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Delhi moves to 50% enactment from home, asks pvt. assemblage to follow
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, biology contamination and degradation, biology interaction assessment.
What’s the ongoing story: The Delhi authorities announced that each its departments and MCD offices volition enactment astatine 50 per cent capableness portion the remaining unit volition enactment from location until curbs nether the 4th signifier of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) are lifted.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is the AQI scope for the “severe” category?
• What each factors contributes the astir to the worsening of aerial prime successful Delhi, arsenic per studies?
• Discuss the value of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and its caller amendments successful addressing aerial contamination successful Delhi-NCR.
• Analyse the effectiveness of measures similar the 50% work-from-home argumentation and staggered bureau timings successful reducing vehicular emissions.
• What different argumentation measures tin beryllium adopted to code the Air contamination contented successful NCR region?
• Evaluate the relation of inter-state coordination and technological solutions successful mitigating stubble burning.
• Discuss the semipermanent implications of Delhi’s recurring aerial contamination crises and suggest a multi-pronged strategy to code this issue.
Key Takeaways:
• Air Quality Crisis successful Delhi: The Air Quality Index (AQI) successful Delhi has been consistently successful the “severe” category, with the 24-hour mean AQI reported arsenic 419 connected Wednesday. Contributing factors see vehicular emissions and stubble burning, which accounted for 22.1% of contamination connected Tuesday.
• Government Actions: The Delhi authorities has implemented a 50% work-from-home argumentation for its unit and advised backstage companies to bash the same. Essential services, specified arsenic healthcare, sanitation, nationalist transport, instrumentality enforcement, and exigency operations, volition proceed to relation astatine afloat capacity. Restrictions nether the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage IV see banning definite vehicles, shutting carnal classes successful schools, and restricting operation activities.
• Measures for Private Sector: Private offices person been urged to follow a 50% work-from-home argumentation and put shuttle autobus services. Companies are advised to instrumentality staggered bureau timings to trim postulation congestion.
• Impact connected Schools: Under GRAP-IV, schools person been directed to power to online classes for some superior and elder classes to trim vulnerability to pollution.
• Air Quality and Temperature Correlation: A driblet successful somesthesia to 11.2°C, the lowest this season, has contributed to the accumulation of pollutants successful the air. Westerly winds and wide skies person facilitated the question of particulate substance from stubble burning towards Delhi.
• Pollution Data Highlights: Twelve retired of 37 monitoring stations successful Delhi reported AQI levels supra 450. The astir polluted areas were Wazirpur (AQI 468) and Ashok Vihar (AQI 467).
• Policy Enforcement: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has strengthened GRAP guidelines, making schoolhouse shutdowns mandatory during terrible aerial prime conditions. The Supreme Court has mandated that these restrictions stay successful spot until further notice.
• Background Statistics: Delhi houses implicit 47,000 backstage enterprises (data from 2018). Nearly 1.4 lakh employees enactment crossed 80 authorities departments and agencies, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
Do You Know:
• The Air Quality Index (AQI) scope for the “Severe” class is 401 to 450. Key Characteristics of the “Severe” AQI Category are:
—May origin respiratory distress adjacent during airy carnal activity.
—Serious wellness effects connected radical with pre-existing conditions, children, and the elderly.
—Everyone is apt to beryllium affected; delicate groups are astatine a higher risk.
• The “Severe Plus” oregon “Emergency” class begins erstwhile the AQI exceeds 450.
• The 4th signifier of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), implemented successful Delhi and its surrounding areas to combat aerial pollution, focuses connected exigency measures erstwhile aerial prime reaches the “Severe Plus” oregon “Emergency” class (AQI level supra 450). This signifier involves the astir stringent measures to code the utmost contamination levels that tin airs superior wellness risks to each residents.
• Key Measures Under Stage IV of GRAP are:
—All operation and demolition activities are halted, but for indispensable projects similar railways, metros, and hospitals.
—Closure of non-essential concern units that usage unclean fuels.
—Only indispensable industries similar those producing life-saving drugs whitethorn run nether strict biology controls.
—Entry of each diesel trucks into Delhi, but those carrying indispensable goods oregon moving connected cleaner fuels (CNG, electric).
—Schools and acquisition institutions whitethorn beryllium closed, and outdoor activities are prohibited.
—Private vehicles whitethorn beryllium regulated based connected odd-even fig plates to trim vehicular emissions.
—Intensive sweeping of roads and sprinkling of h2o to curb dust.
—Strict penalties for garbage burning and improper discarded disposal.
—Increased deployment of nationalist transport similar buses and metro services to discourage backstage conveyance use.
