29 Aug 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
C. GS 3 Related
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. News media vs ChatGPT
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
ENVIRONMENT
1. At Delhi summit, demonstrate climate leadership
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Old ties
INTERNAL SECURITY
1. Scan the internal dimension on the road to 2024
F. Prelims Facts
1. Population Growth not a panacea
2. Q1 CAD narrows
3. LK 99 not a superconductor
G. Tidbits
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

Category: ENVIRONMENT

1. At Delhi summit, demonstrate climate leadership

Syllabus: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Mains:  Climate leadership and India

Background

• The G-20 members generate the majority of the world’s fossil fuels and emit the majority of its greenhouse gas emissions. 
• The majority of them have also vowed to utilise “net-zero” emissions and less fossil fuels. 
• The G-20 must behave as a single entity that advances its own shared climate ambition via cooperation, coordination, and competitiveness. 
• Recently, G-20 nations have demonstrated some commitment to the transition to clean energy: in 2021, renewable energy sources accounted for 29% of their energy mix, up from 19% in 2010.
• The third-largest producer of renewable energy in the world, India has made considerable strides in the past ten years to achieve this goal. The country has also set goals to increase installed renewables to 50% of energy output by 2030. 
• Governments need to make a greater shift since demand is rising and the world’s carbon budget is depleting more quickly than anticipated.

Read more on India’s Net Zero Plan.

Significant Aspects Climate leadership

• Clear Governance Structures

• • G-20 nations must enhance their governance structures at the national and municipal levels to ensure equitable energy transitions. 
  • To guarantee that the transition process is inclusive and the outcomes equitable, governments should set up clear governance frameworks and minimize compartmentalized functioning. 
  • In order to create cogent delivery strategies that may entice investment, this requires defining roles and mandates throughout ministries and across government levels. Indicators of progress should go beyond the conventional ones, such as net job creation, levels of community resilience and creativity, and who has access to these. 
  • For the purpose of coordinating their efforts in the energy transition, G-20 nations may form multi-ministerial task forces or collaborations between governmental and non-governmental organizations.
  • The development of practical frameworks, road maps, or action plans can help other G-20 members expedite their own energy transitions.

• Aiding Decarbonisation

• • The G-20 should view this transformation as a chance to diversify the economies of its members in order to guarantee long-term economic stability, livelihoods, and public income sources, as the Indian G-20 chair has acknowledged. 
  • The G-20’s joint commitment to green public procurement will hasten the decarbonization of challenging industries like steel and cement. Collaboration within and among G-20 countries is vital, nevertheless, for a comprehensive and successful reform of public procurement. 

• International financial institutions 

• • International financial institutions must coordinate their investments and risk-taking in order to quickly install significant amounts of renewable energy and grid infrastructure, as well as to promote industrial innovations with very low carbon emissions and energy efficiency.
  • The G-20 countries play a crucial role in increasing the production of low-carbon steel since they account for 90% of world steel production and 80% of global steel consumption. 
  • They may encourage investments in the transition to green steel in poor and emerging economies by establishing explicit mandates for international financial institutions, such as multilateral development banks and international climate financing.

• Need for Transparency

• • In order to accomplish fair energy transitions, the G-20 should take the lead in simplifying international efforts. 
  • The G-20 Energy Transitions and Sustainable Finance Working Groups, as well as the Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JET-Ps), will support these initiatives with significantly increased openness and accountability. 
  • The G-20 should also urge nations that produce fossil fuels to disclose current, comparable, and trustworthy information on their plans and projects for producing oil, gas, and coal, as well as how these plans and projects match with both national and global climate goals.

Also read G20 Energy Transition Working Group Meeting.

Way Forward

The G-20 summit is a significant opportunity for the in attendance Heads of State and Government to adopt a bold leader’s declaration pledging their commitment to a shared goal to address climate change. The destructive repercussions of climate change have been abundantly obvious during the past several months. One cannot compete alone in the fight to decarbonize industry, deploy renewable energy for everyone, or accomplish a just and inclusive transformation. To fully use the potential of green public procurement, governments must put in place effective monitoring, establish explicit mandates for low-carbon procurement, “upskill” procurement officials, and establish time-bound goals.

