09 Apr 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

CNA 09 April 2023:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
POLITY
1. Transfer of cases
C. GS 3 Related
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. What is behind China’s renaming spree?
2. Why have key oil producers vowed output cuts?
F. Prelims Facts
1. Evolution of Dengue Virus
G. Tidbits
1. Rare Earth Deposits
2. 16th Finance Commission
3. Bharat Gaurav Scheme
4. Spot Billed Pelican
5. Sortie on Sukhoi fighter jet
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
FIP Magazine

G. Tidbits

1. Rare Earth Deposits

  • Scientists at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), a Council of Scientific and Industrial Research facility in Hyderabad, have reported the presence of rare-earth elements (REEs) in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh.
  • They have found enriched quantities of the REEs in β€œwhole rock analyses”.
  • Deep drilling for at least a kilometre will help ascertain the consistency of the elements’ presence.
  • The REEs are lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, yttrium, hafnium, tantalum, niobium, zirconium, and scandium.
  • These elements are key components in many electronic devices and whose industrial applications span sectors like imaging, aerospace, and defence.Β 

2. 16th Finance Commission

  • The Union government is planning to constitute the Sixteenth Finance Commission in November,2023 to recommend the formula for sharing revenues between the Centre and the States for the five-year period beginning 2026-27.
  • It is to be formed every five years according to Article 280 of the Constitution.
  • However, the Fifteenth Finance Commission, which was headed by N.K. Singh, had been given an extended mandate to make recommendations for six years, up till 2025-26.
  • Previously, the Ninth Finance Commission formed in June 1987 was also given a six-year mandate. But the Tenth Finance Commission wasΒ  constituted in June 1992 within the five-year deadline specified by the Constitution.
  • A fresh challenge for the Sixteenth Commission is to figure out a way to factor in the impact of decisions taken by another Constitutional body β€” the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council which was created in 2016.
  • While the Finance Commission is not a permanent body, the GST Council is, and the latter’s decisions on tax rate and administration changes can impact the former’s projections.

3. Bharat Gaurav Scheme

  • The Indian Railways, in association with the South Star Rail, is starting a tourist train to Kashmir Valley under the Bharat Gaurav scheme from May,2023.
  • The 12 day tour starts from Coimbatore. Tourists would be taken to Srinagar, Moghul Gardens, Dal Lake, Sonmarg, Amritsar, Gulmarg, Taj Mahal, Indo-Pakistan border, and other places.

Read more on Bharat Gaurav Scheme

4. Spot Billed Pelican

  • The Spot-billed Pelican is a large water bird found in India and other parts of Southeast Asia.Β 
  • It is the only pelican species that is known to breed in India, and it is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss and hunting.Β 
  • The Spot-billed Pelican can be found in wetlands, lakes, rivers, and estuaries, where it feeds on fish, frogs, and other aquatic prey.Β 
  • They have weak leg muscles which is not ideal for, therefore they catch fish near the surface of the water.Β 
  • This species sometimes goes fishing in groups, forming a semi-circle that pushes the fish towards shallow water. It also forms a foraging partnership with the little cormorant.
    • Cormorants are divers, and their dives cause the fish present in deeper regions to scatter towards the surface, where the pelican awaits them.
  • Adult spot-billed pelicans weigh 4.5-5 kg. The pouch, which is called the gular, is for catching fish.Β 
  • Spot-billed pelicans form stable colonies along with other water birds. Nests are built on trees, and two-three eggs are laid. When they are about a month old, the chicks destroy the nests.
  • Breeding colonies occur very close to, or even within villages. Villagers use the droppings of the spot-billed pelican as a fertiliser.Β 
  • After the breeding season, pelican populations scatter over a very large area as they forage for food.
  • The best places to spot the Spot-billed Pelican in India are the Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan, Pulicat Lake, Andhra Pradesh,Β  the Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, Chilika Lake in Odisha, Kokkare Bellur and Karanji Lake in Karnataka.
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Image Source: ebird

5. Sortie on Sukhoi fighter jet

  • President and Supreme Commander of the armed forces Droupadi Murmu took a sortie on an Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft at the Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam on April 8,2023.
  • She is the third President and second woman President to undertake such a sortie.
  • The President flew for approximately 30 minutes covering the Brahmaputra and the Tezpur Valley.

Sukhoi-30MKI:

  • The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a multirole fighter aircraft developed by Russia’s Sukhoi and built under licence by India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF).Β 
  • The aircraft is a variant of the Su-30, with advanced avionics and weapons systems designed to meet the specific requirements of the IAF.Β 
  • The Su-30MKI has a maximum speed of Mach 2 (2120 km/h), a range of 3000 km, and can carry a variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, bombs, and rockets.Β 
  • The aircraft has been in service with the IAF since 2002 and has participated in various military exercises and operations.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Arrange the following coal types on the basis of carbon content in decreasing 
order: (Level-Medium)
  1. Bituminous, Lignite, Peat, Anthracite
  2. Peat, Lignite, Bituminous, Anthracite
  3. Peat, Bituminous, Anthracite, Lignite
  4. Anthracite, Bituminous, Lignite, Peat
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation:

Coal types on the basis of carbon content in decreasing order are:

  1. Anthracite: It is the highest rank of coal and has a carbon content of 86% to 97%. It is the hardest, most brittle, and oldest coal type.
  2. Bituminous: It is the most commonly used coal and has a carbon content of 75% to 86%. It is widely used in electricity generation, metallurgy, and cement production.
  3. Lignite:Β  Lignite coal is lighter brown in color. The carbon content of lignite ranges from 55-65%%. Lignite is the youngest and premature fossil fuel produced.
  4. Peat: Peat has low carbon content (30-40%) and has high moisture. It is mostly used for gardening and horticulture.
Q2. With respect to C Rajagopalachari, which of the following statements is/are 
correct? (Level-Difficult)
  1. The Vedaranyam March was a part of the Civil disobedience movement led by C.Rajagopalachari in 1930.
  2. He led the group of β€˜No changers’ in the Congress Party who were against entry into the Imperial and the provincial legislative councils along with Vallabhbhai Patel and Ajmal Khan.
  3. He was the first Governor-General of independent India.

Options:

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:Β 

  • Statement 01 is correct, The Vedaranyam March was a part of the Civil disobedience movement led by C.Rajagopalachari in 1930. He led the march as a prolongation of the Dandi March to protest against the Salt tax imposed by the British on Indians.
    • A group of 150 volunteers accompanied him from Trichinopoly to Vedaranyam in Tamil Nadu.
    • The prominent members of the march were Rukmini Lakshmipathi, K. Kamaraj, Aranthangi C. Krishnaswamy, M. Bhaktavatsalam, and Rajaji’s son, C. R. Narasimhan.
    • The Vedaranyam march came to an end on 28 April 1930 with the arrest of its members. Rajagopalachari was imprisoned for a term of six months.
  • Statement 02 is incorrect, Mahatma Gandhi led the group of β€˜No changers’ in the Congress Party who were against entry into the Imperial and the provincial legislative councils along with Vallabhbhai Patel and Ajmal Khan, C Rajagopalachari and M.A. Hansari.
  • Statement 03 is incorrect,Β  Lord Mountbatten (1947-48) was the last viceroy of the British Indian Empire and the first Governor-General of independent India.
    • C.Rajagopalachari, also known as β€˜Rajaji’ was the first Indian Governor General of Independent India.Β 
Q3. Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to Bharat Gaurav 
Scheme? (Level-Medium)
  1. It was launched by the Indian Railways to tap the vast tourism potential of India.
  2. These trains will be run by both private players and IRCTC.

Options:

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

  • In November 2021, Indian Railways launched the scheme to tap the vast tourism potential of India.Β 
  • This allowed private entities to operate theme-based train services across different circuits.
  • These trains will be run by both private players and IRCTC.
  • The Southern Railway became the first zone in Indian Railways to get the first registered service provider under the β€˜Bharat Gaurav’ scheme.
Q4. Which of the following statements is/are correct? (Level-Difficult)
  1. Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526
  2. Baburnama, an autobiography of Zahiruddhin Muhammad Babur was written in his mother tongue, Chagatai Turkic.
  3. Akbar defeated Rana Pratap in the Battle of Haldighati,
  4. Shah Jahan was the first Indian ruler after Ashoka to reach Balkh and Badakhshan.

Options:

  1. 1 and 4 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1, 2, 3 and 4
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

  • Statement 01 is correct, The First Battle of Panipat was fought between Babur and Ibrahim Lodi, which took place on 21 April 1526. It marked the beginning of the Mughal Empire. This was one of the earliest battles involving gunpowder firearms and field artillery.
  • Statement 02 is correct, Baburnama, an autobiography of Zahiruddhin Muhammad Babur was written in his mother tongue, Chagatai Turkic.
    • Babur wrote this in the form of memoirs. It is considered the first true work in the Islamic literature of the autobiographical genre.
  • Statement 03 is correct, The Battle of Haldighati was a battle fought on 18 June 1576 between Rana of Mewar, Maharana Pratap and the Mughal emperor Akbar’s forces, led by Man Singh I of Amber. Akbar defeated Rana Pratap in this battle.
  • Statement 04 is correct,Shah Jahan was the first Indian ruler after Ashoka to reach Balkh and Badakhshan.

Read more on Mughal Empire

Q5. India is a member of which of the following ? (Level-Difficult) (PYQ-CSE-2008)
  1. Asian Development Bank
  2. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
  3. Colombo Plan
  4. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. 1 and 3 onlyΒ  Β 
  2. 2 and 4 only
  3. 1, 2 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2, 3 and 4Β 
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

  • India is a founding member of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) which was established in 1966.Β 
  • India is not a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. APEC is a regional economic forum comprising 21 member economies, including Australia, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea, the United States, and others. Its primary objective is to promote economic cooperation and integration in the Asia-Pacific region.
  • India is a founding member of the Colombo Plan which was established in 1950 as a regional organisation to promote economic and social development in the Asia-Pacific region.Β 
    • The Colombo Plan has a membership of 27 countries, including Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, and several Southeast Asian nations.
    • The Colombo Plan provides technical assistance and capacity building programs in various fields, including agriculture, education, health, and tourism, among others. India has been an active participant in the Colombo Plan’s programs and has also contributed to the organisation’s funds.
  • India is not a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which is a global economic organisation comprising 38 member countries, mostly developed economies.

Read the previous CNAΒ here.

CNA 09 April 2023:- Download PDF Here

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