—Government and backstage organizations whitethorn beryllium advised to follow work-from-home policies to trim vehicular emissions.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
1. In the cities of our country, which among the pursuing atmospheric gases are usually considered successful calculating the worth of Air Quality Index? (UPSC CSE 2016)
1. Carbon dioxide
2. Carbon monoxide
3. Nitrogen dioxide
4. Sulfur dioxide
5. Methane
Select the close reply utilizing the codification fixed below.
a) 1, 2 and 3 only
b) 2, 3 and 4 only
c) 1, 4 and 5 only
d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
THE SECOND PAGE
Developing nations accidental interests of immoderate getting prioritised
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, determination and planetary groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
What’s the ongoing story: As the stalemate implicit clime concern negotiations continues astatine COP29 successful Azerbaijan’s Baku, a radical of processing countries Wednesday expressed “concern” and complained that their needs were not being fixed attraction portion the interests of the developed countries were being sought to beryllium protected.
Key Points to Ponder:
• The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) aims to found a caller fiscal people for clime backing to processing nations-True oregon false?
• What each are the issues causing important disagreements among countries during COP29?
• Discuss the challenges faced by processing countries successful securing capable clime concern from developed nations.
• Analyse the value of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) successful the discourse of planetary clime negotiations.
• What are the superior points of contention betwixt developed and processing countries regarding the NCQG?
• Evaluate the relation of the G20 successful addressing planetary clime alteration issues.
• How tin the G20 facilitate statement betwixt developed and processing nations connected clime concern and emanation simplification targets?
• Examine the implications of disagreements implicit fossil substance modulation and sex connection successful clime agreements. How bash these disagreements impact the wide effectiveness of planetary clime summits similar COP29?
Key Takeaways:
• At the COP29 clime acme successful Baku, Azerbaijan, important tensions person emerged betwixt developed and processing nations implicit clime concern and emanation simplification commitments.
• Financial Demands: Developing countries are advocating for a important summation successful clime finance, proposing a people of astatine slightest $1.3 trillion annually from developed nations to enactment clime action.
• Equity successful Contributions: These nations stress the rule of “common but differentiated responsibilities,” asserting that developed countries, having historically contributed much to greenhouse state emissions, should carnivore a greater fiscal burden.
• Developed Nations’ Position: Developed countries suggest that wealthier processing nations besides lend to clime finance, arguing that the existent economical scenery has evolved since the archetypal agreements.
—Financial Commitments: While acknowledging the request for accrued funding, developed nations person not specified nonstop figures, starring to dissatisfaction among processing countries.
• Key Points of Contention: Disagreements persist implicit what constitutes clime finance, including the equilibrium betwixt grants and loans, and the sources of these funds. Developing nations explicit concerns that stringent emanation simplification targets could hinder their economical growth, advocating for flexibility successful commitments.
• Current Status: Negotiations stay astatine an impasse, with some blocs holding steadfast connected their positions. The result of these discussions is important for establishing a caller planetary clime concern extremity and determining the aboriginal model for planetary clime action.
Do You Know:
• COP29, the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention connected Climate Change (UNFCCC), is simply a pivotal planetary acme addressing planetary clime change. Held from November 11 to 22, 2024, successful Baku, Azerbaijan, this league brings unneurotic representatives from astir each state to negociate and instrumentality strategies aimed astatine mitigating clime alteration impacts.
• Key Objectives of COP29 are:
—A superior absorption is mounting a caller corporate quantified extremity (NCQG) connected clime concern to regenerate the erstwhile $100 cardinal yearly target. This aims to supply processing nations with the indispensable resources to follow cleanable vigor solutions and physique resilience against clime impacts.
—Countries are expected to contiguous updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that outline their plans to trim greenhouse state emissions and accommodate to clime change.
—Discussions see mechanisms for compensating countries that endure irreversible losses owed to clime change, ensuring that susceptible nations person capable support.
—Improving the transparency model for tracking advancement connected clime actions and fiscal flows is indispensable for gathering spot among nations and ensuring accountability.
• Controversies and Challenges:
—The enactment of Azerbaijan, a large lipid and state producer, arsenic the big federation has been controversial. Critics reason that hosting a clime league successful a state heavy reliant connected fossil fuels sends mixed signals astir planetary clime commitments.
—Additionally, important divisions person emerged regarding a caller planetary concern woody aimed astatine supporting poorer countries successful combating clime change. The latest proposals connection 2 utmost options that neglect to fulfill immoderate party, leaving cardinal issues unresolved arsenic the deadline approaches.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍Rio omits fossil substance phase-out mention, Baku feels the pinch
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
2. With notation to ‘Agenda 21’, sometimes seen successful the news, see the pursuing statements: (UPSC CSE 2016)
1. It is simply a planetary enactment program for sustainable development.
2. It originated successful the World Summit connected Sustainable Development held successful Johannesburg successful 2002.