Nut Graf: The G-20 Summit has to make a firm commitment to taking action together to tackle climate change.
Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Old ties

Syllabus:  Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests,

Mains: India Greece Relations

Context

• The Indian Prime Minister recently emphasised that despite the fact that no Indian Prime Minister has visited Greece since 1983, bilateral relations between India and Greece have not “diminished” and remain friendly. 
• But since there haven’t been any high-level contacts, there aren’t any strong strategic relations as India has with other surrounding European nations.

Recent Developments and India-Greece Ties

• Along with plans for a skilled migration and mobility alliance, India and Greece also announced intentions to form a “Strategic Partnership” and a consultation mechanism between their National Security Advisers.
• It also intends to build collaboration in order to finish talks for the India-European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement on Connectivity. 
• Without a more comprehensive bilateral plan in place, exchanges between the two nations have been mostly based on tourism, trade, and labour migration. 
• Furthermore, India and Greece, both of which were stolen by colonial forces, have had debates about the restoration of antiques. 
• They may find common ground in lobbying UNESCO to help restore some of their historical property.

Concerns

• Given the difficulties between Delhi and Ankara over Kashmir and Turkey’s OIC involvement, India may find some common ground in Greece’s improved connections with Israel and Cyprus. 
• In addition, the maintenance of marine security in accordance with international norms is a priority for India and Greece, two former historic maritime powers. 

Conclusion

The connection between the earliest democracy and the most populous democracy offered “favourable omens” in India-Greece ties. This advises that both nations take advantage of the current favourable conditions to chart a route for increased collaboration without waiting another decade.

Nut Graf: On geopolitical, global, and regional problems, particularly the Indo-Pacific, India and Greece enjoy strong collaboration. India and Greece are rekindling a centuries-old friendship.
Category: INTERNAL SECURITY

1. Scan the internal dimension on the road to 2024

Syllabus: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.

Mains: Threats to internal security of India

Background 

• All throughout the Indian continent, several different projects are now underway. 
• These must be appropriately evaluated in order to prevent any of the scenarios from spiralling out of control. 
• Every event has a will of its own. The country may be in a tough situation if many of them, or even a few of them, decide to unite as elections get closer.

Recent developments and Threats 

• Challenges in the northeast
  • Myanmar is an example in point, with the potential to envelop the whole northeast area. The predominance of many tribes with varied affinities across the northeast necessitates immediate handling of the situation. 
  • Manipur may appear to the uninitiated as a little blip on India’s security horizon, yet it is a microcosm of issues that impact the whole northeast. 
  • The Nagas of Nagaland are affiliated with many groups, some of which are located in Myanmar. There are many weapons and weaponry available throughout the whole Assam region, which is reason for alarm. 
  • The short point is that quiet spells in the northeast frequently mask the stress undercurrents hiding just under the surface.

Read  more on Challenges in Northeast India.

• Maoism
  • Although the risks offered by militant contestations may range in origin and substance, they frequently have a greater degree of intensity. 
  • The CPI (Maoists) are one of the top terrorist organisations in the world, according to specialists from all around the world. 
  • These analysts disagree with the idea that the Maoist danger has been neutralised.
  • A selective merger and demerger procedure, as well as a new leadership pattern, have shifted their goals, although they claim significantly stronger support for their ideals in urban regions. 
  • Their claim to have become ‘influencers of public opinion’ in metropolitan places is not as implausible as many people believe. 

Read more on Maoist Challenge.

• Naxalism and right-wing terror

• • Other elements that are now in play might also have an influence on the situation on the ground. The problem of right-wing terror is a serious one.
  • Thus, the Naxalites will continue to pose a possible danger as the nation approaches the general election next year.
  • Geopolitics frequently affects the trajectory of right-wing terrorism, thus given the current status of the globe, India needs to remain vigilant. 
  • It has also developed regular supply routes to procure cutting-edge weaponry, notably those of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
  • Experts have frequently said that right-wing terror is on the rise. The recent decrease in bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir should not lead to the mistaken notion that the terror danger has abated; terror networks are being built in many other places, including the South. 

• Religious Polarization

• • The return of communal violence and rioting in the nation is another regrettable trend that has recently emerged and that might get worse in a year leading up to elections. The reason for this is said to be the growing religious division. 
  • All around the country, there have suddenly been a number of localised areas of racial conflict. 
  • Though extremely significant violence has lately surfaced in Haryana and Maharashtra, they are not limited to one State or area.
  • The gap between the Muslim and Hindu populations is widening quickly. Communal violence is also now affecting communities that were previously thought to be largely devoid of such issues. 

