold fair trade practices and safeguard Indian businesses in the global market.

Source: Economic Times

Electric Vehicles

Subject: Science and Technology

Why in News?

The policy aims to attract global EV manufacturers to India.

Benefits of Attracting Global EV Players

• Provides Indian consumers access to the latest technology.
• Boosts the Make in India initiative.
• Promotes healthy competition among EV players.
• Leads to a high volume of production and economies of scale.
• Lowers the cost of production and reduces imports of crude oil.
• Lowers the trade deficit and reduces air pollution, particularly in cities.
• Has a positive impact on health and the environment.

Details about the New Policy and India's EV Landscape

• The policy reduces duties for EV imports.
• Companies must invest a minimum of Rs 4,150 crore to set up a manufacturing plant.
• Companies have clear localization targets to achieve for boosting domestic value addition.
• India offers access to one of the largest and fastest-growing auto markets in the world.
• In 2023, sales of electric vehicles in India surpassed 1.5 million, with dominance in two-wheelers and three-wheelers.
• The government aims to increase the share of electric vehicles to 30 per cent by 2030.

Source: Indian Express

Agnibaan SOrTeD

Why in News?

For the second time, the launch of AgniKul 'Agnibaan SOrTeD' has been postponed.

About Agnibaan SOrTeD:

• Agnibaan SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator (SOrTeD) is a single-stage launch vehicle powered by AgniKul's patented Agnilet engine.
• It is the world's first single piece 3D printed semi-cryogenic rocket engine.
• It will be launched from India's first private launchpad, ALP-01, located inside the Indian space agency ISRO's Sriharikota spaceport.

Features:

• It is India's first-ever vehicle equipped with a semi-cryogenic engine, the Agnilet, a subcooled liquid oxygen-based propulsion system developed indigenously.
• The rocket engine will burn kerosene in liquid oxygen and can be directly used in the rocket.
• It can carry a 100-kg payload up to a height of 700 km with a lift-off mass of 14,000 kgs.
• It can access both low- and high-inclination orbits and is completely mobile.
• It will also have the first-ever Ethernet-based avionics architecture and fully in-house developed autopilot software from India.
• To ensure its compatibility with multiple launch ports, AgniKul has built a launch pedestal named 'Dhanush' that will support the rocket's mobility across all its configurations.

Points to Remember:

• AgniKul Cosmos is an IIT Madras incubated space startup based in Chennai.
• It became the first company in the country to sign an agreement with ISRO under the IN-SPACe initiative to have access to the space agency's expertise and its facilities to build Agnibaan in December 2020.
• In 2022, Agnikul inaugurated India's first private launchpad and mission control centre at Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

Source: The Hindu Business Line