16 Apr 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

CNA 16 April 2023:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Chinese dual-use facilities in Myanmar and Sri Lanka
2. Sudan Crisis
3. Families of fishermen jailed in India, Pakistan cry for help; 749 languish in 
prisons for years
C. GS 3 Related
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Omicron variants evolve strategies to evade T cell immunity
2. Magnetoresistance: one more thing graphene does differently
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
F. Prelims Facts
G. Tidbits
1. “Aspirational toilets”
2. Flamingos in Mumbai
3. National Financial Reporting Authority
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

2. Sudan Crisis

Syllabus:  Bilateral, Regional & Global Groupings & Agreements Involving India and/or Affecting India’s Interests

Mains: Impact of Sudan crisis on India

Context: Unrest in Sudan.

Introduction:

• Fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and the country’s main paramilitary group on April 15,2023. 
• Paramilitary forces claim to have taken control of the international airport in Khartoum as well as a second airport in Meroe. 
• The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces also claimed to have taken over the Presidential Palace and Army Chief General Burhan’s residence.
• Many videos appeared on social media showing armed fighters driving across the runway of the city’s international airport, conducting checkpoints at crucial traffic intersections, and moving through residential areas. 

Background:

• Sudan has experienced significant political and social unrest in recent years. In 2019, mass protests erupted across the country calling for an end to the 30-year rule of former President Omar al-Bashir. 
• The protests were sparked by rising food prices and a failing economy, but also highlighted broader frustrations with corruption, repression, and the lack of political freedoms.
• In April 2019, al-Bashir was removed from power by the military in a coup.
• After months of negotiations, a power-sharing agreement was reached between the military and civilian opposition groups in August 2019.
• However, the transition to civilian rule has been challenging, with ongoing tensions between the military and civilian leaders, and continued protests calling for more progress on political and economic reforms. 
• In addition to the political unrest, Sudan has also faced significant social and economic challenges, including a severe economic crisis, ongoing conflict in some regions of the country, and a large influx of refugees from neighbouring countries. 

Read more on Sudan Crisis

Impact on India:

• The unrest in Sudan may have several indirect impacts on India, particularly in the areas of trade, energy, and security.
• Sudan is an important trading partner for India, with bilateral trade between the two countries totaling around $1.5 billion in 2020. The instability in Sudan could disrupt trade flows and impact Indian businesses operating in the country.
• Sudan is also a key source of crude oil for India. Any disruptions to oil supplies from Sudan could impact India’s energy security and result in higher fuel prices.
• The instability in Sudan could also have implications for regional security. Sudan shares a border with several countries in East Africa, some of which have been affected by conflicts and insurgencies.
• India has consistently emphasised the need for dialogue and negotiations between all parties in Sudan to find a solution that respects the aspirations of the Sudanese people for a democratic and stable country.
• India has supported the efforts of the African Union and the United Nations to promote peace and stability in Sudan. 
• In August 2019, India welcomed the signing of a power-sharing agreement between the military and civilian opposition groups in Sudan.
• India has also provided humanitarian assistance to Sudan, particularly in the areas of healthcare and education. In 2020, India provided medical supplies and equipment to Sudan to support the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nut Graf: Fighting broke out between Sudan’s army and the main paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces, with claims of control over airports, the Presidential Palace, and Army Chief’s residence that left at least 27 people dead and 170 wounded.

3. Families of fishermen jailed in India, Pakistan cry for help; 749 languish in prisons for years

Syllabus: India and its neighborhood relations.

Mains: India-Pakistan Relations.

Details:

• Several fishing community outfits both from India and Pakistan have urged the political leadership to immediately release around 750 fishermen lodged in prisons for years.
• They demand their release on humanitarian grounds. 
• It was highlighted by the leader of a fishing community that families of fishermen live in extreme poverty without any subsistence.
• The fishing communities from Pakistan have also demanded the release of arrested fishermen and the reconstitution of the Joint Judicial Committee on Prisoners.
• It should be noted that the release of fishermen is not as prompt as their arrest.