Way Forward

Despite the odds, India’s well-earned reputation for hosting peaceful elections necessitates even greater monitoring.  India must exercise caution to avoid polarisation along communal lines tarnishing the country’s existing image as a bulwark of democratic principles. As a result, India’s false sense of security produced by the lack of a big terror strike for a long time would have to be reassessed. The political elite, as well as security and law enforcement services, must exercise extreme caution. The attention must be on a number of separate trends occurring across India, which may erupt in the run-up to the general election next year. Although perpetual watchfulness is the price of liberty, it is also necessary to ensure that the biggest democracy in the world successfully completes yet another general election. Only this will show how really strong and valuable India is.

Nut Graf: India is hosting the G-20 summit and is celebrating the success of its moon mission, therefore it would be wise for its leaders to take note of the Chandrayaan project’s lesson that “instead of focusing on achieving success, we focused on eliminating failures.”

F. Prelims Facts

1. Population Growth not a panacea

Context: India’s growing population can help boost its labour force but it is not enough to make the economy stronger, says Moody’s; The ratings body says strong education and quality infrastructure are also key to reaping the benefits of a larger population.

Source: The hindu

• India’s population growth would raise its labour force availability but that alone won’t be enough to make the economy stronger or improve fiscal outcomes, due to the quality of education in the country, Moody’s Investors Service said in a report.
• Emphasising that better educational outcomes will help countries like India avoid potential job losses from digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence in the long run, especially in services like call centres and BPOs, Moody’s bracketed India’s current education outcome levels with that of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
• In a report titled ‘Population growth alone will not drive credit benefits for emerging economies’, the rating major said it expects continued population growth in the region to support economic expansion as working-age populations will remain large compared with younger and older citizens.
• However, the availability and scale of labour inputs alone will not drive materially stronger economic strength or better fiscal outcomes. Other conditions such as strong education and quality infrastructure are also key to reaping the benefits.
• There remains a considerable gap in the quality of education between Pakistan, Bangladesh and India compared with China and other peers in South East Asia, which contributes to labour force participation imbalances.
• India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam will account for a third of the global population increase over the next 20 years and 40% of the uptick in the working age population.
• Moody’s said the difference in the proportion of the male and female population that has completed an upper secondary education was most pronounced in India and Bangladesh.

2. Q1 CAD narrows

• India Q1 CAD may narrow to 1% of GDP or $10 billion.
• With falling trade deficit, India’s current account deficit is likely to narrow to about $10 billion, or 1% of the GDP in the April-June quarter of the fiscal, according to India Ratings.
• The current account deficit (CAD) stood at $18 billion, or 2.1% in the year-earlier period.
• However, the agency expects CAD to increase in the second quarter of the fiscal as it sees merchandise exports declining to below $100 billion after a gap of eight quarters.
• The current account deficit is a measurement of a country’s trade where the value of the goods and services it imports exceeds the value of the products it exports.
• The current account includes net income, such as interest and dividends, and transfers, such as foreign aid, although these components make up only a small percentage of the total current account.
• The current account represents a country’s foreign transactions and, like the capital account, is a component of a country’s balance of payments(BOPs).

3. LK 99 not a superconductor

• Recently scientists found that LK-99 is probably not a superconductor.
• In July 2023, a group of scientists in South Korea uploaded two preprint papers claiming that a lead apatite material was an ambient condition superconductor. 
• Apatites are materials that have a regular arrangement of tetrahedrally shaped phosphate ions (i.e. one phosphorus atom and four oxygen atoms). When lead ions sit in between these phosphate motifs, it is lead apatite. 
• The novelty of the South Korean group’s work was to replace 10% of the lead ions in lead apatite with copper, to produce the supposed wonder material that they had christened LK-99 (after their own last names). 
• The group’s two papers elicited a mixture of surprise and scepticism in the scientific community, surprise because of the apatite, and scepticism because of the history of superconductivity.
• Researchers in Australia, China, India, the U.S., and several European countries followed them and tried to replicate the South Korean team’s findings but no one found conclusive evidence of superconductivity in their samples. 
• In fact, the Indian group, from the CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, was one of the first to report that it didn’t find any signs of superconductivity in LK-99.

Q1. Consider the following statements:

Q2. Consider the following statements:

Q3. Which of the following statements best describes decarbonisation?

Q4. Consider the following statements, with reference to superconductors:

Q5. What is OpenAI primarily known for?