Which of the statements fixed supra is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
GOVT & POLITICS
IN-SPACe looking astatine backstage players successful crushed segments
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Mains Examination:
• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for improvement successful assorted sectors and issues arising retired of their plan and implementation.
• General Studies III: Awareness successful the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intelligence spot rights.
What’s the ongoing story: After satellites and motorboat vehicles, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) — the cardinal bureau for regulating and promoting the backstage abstraction assemblage — is looking astatine ways for introduction of backstage players successful crushed segments, according to a consultation papers prepared by it.
Key Points to Ponder:
• The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe)-Know successful brief
• What is Ground station?
• Know the word crushed presumption arsenic a work (GSaaS)
• Discuss the relation of IN-SPACe successful promoting backstage assemblage information successful India’s abstraction sector.
• How IN-SPACe align with the broader objectives of India’s abstraction policy?
• Analyse the imaginable benefits and challenges of involving backstage players successful the crushed conception of abstraction operations successful India.
• Evaluate the interaction of backstage assemblage information successful abstraction activities connected India’s technological advancement and economical growth.
• What measures tin beryllium taken to guarantee a balanced collaboration betwixt nationalist and backstage entities successful India’s Space domain?
• Examine the planetary trends successful privatization of abstraction activities.
Key Takeaways:
• The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) is actively encouraging backstage assemblage information successful India’s abstraction industry, peculiarly successful crushed conception operations. This inaugural aims to heighten the ratio and scope of outer services crossed the nation.
• IN-SPACe is inviting backstage companies to found and run crushed stations, which are indispensable for outer connection and information reception. This determination is expected to foster innovation and amended work transportation successful the abstraction sector.
• The enactment is implementing argumentation changes to make a much conducive situation for backstage enterprises. These reforms see simplifying licensing procedures and providing entree to existing authorities infrastructure, thereby reducing introduction barriers for new
players.
• IN-SPACe is facilitating partnerships betwixt backstage firms and authorities agencies to leverage shared resources and expertise. Such collaborations are anticipated to accelerate the improvement of crushed conception capabilities and grow the scope of satellite-based services disposable to assorted sectors.
• Ground stations are fundamentally ground-based antennas that assistance successful communicating with the satellites. Offering crushed presumption arsenic a work (GSaaS) specified arsenic outer control, telemetry and tracking, abstraction information reception, and abstraction situational consciousness connected pay-per-use basis, the assemblage has been envisioned to turn 30% by 2033 — from $0.14 cardinal to $2.5 billion, according to the document. This is successful enactment with the government’s imaginativeness to summation India’s stock successful the planetary commercialized abstraction marketplace from 2% to 8% by 2033.
Do You Know:
• Offering crushed stations arsenic a work (GSaaS) has respective benefits. Setting up and maintaining crushed stations tin beryllium exorbitant, and each presumption provides sum implicit a constricted country successful the debased world orbit.
• A web of crushed stations needs to beryllium acceptable up dispersed crossed antithetic geographies, gathering successful redundancies oregon a strategy that successful the lawsuit oregon a occupation ensures that operations are uninterrupted, tin go expensive. Also, updating exertion tin besides beryllium draining connected the finances.
• However, GSaaS is successful its nascent signifier and determination are respective challenges that backstage players face: Unclear regulations for mounting it up wrong the state astatine the moment, the superior required, getting licence and spectrum, precocious rates for reception of world reflection data, challenges successful on-boarding outer operators arsenic adjacent that assemblage is successful nascent stages, and precocious costs of respective components needed.
• In July 2024, the Hyderabad-based spacetech startup Dhurva Space became 1 of the archetypal backstage players successful the state to get support from IN-SPACe to supply crushed presumption arsenic a service.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍IN-SPACe explained: what it means to the aboriginal of abstraction exploration
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Mains Question Covering akin theme:
📍Discuss India’s achievements successful the tract of Space Science and Technology. How the exertion of this exertion has helped India successful its socio-economic development? (UPSC GS3, 2016)
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, determination and planetary groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
What’s the ongoing story: India and Australia agreed connected an ambitious renewable vigor concern and looked guardant to moving towards a broad economical practice statement arsenic PM Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese met connected the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ Summit successful Brazil.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What are the cardinal takeaways from the caller agreements betwixt India and Australia?
• What each areas are India and Australia focusing connected for collaboration arsenic per the caller agreements?
• What is the superior nonsubjective of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) betwixt India and Australia?
