19 Apr 2021: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

CNA 19th April 2021:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Myanmar shadow govt. wants invite for ASEAN crisis talks
C. GS 3 Related
ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
1. U.S., China agree to cooperate with urgency on climate crisis
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. The ECI cannot be a super government
GEOGRAPHY
1. Normal is good
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. An obituary for the IP Appellate Board
F. Prelims Facts
1. Bat with sticky discs found in Meghalaya
2. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
3. Is compensation received for land acquired by govt. taxable?
4. Industrial O2 use restricted
5. Lingaraj Temple
G. Tidbits
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

2. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

  • Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana is a personal finance scheme for the girl child, launched in 2015, under the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign.
  • It is a small deposit scheme for the girl child that provides an income tax rebate.
  • The scheme is jointly governed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
  • The scheme focuses on encouraging the parents of the female child for building a fund for their future education and marriage expenses.
  • The account will remain operative for 21 years from the date of opening of the account or marriage of the girl child after attaining 18 years of age.
    • To meet the requirement of higher education expenses, partial withdrawal of 50 per cent of the balance would be allowed after the girl child has attained 18 years of age.

Read more on Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.

3. Is compensation received for land acquired by govt. taxable?

  • Compulsory acquisition of land by a government agency is construed as a transfer under Income Tax Act, and requisite Capital Gains Tax is attracted, which is computed as per the provisions laid.

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013:

  • Shortly known as RFCTLARR Act, it came into effect on January 1, 2014.
  • Section 96 of the RFCTLARR Act states that ‘No Income Tax’ or ‘Stamp Duty’ shall be levied on any award or agreement made under RFCTLARR Act when lands are being acquired by appropriate government (including government companies and trusts/AOPs/societies controlled by government), except under Section 46, wherein Section 46 deals with land purchase by non-government/private parties through RFCTLARR Act.
  • Enhanced compensation as awarded by courts is taxable under the head ‘Capital Gains’.
  • Interest on compensation as awarded by the courts will be taxable in the year of receipt of such enhanced compensation under the head ‘Income from Other Sources’.

4. Industrial O2 use restricted

What’s in News?

The Centre has banned the supply of oxygen for industrial purposes.

  • Supply for industries that make ampoules and vials, pharmaceuticals, refineries, steel plants, nuclear energy facilities, oxygen cylinder, wastewater treatment plants, food and water purification would continue.

Industrial applications of oxygen:

  • Multi-industry uses are gas welding, gas cutting, oxygen scarfing, flame cleaning, flame straightening, etc.
  • It is used in steel production. Oxygen is used for decarburization (the process of decreasing the level of carbon in metals) and the conversion of hot metal formed in a blast furnace to liquid steel.
  • In the petroleum industry, it finds application in coal gasification, manufacture of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, synthesis gas, etc.
  • Oxygen is used in the conversion of air-fuel combustion systems into oxy-fuel combustion systems for high efficiency and reduction of emissions of oxides of nitrogen.
  • Oxygen is used as a bleaching chemical in paper manufacturing (pulp bleaching).

5. Lingaraj Temple

  • Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneswar in Odisha is an 11th-century temple.

Lingaraj Temple

  • It is a symbol of Kalinga style architecture built in red stone.
  • The temple was built by King Jajati Keshari, who belonged to Soma Vansh.
  • It is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
  • The temple is built in the Deula style that has four components namely, vimana (structure containing the sanctum), jagamohana (assembly hall), natamandira (festival hall) and bhoga-mandapa (hall of offerings), each increasing in height compared to its predecessor.
  • The central deity of the temple, Lingaraja, is worshipped both as Shiva and Vishnu.
  • The harmony between the two sects of Hinduism, Shaivism, and Vaishnavism, is seen in this temple where the deity is worshipped as Harihara, a combined form of Vishnu and Shiva.
  • Odisha temples are a distinct sub-style of the Nagara style called Kalinga Style.

G. Tidbits

Nothing here for today!!!

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Consider the following:
  1. The 11th-century temple located in Odisha built in red stone is a symbol of Kalinga style architecture.
  2. The temple was built by King Jajati Keshari belonging to Soma Vansh.
  3. The central deity of the temple is worshipped both as Shiva and Vishnu.

The temple being talked about is:

  1. Lingaraj temple
  2. Shree Jagannath Temple
  3. Konark Sun Temple
  4. Siddheswara Mahadeva temple
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

  • Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneswar in Odisha is an 11th-century temple.
  • It is a symbol of Kalinga style architecture built in red stone.
  • The temple was built by King Jajati Keshari, who belonged to Soma Vansh.
  • It is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
  • The central deity of the temple, Lingaraja, is worshipped both as Shiva and Vishnu.
  • The harmony between the two sects of Hinduism, Shaivism, and Vaishnavism, is seen in this temple where the deity is worshipped as Harihara, a combined form of Vishnu and Shiva.
Q2. Consider the following statements with respect to the industrial applications of Oxygen:
  1. It is used as a bleaching chemical in paper manufacturing.
  2. It is used for decarburization in steel production.
  3. It is used as a raw material in the manufacturing of urea.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

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

Answer: d

Explanation:

  • Oxygen is used as a bleaching chemical in paper manufacturing (pulp bleaching).
  • It is used in steel production. Oxygen is used for decarburization (the process of decreasing the level of carbon in metals) and the conversion of hot metal formed in a blast furnace to liquid steel.
  • Raw materials used to manufacture urea are liquid ammonia – NH3 and liquid carbon dioxide – CO2.
    • Carbon dioxide (CO2) is prepared by the decomposition of limestone (CaCO3). When CaCO3 is heated, it decomposes to CaO and CO2.
Q3. Consider the following statements:
  1. Meghalaya has the highest number of species of bats in the country.
  2. The disc-footed bat is endemic to Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary in Meghalaya.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

  • There are 130 species of bats in India. The disc-footed bat has raised the variety of bat species in Meghalaya to 66 making the state the one with the highest number of species of bats in the country.
  • The disk-footed bat is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family found in Laos and Myanmar.
  • Recently, the disc-footed bat was recorded in the northeastern Indian state’s Lailad area near the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary. It is about 1000 km west of the bats’ nearest known habitat in Myanmar.
Q4. Consider the following statements:
  1. Panchayati Raj was constitutionalised through the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act.
  2. Rajasthan was the first state to introduce the panchayat system in India after independence.
  3. Ashok Mehta Committee recommended the establishment of a 3-tier structure Panchayati Raj system.

Which of the given statement/s is/are correct?

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

Answer: c

Explanation:

  • Panchayati Raj was constitutionalised through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992
  • The scheme of Panchayati Raj was first established in Rajasthan and inaugurated on October 2, 1959.
  • Rajasthan was followed by Andhra Pradesh and other states.
  • Balwant Rai Mehta Committee recommended the establishment of a 3-tier structure Panchayati Raj system.
  • Ashok Mehta Committee recommended that the three-tier Panchayati Raj system should be replaced with a two-tier system.

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

  1. India has done relatively well with respect to legislation regarding patents by offering the world a host of TRIPS-compliant flexibilities in its statute. Elucidate. (10 marks, 150 words) (GS Paper 3/Science and Technology)
  2. Though the Election Commission of India, through the conduct of free and fair elections has helped maintain the integrity of the electoral process, the unlimited and arbitrary powers enjoyed by it need to be addressed given the dangers associated with such a scenario. Comment. (15 marks, 250 words) (GS Paper 2/Polity)

Read the previous CNA here.

CNA 19th April 2021:- Download PDF Here

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