26 Apr 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

CNA 26 April 2023:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
C. GS 3 Related
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Genome sequencing and the Genome India Project
ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
1. Understanding temperature anomalies
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Sudan Crisis and Operation Kaveri
F. Prelims Facts
1. Zero Shadow Day
G. Tidbits
1. India to host SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting
2. Govt. will not tolerate ‘cheating’ by e-commerce firms
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
FIP Magazine

Category: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

1. Understanding temperature anomalies

Syllabus: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation

Prelims: El Niño and La Niña

Mains: Key reasons for the increasing temperature anomalies and possible solutions

Context

Latest reports suggest that March 2023 was the second warmest March on record.

Key Details

March temperature anomalies 1850 2023

Image source: The Hindu

  • March 2023 is said to be the second warmest in the instrumental record; the warmest March had occurred in 2016 when the biggest El Niño of the current century caused mini-global warming. 
  • In India, March is the beginning of the summer season. However, the temperatures during March month can be warmer or cooler depending upon natural climate variabilities such as events like El Niño and La Niña.
    • During an El Niño year, warmer water spreads in a band from west to east over the equatorial Pacific Ocean which can temporarily spike temperatures.
    • During a La Niña year, cooler water spreads east to west in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. La Niña is usually associated with cooler temperatures.
  • The extreme warming to the west to north of India resulted in a cooler March over Mumbai, excess pre-monsoon rains over the northwestern regions, and scorching heat waves in places such as Kerala and Odisha. 
    • Further, the Arabian Sea has also warmed more than expected during March 2023. While this event can favour a stronger monsoon, it can also enhance cyclogenesis i.e. birth of cyclonic circulation over the Arabian Sea.
  • The variation in the global distribution of temperature is mainly on account of land-ocean-atmosphere processes that dynamically determine the weather and climate. 
  • The analysis of the decade-to-decade average of weather conditions reveals that the planet is experiencing a warmer temperature in the current decade as compared to the one before.
  • The precipitation anomalies for March 2023 reflect the impact of a warm March over Eurasia in the form of below-normal precipitation.
    • A below-normal precipitation in the Eurasian region has traditionally favoured a stronger monsoon in India and is also expected to offset the El Niño effect.
Global decades of warming

Image Source: The Hindu

Read more – El Niño, La-Niña & ENSO

Nut graf: In the wake of increasing temperature anomalies on account of global warming, it has become crucial for climate scientists to help local people understand global warming and its cascading effects on the weather in order to engage them in climate action.

F. Prelims Facts

1. Zero Shadow Day

Syllabus: GS-3; Science and Technology

Prelims: About Zero Shadow Day

Context

Science enthusiasts gathered to observe Zero Shadow Day across Bengaluru.

Zero Shadow Day 

  • On the 25th of April, 2023 Bengaluru experienced a “Zero Shadow Day”.
  • Zero Shadow Day refers to a celestial phenomenon when the vertical objects appear to cast no shadow as the Sun reaches exactly overhead. 
  • Every point on Earth between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn would experience two Zero Shadow Days a year.
    • One occurs during the Uttarayan i.e. when the Sun appears to move northwards, and the other occurs during Dakshinayan when the Sun appears to move southwards.
    • Uttarayan and Dakshinayan take place because Earth’s rotation axis is tilted at an angle of roughly 23.5° to the axis of revolution around the Sun and Ramanujam explained that the Sun’s location moves from 23.5°N to 23.5°S of Earth’s equator and back. 
  • All the places whose latitude equals the angle between the Sun’s location and the equator on a specific day experience zero shadow day.
  • Since Zero Shadow Day is restricted to locations between the tropics, the places north of Ranchi in India do not experience this phenomenon.
  • Bengaluru will experience another Zero Shadow Day on August 18, 2023.

G. Tidbits

1. India to host SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting

  • India will be hosting the Defence Ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries and observer countries such as Belarus and Iran. 
  • The members of SCO include Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and India. 
  • India is the chairman of the SCO for 2023.
  • During the meeting, the Defence Ministers are expected to discuss issues and matters concerning regional peace and security, counter-terrorism efforts within the SCO and effective multilateralism.

