08 Jun 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

CNA 08 June 2023:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
C. GS 3 Related
ENVIRONMENT
1. How can we transition to a low-carbon city?
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
POLITY
1. Sedition
2. Human dog conflict
F. Prelims Facts
1. Kerala Fibre Optic Network project
2. Minimum Support Price
G. Tidbits
1. Revival Package for BSNL
2. India, U.S. review export control regulations
3. Kakhovka dam
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
FIP Magazine

2. Minimum Support Price

Syllabus: GS03-Economy

Prelims: MSP; Kharif crops

Context: Government hikes Kharif MSP.

Key Details:Β 

  • The Union government has set the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy sown in the kharif or monsoon season at β‚Ή2,183 per quintal, an increase of β‚Ή143 a quintal from 2022.
  • The 2023-24 MSPs for 17 kharif crops and variants were approved at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
  • Apart from paddy, new MSPs have been set for major pulses.Β 
  • The expected margin to farmers over their cost of production is estimated to be highest in the case of bajra (82%) followed by tur (58%), soybean (52%) and urad (51%).
  • The increase in MSP for Kharif Crops for Marketing Season 2023-24 is in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times the All-India weighted average Cost of Production, aiming at reasonably fair remuneration for the farmers.

Read more on Kharif Crops.

G. Tidbits

1. Revival Package for BSNL

  • The Union Cabinet has granted approval for a β‚Ή89,047 crore revival package for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL).
  • This includes the allocation of spectrum in the 26 GHz, 700 MHz, 2,500 MHz, and 3,300 MHz bands through equity infusion.Β 
  • Under the revival package, BSNL will extend its 4G coverage to rural and underserved villages through various connectivity projects.Β 
  • It will also offer fixed wireless access services to provide high-speed Internet connectivity. Additionally, BSNL will provide services and spectrum for captive non-public networks.
  • This will be the third revival package for BSNL. Earlier packages included a significant capital infusion to support the company’s operations, improve infrastructure, and enhance service quality.

Read more on the Bail-out package for BSNL in Aug 11, 2022 CNA.

2. India, U.S. review export control regulations

  • During the inaugural India-U.S. Strategic Trade Dialogue (IUSSTD), India and the U.S. committed to streamlining their export control systems for critical technologies.Β 
  • The talks took place in anticipation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington, where several high-technology partnerships, including a deal involving GE-414 jet engine sales to India, are expected to be finalised.
  • The meeting focused on ways in which both governments can facilitate the development and trade of technologies in critical domains such as semiconductors, space, telecom, quantum, AI, defence, biotech and others.
  • Both sides also reviewed their respective export control regulations with the goal of establishing resilient supply chains for these strategic technologies.

3. Kakhovka dam

  • Kakhovka dam, a major dam on the Dnipro River in Russia-controlled areas of southern Ukraine collapsed on June 06, 2023, flooding villages, endangering crops and threatening drinking water supplies.
  • Both countries are accusing the other of the destruction caused by the dam collapse.
  • Thousands of people have been evacuated from low-lying areas on either side of the river Dnipro.
  • Both sides warned of a looming environmental disaster from polluted waters partly caused by oil leaking from the dam’s machinery and farmland deprived of irrigation.
  • The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s biggest, relies in large part on water from the dam’s now-emptying reservoir.Β 
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Image Source: APNews

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Consider the following statements about Minimum Support Price: (Level-Medium)
  1. The Minimum Support Price is recommended by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
  2. It is the minimum price at which the government buys the crops from the farmers.
  3. The system of MSP was first introduced in India in 1966-67.

How many of the above statements are incorrect?

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

Answer: a

Explanation:Β 

  • The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) recommends MSPs. It is approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.

Read more on Minimum Support Price.

Q2. How many of the following gases are greenhouse gases? (Level-Easy)
  1. Methane
  2. Nitrogen
  3. Water Vapour
  4. Argon
  5. Carbon Dioxide

Options:Β 

  1. Only 2 gases
  2. Only 3 gases
  3. Only 4 gases
  4. All 5 gases
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:Β  The Primary GHGs are: Water Vapour, Carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous oxide and Ozone. Other GHGs are carbon monoxide, fluorinated gases, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), black carbon (soot), and brown carbon.

Read more on Greenhouse Gases.

Q3. How many of the following statements are correct about cotton cultivation?
(Level-Medium)
  1. It is a Kharif crop.
  2. India is one of the top 5 producers of cotton globally.
  3. Bt Cotton was introduced in India in 2002.

Options:

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

Answer: c

Explanation: Cotton is a kharif crop which is cultivated during the rainy season. India is the largest cotton producer in the world with 6,188,000 tonnes production volume per year. China comes second with 6,178,318 tonnes of yearly production.Β 

  • Bt cotton was first approved for field trials in the United States in 1993 and first approved for commercial use in the United States in 1995. Bt cotton was approved by the Chinese government in 1997.
  • In 2002, a joint venture between Monsanto and Mahyco introduced Bt cotton to India.
Q4. Which of the following statements are true regarding the Madden Julian 
Oscillation? (Level-Difficult)
  1. It is an Eastward moving system near the equator.
  2. It has a periodicity of 30-60 days.
  3. Its presence over the Indian Ocean during monsoons helps bring good rainfall over the Indian Subcontinent.

Options:

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

Answer: c

Explanation: Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) is an oceanic-atmospheric phenomenon which affects weather activities across the globe. It brings major fluctuation in tropical weather on weekly to monthly timescales.

  • The MJO is characterised as a pulsating disturbance moving eastward near the equator, consisting of clouds, rainfall, winds, and pressure.Β 
    • It has a regular cycle of occurrence every 30 to 60 days.
  • The MJO follows a path comprising eight distinct phases as it progresses through its journey.
    • During the Monsoon season, when the MJO reaches the Indian Ocean, it brings substantial rainfall to the Indian subcontinent.
Q5. The money multiplier in an economy increases with which one of the following?​
(Level-Medium) (PYQ-CSE-2019)
  1. Increase in the cash reserve ratio​
  2. Increase in the banking habit of the population ​
  3. Increase in the statutory liquidity ratio​
  4. Increase in the population of the country
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation: Β The money multiplier represents the total money generated by commercial banks based on a fixed amount of base money and reserve ratio.

  • When the cash reserve ratio is raised, it limits the ability of banks to lend money, resulting in a decrease in the money multiplier.
  • A rise in the population’s banking activity fosters increased lending, leading to higher deposits in the banking system and consequently elevating the money multiplier.
  • The money multiplier in an economy does not automatically increase with population growth, highlighting that population size alone does not determine changes in the money multiplier.

CNA 08 June 2023:- Download PDF Here

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