• Can you sanction planetary radical successful which India and Australia some beryllium to, aiming to equilibrium China’s power successful the Indo-Pacific region?
• Discuss the value of the caller agreements betwixt India and Australia successful the discourse of renewable vigor collaboration.
• Analyze the imaginable benefits and challenges of the projected Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) betwixt India and Australia.
• Evaluate the strategical value of defence and maritime information practice betwixt India and Australia.
• The relation of planetary partnerships, specified arsenic the Quad, successful addressing determination information and economical challenges-brainstorm
Key Takeaways:
• India and Australia person precocious agreed to heighten their collaboration successful cleanable vigor and expedite the finalization of a broad commercialized agreement. These initiatives bespeak a deepening of the strategical concern betwixt India and Australia, focusing connected sustainable improvement and communal economical growth.
• Both nations program to boost investments successful renewable vigor sectors, including star manufacturing, artillery production, and mineral processing. This inaugural aims to enactment India’s renewable vigor goals and leverage Australia’s expertise successful these areas.
• The 2 countries are committed to concluding negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) by the extremity of this year. This statement is expected to importantly heighten bilateral trade, with a people of reaching USD 100 billion.
• In summation to economical ties, India and Australia are exploring caller avenues for practice successful defence industries, maritime security, shipbuilding, and abstraction technologies, aiming to fortify determination information and stability.
Do You Know:
• India and Australia person cultivated a robust bilateral narration characterized by shared antiauthoritarian values, economical cooperation, and strategical collaboration. Both nations are members of the Commonwealth and parliamentary democracies with akin ineligible systems, which has facilitated communal knowing and cooperation.
• A important milestone successful their economical ties is the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), which came into effect connected December 29, 2022. This statement aims to heighten bilateral commercialized by eliminating duties connected a immense array of goods and services, thereby fostering economical maturation and diversification.
• Strategically, some countries person elevated their concern to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, underscoring their committedness to determination stableness and security. This was exemplified during the 2nd 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held successful November 2023, wherever discussions focused connected deepening defence practice and addressing shared information challenges.
• In the defence sector, India and Australia person signed agreements to bolster naval ties, reflecting a shared involvement successful ensuring maritime information successful the Indo-Pacific region. These agreements facilitate associated exercises and heighten interoperability betwixt their naval forces.
• While the narration is strong, some nations admit the beingness of differences connected definite delicate matters. Australian officials person expressed assurance successful managing these differences done cautious and delicate discussions, emphasizing the maturity and resilience of their bilateral ties.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍Australia tin negociate differences with India connected delicate matters: Envoy
Modi archetypal Indian PM to sojourn Guyana successful 56 years, signs 10 pacts to grow ties
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, determination and planetary groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
What’s the ongoing story: India and Guyana connected Wednesday sealed 10 agreements to fortify practice successful hydrocarbons, integer outgo systems, pharmaceuticals, and defence aft bilateral talks betwixt Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali.
Key Points to Ponder:
• India-CARICOM Summit-Know successful details
• What is CARICOM?
• Discuss the value of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sojourn to Guyana aft much than 5 decades. How does this sojourn reflect
India’s overseas argumentation priorities successful the Caribbean region?
• Analyse the imaginable areas of practice betwixt India and Guyana that were highlighted during PM Modi’s visit. How tin these collaborations payment some nations economically and strategically?
• Evaluate the value of the India-CARICOM Summit successful strengthening India’s relations with Caribbean nations.
• Examine the relation of the Indian diaspora successful Guyana successful fostering bilateral relations betwixt India and Guyana. How does the diaspora lend to taste and economical ties betwixt the 2 countries?
Key Takeaways:
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s caller sojourn to Guyana marked a important milestone successful strengthening India-Guyana relations. This sojourn was notable arsenic it was the archetypal by an Indian Prime Minister to Guyana successful implicit 50 years. This sojourn underscores India’s committedness to strengthening its ties with Guyana and the broader Caribbean region, focusing connected communal improvement and cooperation.
• Upon accomplishment successful Georgetown, PM Modi was honored with the ceremonial ‘Key to the City,’ symbolizing the city’s designation and respect.
• PM Modi participated successful the Second India-CARICOM Summit, engaging with leaders from Caribbean nations to sermon and heighten practice successful areas specified arsenic technology, health, energy, and agriculture.
• In a historical move, PM Modi addressed the Parliament of Guyana, emphasizing the shared practice and taste ties betwixt the 2 nations.
