30 Jan 2024: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

30 Jan 2024 CNA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
C. GS 3 Related
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Improving battery technologies for speedy EV adoption
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
GOVERNANCE
1. Populism does not help public health
2. Early nutrition impacts cognitive development
POLITY
1. Pros and cons of simultaneous elections
F. Prelims Facts
1. What is Humboldt’s enigma and what does it mean for India?
2. Japanese moon probe back to work after sunlight reaches its solar panels
G. Tidbits
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
FIP Magazine

2. Early nutrition impacts cognitive development

Syllabus: GS-2, Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation.

Mains: Impact of early nutrition care on the cognitive development of children

Early Nutrition and Cognitive Development:

  • Stunting’s Irreversible Impact: Stunting not only affects a child’s height but also significantly impacts cognitive development.
  • Lack of Understanding: The processes linking early childhood stunting to lower educational achievements, especially in low- and middle-income countries, are not well understood.
  • Need for Deeper Insight: A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms is crucial for formulating effective policies to enhance educational outcomes in such contexts.

Challenges in Research:

  • Focus on Test Scores: Research often focuses on cognitive-achievement test scores, like math and reading, which may not fully reflect inherent cognitive skills.
  • Complex Assessment: Achievement tests depend on both cognitive abilities and access to education, making the assessment of cognitive skills complex and potentially misleading.

Recent Studies on Under-nutrition and Cognitive Skills:

  • Study Overview: A recent study in ‘World Development’ by Sánchez et al. explores the link between early under-nutrition and four key cognitive skills developed later in childhood.
  • Executive Functions: The study focuses on working memory, inhibitory control, long-term memory, and implicit learning, with the first two measuring executive functioning.
  • Findings: Stunting at approximately age 5 is negatively related to executive functions, even when accounting for household fixed effects.

Implications for India:

  • Connection to Educational Achievement: The study underscores the critical importance of early childhood nutrition as a determinant of cognitive development and later educational outcomes.
  • Addressing Stunting in India: Poshan Abhiyaan and Integrated Child Development Services play significant roles in addressing stunting by focusing on nutrition and holistic development.

Strategies for Improved Child Nutrition in India:

  • Early Breastfeeding Promotion:
    • Government Initiatives: Programs like the Mother’s Absolute Affection Programme need expansion to provide comprehensive lactation support.
    • Mobile Technology: Leveraging mobile technology to educate mothers about exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months is vital.
    • Maternal Nutrition: Improving maternal nutrition is crucial for the health of both mothers and babies.
  • Diversifying Children’s Diet:
    • Community-Based Complementary Feeding: Implementation and scaling up of community-based programs to educate parents on adding a variety of nutrient-rich foods to their child’s diet.
  • Increasing Anganwadi Workers:
    • Addressing Staff Shortage: Adding an extra Anganwadi worker to each centre can double preschool instructional time, improve academic scores, and reduce child stunting.

Existing Initiatives in India:

  • Poshan Abhiyaan and Integrated Child Development Services: Focusing on reducing malnutrition by enhancing the quality of services for pregnant women, mothers, and children.
  • Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission: Addressing water and sanitation issues to reduce the incidence of diarrhoea and stunting.

Conclusion: 

  • Comprehensive Approach: Implementing the outlined strategies can significantly improve child nutrition, combat undernutrition, and contribute to better developmental outcomes for children in India.

Nut Graf: Early childhood stunting irreversibly impacts cognitive development. A recent study in ‘World Development’ links stunting at age 5 to reduced executive functions. This underscores the critical role of early nutrition in India, necessitating strategies like breastfeeding promotion, diversified diets, and increased Anganwadi workers.

Category: POLITY

1. Pros and cons of simultaneous elections

Syllabus: GS-2, Salient Features of the Representation of People’s Act

Mains: Benefits and issues of simultaneous elections

Introduction:

  • High-Level Committee (HLC) headed by Ramnath Kovind examining simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and local bodies.
  • The committee seeks responses from political parties, Law Commission, and other groups.