Background Details:

• The fishers from both sides are arrested for trespassing water borders. They are charged with violation of the Passport Act and imprisoned by the trial courts for a few months (three to six months).
• Approximately, 666 Indian fishermen were caught after 17th October 2018. Out of these, 631 have completed their sentences.
• Similarly, 83 Pakistani fishermen are lodged in Indian jails. And 50 have completed their sentences.

Also read: India – Pakistan Relations – BYJU’S

Nut Graf: Several fishermen are lodged in the Prisons of Pakistan and India even after completing their sentences. The fishing communities from both countries are demanding their urgent release on humanitarian grounds.

C. GS 3 Related

Category: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1. Omicron variants evolve strategies to evade T cell immunity

Syllabus: Awareness in the field of biotechnology.

Mains: Research analysis of the Omicron variant.

Prelims: Omicron.

Details:

• The SARS-CoV-2 virus has developed the ability to evade the CD8 T cells. 
  • CD8 T cells reduce the viral load and clear the infection by detecting and killing infected cells.
  • They cannot prevent infection. The infection can be prevented by neutralizing antibodies.
• A study highlighted that the SARS-CoV-2 virus encodes multiple viral factors that modulate major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) expression in the host cells.
  • MHC I molecules are expressed on the surface of all infected cells.
  • They alert the immune system about the virally infected cells.

Source: The Hindu

Also read: Difference between between COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)

Findings of the Study:

• The virus uses many redundant strategies to suppress MHC-I expression.
• MHC-I downregulation impairs the priming of T cells. It also impairs the recognition of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL).
• It also proved the inhibition of MHC I upregulation in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells in both in vitro and in vivo settings.

Nut Graf: A study found that Omicron variants have evolved the strategy to evade T cell immunity. Thus, the potential of the virus to survive in a human host has increased.

2. Magnetoresistance: one more thing graphene does differently

Syllabus: Development in the field of science and technology and their application.

Mains: Magnetoresistance.

Prelims: Magnetoresistance.

Details:

• Graphene is a single-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms bonded in a honeycomb pattern.
• It is found by Researchers in the U.K. that graphene displays an anomalous giant magnetoresistance (GMR) at room temperature.

Giant magnetoresistance (GMR):

• GMR is the consequence of the electrical resistance of a conductor being influenced by magnetic fields in adjacent materials.
• GMR is utilized in hard disk drives and magnetoresistive RAM in computers, sensors, and medical imagers.
• Graphene-based devices would not require to be cooled to a very low temperature to sense these fields and can be used to sense magnetic fields.
• Notably, a conductor is sandwiched between two ferromagnetic materials.
  • If the material is magnetized in the same direction, the electrical resistance in the conductor is low.
  • Whereas, if the directions are opposite the resistance increases. It is then called GMR.
• It is observed that magneto-resistance in graphene-based devices is 100 times greater than those observed in the semimetal of such magnetic range.

Details of the Study on Graphene:

• The experiment used plasma that consisted of equal numbers of thermally excited electrons and holes.
• “Extremely clean setup” and Graphene without any defects were used. The electrons in the neutral plasma were not scattered by vibrations and had high mobility at room temperature.
• It was found that the magnetoresistance in monolayer graphene (at 27° C) held between two layers of boron nitride increased by 110% under a field of 0.1 tesla. This can be due to the presence of a ‘neutral’ plasma and the electrons’ mobility.

Conclusion:

• The graphene-based device cannot replace the existing devices, because they have several other properties which are missing in graphene devices.
• These devices can be used in other applications that require magnetic-field sensing in extreme conditions.

Nut Graf: Researchers from the U.K. have found another feature of Graphene that displays giant magnetoresistance (GMR) at room temperature. This can be used in various applications in the future.

D. GS 4 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

E. Editorials

Nothing here for today!!!

F. Prelims Facts

Nothing here for today!!!

G. Tidbits

1. “Aspirational toilets”

• According to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, a directive has been delivered to all State governments requiring them to make sure that 25% of newly built public toilet seats in any city or urban unit would be “aspirational toilets”.
• These will have high-end features such as luxurious bath cubicles, touchless flushing, breast-feeding rooms, and automatic sanitary napkin incinerators. 
  • These will be indicated as “aspirational toilets” on Google Maps.
• The focus areas to construct these luxury restrooms will be tourist and religious destinations, as well as iconic cities in places with a high footfall.
• The Ministry has decided to engage start-ups that can build such toilets across the country. 
• To make these restrooms self-sustaining, the ministry is planning to attach them into other public services like restaurants, shopping centres, libraries, movie theatres, or drug stores.