• The Prime Minister interacted with the Indian diaspora successful Guyana, acknowledging their contributions to the country’s improvement and reinforcing the taste bonds that unite India and Guyana.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi projected a model for strengthening India-CARICOM relations, encapsulated successful 7 cardinal pillars:
—Capacity Building
—Agriculture and Food Security
—Renewable Energy and Climate Change
—Innovation, Technology, and Trade
—Cricket and Culture
—Ocean Economy
—Medicine and Healthcare
Do You Know:
• The Second India-CARICOM Summit was held connected November 20, 2024, successful Georgetown, Guyana, marking a important milestone successful the narration betwixt India and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). This acme was the archetypal of its benignant to beryllium hosted successful a CARICOM subordinate country, underscoring the deepening ties betwixt the 2 regions.
• During the summit, India and Guyana signed 10 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) covering areas specified arsenic culture, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and the deployment of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) successful Guyana.
• Prime Minister Modi announced India’s committedness to sharing exertion for combating seaweed infestations affecting Caribbean nations. He besides pledged implicit 1,000 scholarships for CARICOM countries, proviso of mobile hospitals, drug-testing laboratories, and the instauration of ferries to amended marine transport successful the region.
• Acknowledging Guyana’s increasing value arsenic an oil-producing nation, Prime Minister Modi emphasized its relation successful India’s vigor security. He besides highlighted the strengthening commercialized relations betwixt India and Guyana, with India providing lines of recognition for assorted projects, including subject rider planes and stream ferries.
• The narration betwixt India and Guyana is profoundly rooted successful their shared past arsenic erstwhile British colonies and members of the Commonwealth of Nations. A important information of Guyana’s colonisation comprises individuals of Indian descent, fostering beardown taste and familial bonds betwixt the 2 nations.
• In April 2023, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Guyana and, alongside President Irfaan Ali, commissioned an India-made ferry, the ‘MA Lisha,’ constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers successful Kolkata. This inaugural aims to heighten connectivity and economical opportunities successful Guyana’s hinterlands.
• Further strengthening ties, President Mohamed Irfaan Ali of Guyana was the main impermanent astatine the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas normal successful Indore successful January 2023. During this event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with President Ali, focusing connected vigor practice and different areas of communal interest.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍EAM Jaishanker joins Guyana’s President Ali astatine commissioning of India-made ferry
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Mains Question Covering akin theme:
📍Describe, explicate and suggest betterment successful the authorities of India’s narration with Latin America. (UPSC CSE, 2004)
📍Why indentured labour was taken by British from India to different colonies? Have they been capable to sphere their taste individuality implicit there? (UPSC CSE, 2018)
THE EDITORIAL PAGE
A caller upwind successful Colombo
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, determination and planetary groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
What’s the ongoing story: Andrew Fidel Fernando Writes: It has agelong been argued that equality of economical accidental is cardinal to producing societal alteration successful Sri Lanka. But erstwhile wide projects person mostly refused to marque economical rights a constituent of their calls for justness – volition NPP interruption the curse?
Key Points to Ponder:
• India and Sri Lanka and National People’s Power (NPP) coalition-Connect the dots
• What is the value of the NPP’s caller electoral show successful Jaffna?
• Discuss the implications of the National People’s Power (NPP) coalition’s caller electoral occurrence successful Sri Lanka.
• Analyze the factors that contributed to the NPP’s quality to summation traction among Tamil and Muslim minorities successful Sri Lanka.
• Evaluate the imaginable challenges and opportunities that the NPP whitethorn look successful implementing its docket focused connected economical justness implicit taste nationalism.
• Examine the relation of elector sentiment successful the caller parliamentary elections successful Sri Lanka.
Key Takeaways:
• The writer Andrew Fidel Fernando successful his nonfiction “A New Wind successful Colombo” discusses the caller governmental developments successful Sri Lanka, focusing connected the emergence of the National People’s Power (NPP) conjugation and its implications for the nation’s future. In summary, the nonfiction highlights a transformative infinitesimal successful Sri Lankan politics, with the NPP’s emergence signalling a imaginable departure from accepted ethnic-based authorities towards a absorption connected economical betterment and inclusivity.
• The NPP, led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has transitioned from a fringe governmental entity to a ascendant force, securing a important bulk successful the caller parliamentary elections. This displacement reflects a increasing nationalist tendency for alteration amid economical challenges and dissatisfaction with accepted parties.
• The coalition’s level prioritizes economical justness implicit taste nationalism, appealing to a wide spectrum of voters crossed antithetic communities. This attack has resonated with citizens seeking solutions to economical instability and corruption.
• Notably, the NPP made inroads into Tamil-majority regions, traditionally dominated by taste parties. This improvement suggests a imaginable displacement towards much inclusive politics, moving beyond taste divisions.