Historical Context:

  • Elections to Lok Sabha and State legislative assemblies were held simultaneously in 1952, 1957, 1962, and 1967.
  • Subsequent premature dissolutions led to staggered elections.

The case for Simultaneous Elections:

  • Cost Savings:
    • The estimated cost of Lok Sabha elections is around ₹4,000 crore.
    • Reduction in costs with simultaneous elections at both central and state levels.
  • Governance and Administrative Efficiency:
    • Frequent State elections result in a ‘permanent campaign’ mode, hindering policy-making.
    • Model Code of Conduct during elections hampers the announcement of new schemes or projects.
    • Administrative efficiency impacted due to election-related activities.
  • Social Cohesion:
    • Polarizing campaigns during high-stakes state elections contribute to societal divisions.
    • Simultaneous elections may reduce polarizing tendencies.

Challenges:

  • Federal Character Concerns:
    • Simultaneous elections may overshadow regional and state-specific issues with national issues.
    • National parties may gain an advantage, undermining the federal spirit of the country.
  • Constitutional Amendments Required:
    • A fixed tenure of five years for Lok Sabha and State assemblies requires constitutional amendments.
    • Amendments to Articles 83, 85, 172, 174, and 356 are needed.
  • Feedback Mechanism:
    • Simultaneous elections may affect the feedback mechanism as elections serve as feedback for governance.

Recommendations:

  • Law Commission (1999) and Parliamentary Standing Committee (2015) Suggestions:
    • Club Lok Sabha and half of State assemblies in one cycle, remaining State assemblies in another cycle after 2.5 years.
    • ‘No-confidence motion’ must be accompanied by a ‘confidence motion’ for an alternate government.
    • Bye-elections due to death, resignation, or disqualification can be clubbed and conducted once a year.
  • International Practices:
    • Countries like South Africa, Sweden, and Germany have fixed tenures for legislatures.
    • Elections in these countries happen simultaneously at the national and provincial levels.

Ideal Solution:

  • Go for the middle ground: Lok Sabha election in one cycle, all State assembly elections in another cycle after 2.5 years.
  • Adoption of recommendations regarding forming an alternate government, duration of newly constituted houses, and clubbing of bye-elections.
  • Emphasizes achieving benefits of simultaneous polls without compromising democratic and federal principles.

Conclusion:

  • Consensus among political parties is crucial for successful implementation.
  • Gradual adoption of proposed changes over the next decade is recommended.

Nut Graf: The High-Level Committee, led by former President Ramnath Kovind, explores the feasibility of simultaneous elections in India, citing potential cost savings, enhanced governance, and social cohesion. However, challenges include concerns about federalism and the need for constitutional amendments.

F. Prelims Facts

1. What is Humboldt’s enigma and what does it mean for India?

Context:

Explorers and naturalists have long pondered the mysteries of biodiversity, seeking to unravel its concentration and distribution across landscapes. Alexander von Humboldt, a pioneering polymath, laid the groundwork for understanding biodiversity through his observations on climate, altitude, and species distribution, notably on South America’s Chimborazo mountain.

Issue: 

  • Modern biogeographers revisit Humboldt’s insights, exploring the enigmatic relationship between biodiversity and geographical features. 
  • Humboldt’s enigma posits that while tropical regions boast higher primary productivity, mountainous areas exhibit unexpected biodiversity, challenging conventional paradigms.
  • Mountains, with their geological diversity and climatic variability, emerge as biodiversity hotspots. Geological heterogeneity fosters unique habitats and species diversification, shaping intricate ecosystems worldwide. 
  • The Eastern Himalaya stands as a testament to Humboldt’s enigma, defying conventional biodiversity patterns due to climate dissimilarity, geological heterogeneity, and evolutionary dynamics.

Significance: Addressing knowledge gaps in biodiversity requires intensified research efforts and modern methodologies, including genetic studies. National missions like the National Mission on Himalayan Studies and Biodiversity and Human Wellbeing strive to foster scientific inquiry and unravel the complexities of biodiversity. Humboldt’s legacy inspires us to embrace exploration and unlock the mysteries of biodiversity in our backyards and beyond.