About the scheme:

• The aspirational toilets scheme was launched in September 2022 as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 2.0, with an aim to help make cities open defecation free.
• The Centre has allocated ₹1,41,600 crore to the SBM 2.0, which is 2.5 times more than the money allotted to the first phase of the mission in 2014.
• The cost sharing pattern with States varies depending on the population of their cities.
• As of now, 6,36,826 public toilets have been constructed under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, against a target of 5,07,587. 4,355 urban local bodies have been declared open defecation-free.

2. Flamingos in Mumbai

• Every winter, thousands of greater and lesser flamingos migrate into Mumbai from Kutch in Gujarat and the Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan to Mumbai, but due to prolonged rain and other climate factors, their arrivals can be delayed. 
• They stay in Mumbai till the start of the monsoon in mid-June.
• The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) conducted a survey in 2022 and observed approximately 1,33,000 flamingos across the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary, Sewri, Nhava and adjacent zones.
• Flamingos feed on the algae that dwell in the mudflats at Navi Mumbai, Airoli and Thane Creek.

About Flamingo:

• There are six species of flamingos. Four species are distributed throughout the Americas and two species are native to Africa, Asia, and Europe. 
  • They include the greater flamingo, Chilean flamingo, lesser flamingo, Caribbean flamingo, Andean flamingo and puna flamingo.
• Flamingoes aren’t born pink. The bright colour of flamingo feathers is caused by the presence of carotenoid pigments found in the algae and crustaceans that make up the diet of a flamingo.
• The heaviest and tallest flamingo is the greater flamingo. The shortest and lightest flamingo is the lesser flamingo, 
  • The lesser flamingo, found in  East Africa and parts of South Africa, Madagascar, and India, is the most abundant. It is also the smallest and the deepest in colour.
  • Greater flamingos are the state bird of Gujarat.
• Flamingos are very social birds. They live in groups called colonies or flamboyance. 
• They communicate with each other through vocalisations and displays. 
• According to IUCN’s Red List, the lesser flamingo, the Chilean flamingo, and the Puna flamingo are listed as “Near Threatened.” The Andean flamingo is listed as “Vulnerable.” The Greater flamingo is listed as “Least Concerned”
• The species is also listed in the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) Action Plan, Appendix II of the Bonn Convention (CMS) and Appendix II of the CITES Convention.

Image Source: Discover wildlife

3. National Financial Reporting Authority

• The National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) has imposed a fine and a one-year ban on four auditors for alleged professional misconduct in connection with the audit of branches of Dewan Housing Finance Corp. Ltd. (DHFL) in 2017-18. 
• In four separate orders, NFRA levied a fine of ₹1 lakh each on the auditors.
• As per NFRA, the auditors failed to comply with laws under Standards on Auditing, and had not maintained proper audit documentation and displayed flawed understanding and interpretations of the various stipulations in the law and standards in an unprofessional manner that established their professional misconduct in the matter.
• Following allegations of misappropriation of approximately Rs 31,000 crore of public funds, the Enforcement Directorate reported an operation in April 2020 against alleged bank fraud of about Rs 3,700 crore by the promoters/directors of DHFL.

Q1. Consider the following statements: (Level-Difficult)

Q2. The 'Morung (Youth Dormitory)', is the place for the young boys where they learn 
about social practices and beliefs from their elders.  It is a practice seen in the 
State of (Level-Difficult)

Q3. With respect to 'Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate (MCLR)', which of the 
following statements is/are correct? (Level-Medium)

Q4. Which of the following statements is/are correct? (Level-Difficult)

Q5. Who among the following translated the Autobiography of Madam Curie in Hindi? 
(Level-Difficult) (PYQ-CSE-2008)

Read the previous CNA here.

CNA 16 April 2023:- Download PDF Here