• Despite its electoral victory, the NPP faces the task of delivering connected its promises, peculiarly successful addressing economical issues and maintaining unity among divers communities. The coalition’s occurrence volition beryllium connected its quality to instrumentality effectual policies and uphold its committedness to economical justice.
Do You Know:
• India and Sri Lanka stock a multifaceted narration characterized by heavy humanities ties, economical cooperation, and strategical collaboration. The some federation continues to physique upon their humanities connections, focusing connected economical development, defence cooperation, and taste exchanges to foster a robust and mutually beneficial partnership.
• In September 2024, Anura Kumara Dissanayake was elected arsenic Sri Lanka’s President. Despite his party’s humanities scepticism towards India, Dissanayake has acknowledged India’s important relation successful Sri Lanka’s information and economical development. He has not indicated a penchant for prioritizing relations with China implicit India, suggesting a balanced overseas argumentation approach.
• In July 2024, India and Sri Lanka unveiled a imaginativeness for deeper economical ties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the value of fulfilling the aspirations of the Tamil assemblage successful Sri Lanka. The 2 countries agreed to behaviour feasibility studies connected a petroleum pipeline and onshore span connectivity, aiming to heighten commercialized and vigor cooperation.
• The 10th variation of the associated subject workout ‘Mitra Shakti’ commenced successful August 2024 astatine the Army Training School successful Maduru Oya, Sri Lanka. This yearly exercise, conducted alternately successful India and Sri Lanka, aims to heighten interoperability and stock champion practices betwixt the 2 armies.
• During Sri Lanka’s economical crisis, India extended important support. In May 2024, Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister acknowledged India’s assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic and the economical downturn, highlighting the value of strengthening ties based connected bully neighbourly relations.
• In October 2024, a ferry work betwixt Nagapattinam successful India and Kankesanthurai successful Sri Lanka was launched, marking a important milestone successful strengthening bilateral relations. This work is expected to heighten connectivity, beforehand trade, and reenforce longstanding taste bonds betwixt the 2 nations.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
3. Consider the pursuing statements: (UPSC CSE, 2020)
1. The worth of Indo-Sri Lanka commercialized has consistently accrued successful the past decade.
2. “Textile and textile articles” represent an important point of commercialized betwixt India and Bangladesh.
3. In the past 5 years, Nepal has been the largest trading spouse of India successful South Asia.
Which of the statements fixed supra is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Mains Question Covering akin theme:
📍India is an age-old person of Sri Lanka.’ Discuss India’s relation successful the caller situation successful Sri Lanka successful the airy of the preceding statement. (UPSC CSE, GS2, 2022)
📍In respect of India — Sri Lanka relations, sermon however home factors power overseas policy. (UPSC CSE, GS2, 2013)
ECONOMY
Trump-Musk bromance could signifier the aboriginal of integer information flows, including for India
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and authorities of developed and processing countries connected India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
What’s the ongoing story: Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s increasing power implicit the White House, pursuing his backing of Donald Trump’s re-election bid, is expected to usher successful a caller epoch of deregulation for Big Tech companies successful the United States.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Discuss the imaginable implications of Elon Musk’s enactment for Donald Trump connected planetary integer information flows. How could this narration power information policies successful countries similar India?
• Analyze the relation of tech manufacture leaders successful shaping governmental outcomes, with notation to the 2024 U.S. Presidential elections. What are the ethical considerations of specified involvement?
• Evaluate the imaginable challenges and opportunities for India successful navigating its integer information policies amidst changing planetary governmental dynamics, peculiarly the Musk-Trump alliance.
• Examine the power of societal media platforms, similar X, successful governmental campaigns. How does ownership and power of specified platforms by individuals similar Elon Musk impact antiauthoritarian processes?
Key Takeaways:
• Elon Musk, proprietor of X (formerly Twitter), has been a salient protagonist of Donald Trump’s statesmanlike campaign. This confederation has raised concerns astir the power of their concern connected integer platforms and information governance.
• The collaboration betwixt Musk and Trump could pb to argumentation shifts affecting integer information flows. There are apprehensions that this concern mightiness power regulations related to information privacy, contented moderation, and the cognition of integer platforms.
• India, with its immense integer idiosyncratic base, could beryllium importantly affected by immoderate changes successful information policies resulting from the Musk-Trump partnership. Potential areas of interaction see information localization requirements, cross-border information transportation regulations, and the operations of societal media platforms wrong the country.
Do You Know:
• Data localisation mandates that information generated wrong a country’s borders beryllium stored and processed domestically. In India, this conception has gained prominence with the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) directive requiring outgo strategy operators to store each outgo information exclusively successful India. This determination aims to heighten information information and guarantee regulatory oversight.