2. Japanese moon probe back to work after sunlight reaches its solar panels

Context: A Japanese lunar explorer is now operational following several tense days without sunlight needed to power its systems. Despite landing upside down Japan’s inaugural lunar mission has regained power with the arrival of the lunar day.

About: 

  • The explorer is capturing images of the Moon’s surface and transmitting them to Earth.
  • After a rough landing caused by engine failure, JAXA utilized battery power to collect data about the touchdown and surroundings.
  • Now, powered by sunlight, the probe is analyzing olivine rocks to understand the Moon’s origin and evolution.
  • JAXA’s social media shared a black-and-white photo revealing the lunar landscape, including a rock nicknamed “Toy Poodle.” SLIM, equipped with a multi-band spectral camera, aims to operate for several Earth days, despite uncertainties about its performance after the cold lunar night.

Significance: The landing near the Shioli crater marks Japan’s achievement as the fifth country to reach the moon’s surface, joining the ranks of the United States, the Soviet Union, China, and India.

G. Tidbits

Nothing here for today!!!

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1 . Consider the following statements:
  1. Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) concerns quality education and is the fifth of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015.
  2. The Global Gender Gap Report is an index designed to measure gender equality and is released by UN Women.

Which of these statement(s) is /are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. 1 & 2
  4. None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) does not concern quality education; rather, it focuses on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. Quality education is addressed under Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). 

Statement 2 is incorrect: The Global Gender Gap Report is indeed an index designed to measure gender equality, but it is not released by UN Women. It is released annually by the World Economic Forum (WEF). 

Q2. Consider the following statements:
  1. Malabar Exercise is a multilateral naval wargaming exercise that began as a bilateral exercise between the navies of India and the United States.
  2. The Exercise Desert Eagle is a bilateral exercise between India and Saudi Arabia.

Which of these statement(s) is /are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. 1 & 2
  4. None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

  • Malabar Exercise is a multilateral naval wargaming exercise that initially began as a bilateral exercise between the navies of India and the United States. 
  • There is no exercise known as Desert Eagle conducted between India and Saudi Arabia. The Exercise Desert Eagle is a bilateral exercise between India and the United Arab Emirates. 
Q3. Consider the following statements:
  1. The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the List of Ramsar wetlands of international importance where changes in ecology have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference.
  2. Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat has been declared a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance.

Which of these statement(s) is /are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. 1 & 2
  4. None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

  • The Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites listed under the Ramsar Convention, which is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. These sites are considered to be of international importance. The Montreux Record lists wetlands where ecological changes have occurred or are likely to occur due to human interference such as technological developments, pollution, or other factors. 
  • Statement 2 is incorrect as Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary is not in Gujarat but in Uttar Pradesh.
Q4. Consider the following statements:
  1. Khangchendzonga National Park was inscribed as India’s first “Mixed World Heritage Site” on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
  2. The Blue Shield is an international organization to protect the world’s cultural heritage from threats such as armed conflict and natural disasters.

Which of these statement(s) is /are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. 1 & 2
  4. None of the above
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

  • Khangchendzonga National Park was inscribed as India’s first “Mixed World Heritage Site” on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This park, located in the Indian state of Sikkim, is renowned for its unique biodiversity, including various species of flora and fauna. The mixed designation signifies that the site has both natural and cultural significance, making it a valuable asset for conservation and heritage preservation.
  • Blue Shield is an international organization dedicated to safeguarding cultural heritage from armed conflicts and natural disasters. Its mission is to protect cultural and natural heritage globally through advocacy and emergency response efforts. 
Q5. Which one of the following Schedules of the Constitution of India contains 
provisions regarding anti-defection? [PYQ 2014]
  1. Second Schedule
  2. Fifth Schedule
  3. Eighth Schedule
  4. Tenth Schedule
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation: The Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India contains provisions regarding anti-defection. It was added by the 52nd Amendment Act of 1985 to curb the issue of legislators switching parties for personal gains, thereby ensuring stability in the political system. The Tenth Schedule lays down the disqualification criteria for defection and the procedure for disqualification.

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