2. Govt. will not tolerate ‘cheating’ by e-commerce firms

  • The Union Commerce and Industry Minister said that the government is not against discount offers and flash sales on e-commerce platforms but will not tolerate “cheating” where marketplaces sell their wares through such sales as the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy does not allow them to sell directly to consumers.
    • According to the Minister, the government’s objection is twofold:
      • China’s predatory pricing and dumping of goods impacted domestic production and Indian manufacturing.
      • The marketplaces are not allowed to do B2C sales.
  • The Minister said that the government will formulate an e-commerce policy that addresses such sales.
  • The Minister also urged all e-commerce players and large corporates such as ITC and HUL to join the government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. How many of the following statements are true regarding “Institutes of Eminence” 
in India? (Level – Moderate)
  1. It is a scheme started by the UGC to develop world-class higher education institutes in India.
  2. Only Public Sector institutes can get this tag.
  3. An institute needs to be in function for at least 10 years before it can get this tag.

Options:

  1. Only 1 statement
  2. Only 2 statements
  3. All 3 statements
  4. None of the statements
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is correct, The University Grants Commission (UGC) has started a programme called the Institute of Eminence (IoE) to support the advancement of higher education institutions.
  • Statement 2 is not correct, Under the scheme UGC has declared both Public as well as Private institutions as IoEs.
    • However, private IOEs, unlike Government institutions, don’t get any funds under the scheme.
    • The IoE tag allows private institutions freedom from regulators and greater autonomy. 
  • Statement 3 is not correct, A higher education institution in India requires the following characteristics to become an Institute of Eminence: 
    • The organization must be placed among the top fifty institutions in its category according to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).
    • State public universities, institutions of national significance, establishments governed by professional regulatory councils, and institutions that are owned by the government shall continue to operate in accordance with the current laws.
    • The deemed-to-be universities that are subject to governmental control will be given additional incentives, under UGC Rules for Institutes of Eminence.
Q2. How many of the following cities can never experience the sun directly 
overhead? (Level – Difficult)
  1. Delhi
  2. Chennai
  3. Imphal
  4. Bangalore
  5. Raipur

Options:

  1. 2 cities only
  2. 3 cities only
  3. 4 cities only
  4. All 5 cities
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

  • Zero Shadow Day refers to a celestial phenomenon when the vertical objects appear to cast no shadow as the Sun reaches exactly overhead. 
  • All the places whose latitude equals the angle between the Sun’s location and the equator on a specific day experience zero shadow day.
  • Since Zero Shadow Day is restricted to locations between the tropics, the places north of Ranchi in India do not experience this phenomenon.
  • Thus Delhi and Imphal can never experience the sun directly overhead.
Zero Shadow Day

Image Source: Research Gate

Q3. Identify the correct statements: (Level – Moderate)
  1. Quantum Computers are a variety of supercomputers used for faster processing.
  2. They utilize quantum bits instead of bits and rely on quantum mechanics for their functioning.
  3. National Quantum Mission has been approved in India for a duration of 8 years.

Options:

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

Answer: b

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is not correct, Quantum computers are machines that use the properties of quantum physics to store data and perform computations.
  • Statement 2 is correct, “Qubits” or “quantum bits” are the units of processing by quantum computers.
    • A qubit or a quantum bit, is the counterpart in quantum computing to the binary digit or bit of classical computing.
  • Statement 3 is correct, the National Quantum Mission has been approved in India and the key objective of the mission is to build a 1,000-qubit computer in the next eight years.
Q4. Match the following and pick the correct answer from the options below: 
(Level – Difficult)
  1. World Economic Outlook                     A. World Economic Forum
  2. Ease of Moving Index                          B. OMI Foundation
  3. Global Competitiveness Report          C. IMF
  4. Global Gender Gap Report

Options:

  1. 1-B 2-A 3-A 4-C
  2. 1-C 2-C 3-A 4-B
  3. 1-C 2-B 3-A 4-A
  4. 1-A 2-B 3-C 4-A
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

  • The World Economic Outlook report is published by the IMF staff twice a year.
  • The Ease of Moving Index is published by the Ola Mobility Institute (OMI) Foundation.
  • The Global Competitiveness Report is a yearly report published by the World Economic Forum.
  • The Global Gender Gap Report is also published by the World Economic Forum.
Q5. The demand for the Tebhaga Peasant Movement in Bengal was for: (Level – Easy) 
[PYQ 2013]
  1. The reduction of the share of the landlords from one-half of the crop to one-third
  2. The grant of ownership of land to peasants as they were the actual cultivators of the land
  3. The uprooting of Zamindari system and the end of serfdom
  4. Writing off all peasant debts
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

  • The Tebhaga movement is one of the most important peasant movements in the history of Bengal and India. 
  • It was a movement of the peasants who demanded a two-thirds share of their produce for themselves and a one-third share for the landlord.

CNA 26 April 2023:- Download PDF Here

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