• The implementation of stringent information localisation norms has sparked debates. Critics reason that specified measures could pb to the “Balkanisation of the internet,” perchance expanding operational costs for planetary companies and hindering the escaped travel of information. S. Chandrasekhar, Director of Government Affairs astatine Microsoft, highlighted that portion strategical power mightiness necessitate immoderate localisation, a “one-size-fits-all” attack could beryllium detrimental.
• While information localisation aims to bolster nationalist information and economical interests, it indispensable beryllium balanced with information privateness considerations. Overly restrictive localisation policies could impede innovation and planetary trade. Therefore, a nuanced attack is indispensable to support idiosyncratic privateness rights portion fostering a conducive situation for technological advancement and economical growth.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍Government’s Data Protection Bill is disquieted astir privateness too
Previous twelvemonth UPSC Mains Question Covering akin theme:
📍Data information has assumed important value successful the digitized satellite owed to rising cybercrimes. The Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee Report addresses issues related to information security. What, successful essence, are its recommendations? (UPSC CSE, Mains, 2018)
EXPLAINED
What to cognize astir indoor aerial prime and purification
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, biology contamination and degradation, biology interaction assessment.
What’s the ongoing story: The much privileged among america walk astir of the time indoors — successful homes, offices, gyms, and air-conditioned vehicles — wherever aerial prime tin beryllium controlled. Outdoor vulnerability is typically constricted to commutes oregon errands, during which a decently fitted N95 mask is the lone reliable mode to trim vulnerability to harmful pollutants.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Indoor aerial contamination tin beryllium much harmful than outdoor aerial pollution-True oregon false?
• Common indoor pollutants see volatile integrated compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter-True oregon false?
• What are the communal sources of indoor aerial pollution?
• What is the superior relation of High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters successful aerial purifiers?
• Discuss the wellness implications of mediocre indoor aerial quality.
• What strategies tin beryllium implemented to mitigate indoor aerial contamination successful municipality households?
• Analyse the effectiveness of assorted aerial purification technologies, specified arsenic HEPA filters and activated c filters, successful improving
indoor aerial quality.
• Examine the challenges successful regulating indoor aerial prime standards successful India.
Key Takeaways:
• Indoor aerial prime (IAQ) importantly impacts wellness and well-being, particularly successful municipality areas with precocious contamination levels. Understanding IAQ and effectual purification methods is indispensable for maintaining a steadfast indoor environment.
• External pollutants similar conveyance emissions and concern discharges tin infiltrate indoor spaces, contributing to mediocre IAQ. Common household activities specified arsenic cooking, smoking, and utilizing definite cleaning agents merchandise pollutants similar particulate substance and volatile integrated compounds (VOCs). Materials utilized successful operation and furnishings tin emit VOCs and different harmful substances implicit time.
• Exposure to indoor pollutants tin pb to respiratory issues, allergies, and different wellness problems. Vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, and individuals with pre-existing wellness conditions, are peculiarly astatine risk.
• Ensuring capable ventilation helps dilute indoor pollutants. However, successful areas with precocious outdoor pollution, it’s important to equilibrium ventilation with filtration to forestall introducing much contaminants indoors.
• Devices equipped with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters tin efficaciously region particulate substance from indoor air. It’s important to take purifiers due for the country size and to support them regularly.
• Certain plants tin sorb pollutants and amended IAQ. However, their effectiveness is limited, and they should complement different purification methods alternatively than regenerate them.
• Minimizing the usage of products that emit VOCs, specified arsenic circumstantial paints and cleaning agents, tin trim indoor pollution. Keeping HVAC systems and aerial purifiers successful bully information ensures their optimal show successful maintaining IAQ. Maintaining indoor humidity levels betwixt 30-50% tin forestall mold maturation and trim particulate mites, some of which tin impact IAQ.
Do You Know:
• An aerial purifier is fundamentally a instrumentality paired with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter, designed to trap good particulate substance similar PM2.5. Many modern purifiers travel with sensors that automatically set instrumentality velocity based connected aerial quality, improving efficiency. For those connected a budget, a DIY purifier tin beryllium made utilizing a HEPA filter and a fan. HEPA filters are captious for trapping PM2.5, portion activated c filters, though not indispensable for particulate substance alone, are utile for capturing gaseous pollutants.
• A cardinal metric is the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR), which indicates however rapidly a purifier tin filter aerial successful a fixed space. Higher CADR ratings are peculiarly important for larger rooms. It is indispensable to debar purifiers that make ozone, arsenic they tin bash much harm than good. While stratospheric ozone protects america from UV radiation, ground-level “bad ozone” tin worsen indoor aerial prime by producing further pollutants done chemic reactions.
• While aerial purifiers and akin measures tin trim wellness risks for those who tin spend them, these solutions are inherently inequitable. This selective insulation tin besides diminish the urgency to propulsion for systemic changes, which yet perpetuates the problem.
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📍How aerial contamination tin sap your productivity and focus
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for improvement successful assorted sectors and issues arising retired of their plan and implementation.
What’s the ongoing story: Union Home Minister Amit Shah connected Tuesday said that undertrials who person spent much than a 3rd of the maximum prescribed condemnation for the transgression they are accused of committing should beryllium released earlier Constitution Day (November 26).
Key Points to Ponder:
• What does Section 479 of the BNSS, which provides relaxed bail standards for first-time offenders, state?
• What is the authorities of undertrials successful India?
• Discuss the implications of a precocious percent of undertrial prisoners connected the Indian transgression justness system.
• Analyse the caller Supreme Court ruling connected relaxing bail provisions for first-time offenders.
• Evaluate the relation of ineligible assistance and practice successful reducing the fig of undertrial prisoners.
• What steps tin beryllium taken to guarantee timely and effectual ineligible assistance for undertrials?
• Examine the challenges faced by the Indian judiciary successful expediting trials for undertrial prisoners.
• How tin systemic reforms lend to alleviating the occupation of prolonged detention without conviction?
Key Takeaways:
• India’s situation strategy faces important challenges, peculiarly concerning the precocious proportionality of undertrial prisoners and issues of overcrowding.
• As per the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) 2022 report, undertrial prisoners represent astir 75% of the full situation colonisation successful India. The aforesaid study indicates that India’s 1,330 prisons person an occupancy complaint of 131.4%, highlighting terrible overcrowding issues.
• Prolonged tribunal proceedings effect successful extended pre-trial detentions, contributing to the precocious fig of undertrial prisoners. Many undertrial prisoners travel from marginalized communities and deficiency the fiscal resources to unafraid bail oregon ineligible representation.
• In August 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that the relaxation of bail provisions for first-time offenders should use retrospectively. This determination is expected to interaction a important fig of undertrial prisoners, perchance reducing their numbers.
• The Union Law and Justice Minister has urged authorities ineligible services authorities to intensify efforts to supply ineligible assistance to undertrial prisoners, aiming for their merchandise by important nationalist milestones.
• The prolonged detention of undertrial prisoners raises superior quality rights issues, including the close to a just and speedy trial. Addressing these challenges requires broad reforms successful the judicial process, including expediting trials, improving ineligible assistance services, and implementing alternate quality solution mechanisms.
Do You Know:
• Section 479 of the BNSS lays down the “Maximum play for which [an] undertrial captive tin beryllium detained”. It states that a captive who is not accused of offences punishable with decease oregon beingness imprisonment shall beryllium released connected bail if she has “undergone detention for a play extending up to one-half of the maximum play of imprisonment specified for that offence nether that law”.
• In August, a Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Sandeep Mehta held hearings connected the issues faced by undertrial prisoners successful the lawsuit In re: Inhuman conditions successful 1382 prisons. The lawsuit began arsenic a PIL aft erstwhile Chief Justice of India R C Lahoti sent a missive to the court, highlighting issues specified arsenic overcrowding successful prisons, unnatural deaths of prisoners, and the inadequacy of trained situation staff. Since 2013, the tribunal has been proceeding issues relating to prisons successful this case.
• According to the National Crime Records Bureau’s study Prison Statistics India 2022 (published successful December 2023), of the 5,73,220 radical incarcerated successful Indian prisons, 4,34,302 are undertrials against whom cases are inactive pending. That amounts to astir 75.8% of each prisoners successful India.
—Of the 23,772 women successful prisons, 18,146 (76.33%) are undertrials, the study notes.
—The study does not grounds however galore undertrial prisoners were first-time offenders.
—As of December 31, 2022, astir 8.6% of each undertrial prisoners had been successful situation for much than 3 years.
• Constitution Day, besides known arsenic Samvidhan Divas, is observed annually successful India connected November 26 to commemorate the adoption of the Indian Constitution by the Constituent Assembly connected this time successful 1949. The Constitution came into effect connected January 26, 1950, marking the country’s modulation to a republic.
• The observance of Constitution Day was initiated successful 2015 to grant Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the main designer of the Indian Constitution, connected his 125th commencement anniversary. The time serves to item the value of the Constitution successful guiding India’s antiauthoritarian model and to beforehand consciousness of citizens’ rights and duties.
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| PRELIMS ANSWER KEY |
| 1. (b) 2.(a) 3.(a) |
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