26 Jun 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

CNA 26 June 2023:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
INDIAN POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
1. Uniform Civil Code & Tribals from Central and North-East India
C. GS 3 Related
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Outreach to diaspora and statesmanship
2. The India-U.S. deal for 31 MQ-9B drones
F. Prelims Facts
1. Radio Telescopes
2. India's Third Moon Exploration Mission: Chandrayaan-3
G. Tidbits
1. China's Support to Pakistan Army
2. Floods and droughts in Bihar
3. Meira Paibis
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
FIP Magazine

2. The India-U.S. deal for 31 MQ-9B drones

Syllabus: India-US Relations

Mains: India-USA UAV Deal and its significance for India

Context:

U.S President and Prime Minister welcomed India’s plans to procure MQ-9B High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). 

About India US Drone Deal

  • India and the United States agreed to a USD3 billion deal for 31 High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAVs. 
  • The Army and the Indian Air Force will each receive eight of the land-based SkyGuardian drones, while the Navy will receive 15 SeaGuardian drones as part of this agreement.
  • The MQ-9Bs will be assembled in India as part of this proposal, and General Atomics will also set up a comprehensive global maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility. 

Read more on MQ-9B Drone

UAVs are already in service
  • The MQ-9 is a substantial technological advancement over the original RQ-1/MQ-1 Predator, which signaled the emergence of long endurance armed drones at the close of the twentieth century. 
  • The MQ-9 Reaper replaced the RQ-1 Predator, which was retired in 2018 and was originally used by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) in 1995.

Significance for India

  • Boost to Indigenous Defense Capabilities
    • India is attempting to increase the deal’s indigenous content. India hopes to enhance the proposed indigenous content from the present 8–9% to 15–20%. 
    • In addition to setting up a complete Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) center for these drones, the US has committed to construct Predator drones in India. 
    • If the indigenous content increases, this might even broaden to possibly include the production of some electronics, sensors, and avionics.
  • Enhance cutting edge capabilities
    • The India-US agreement will improve India’s military forces’ intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities across domains. 
    • India would construct the cutting-edge drones, greatly enhancing India’s long-term objectives to increase defense capabilities. 
  • Global Implication
    • The MQ-9 system is used in the UK, France, Italy, Japan, Australia, and Spain, among other nations.  
    • The General Atomics MQ-9B High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAVs are important for India in light of the technologically advanced nations. 
    • The Sea Guardian UAS, which is produced by the American company General Atomics, was first made available to India as a non-treaty partner. 
  • Advancement to Indian expertise
    • Since other nations also use the Predators platform, we can anticipate that some Predators from those nations will eventually travel to India for maintenance, repair, and overhaul. 
  • Foster Aero Engine Development
    • India has historically struggled to produce aero engines, so this agreement will be a huge step in the right direction for the nation’s effort to produce its own jet engines. 

Way Forward

The relationship between India and the United States is vital, and the drones will be constructed, maintained, and serviced in India, establishing a full MRO hub for the technology. The Indian military’s capacity for target acquisition, observation, and intelligence gathering would all be improved by the General Atomics MQ-9B High-Altitude Long Endurance UAVs. 

Nut Graf:  The deal between India and the US brings to an end the Indian military’s long-standing goal to have an unmatched capacity for attack and surveillance as well as the pragmatism of the American political and military establishment.

F. Prelims Facts

1. Radio Telescopes

Syllabus: GS-3; Science and Technology

Prelims: About Radio Telescopes

Introduction:

  • Telescopes are essential tools for astronomers, enabling them to explore the universe. 
  • Among the different types of telescopes, radio telescopes play a crucial role in observing celestial objects using radio waves, which range from 1 mm to over 10,000 km in wavelength.

Detection and Amplification

  • Radio telescopes collect faint radio waves emanating from deep space.
  • Specialized equipment assists in focusing and amplifying these waves for scientific analysis.

Celestial Objects Studied

  • Radio telescopes can detect radio waves emitted by various celestial objects, including stars, galaxies, and black holes.
  • The ground-based nature of radio telescopes is attributed to their large size, as the size of the antenna correlates with the wavelength being observed.

Dish Antenna

  • Parabolic dish antennas are commonly employed in radio telescopes.
  • The curved shape of the dish allows radio waves to bounce and converge at a focal point known as the focus.
  • At the focus, a receiver collects the radio waves for further analysis.
  • Dish antennas have the capability to collect multiple wavelengths simultaneously, requiring the use of receivers designed to detect various wavelengths.

Advantages of Radio Waves

  • Radio waves possess a large wavelength, enabling them to travel long distances without significant interference.
  • This property makes radio waves suitable for observing objects obscured by dust clouds or other obstacles.
  • However, as radio waves travel longer distances, their intensity diminishes, necessitating measures to maximize signal collection and utilize amplifiers to enhance their strength.

Prominent Radio Telescope:

  • The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in China is one of the largest radio telescopes worldwide.
  • It features a massive 500-meter-wide dish, allowing for extensive observation and analysis of radio waves from distant celestial objects.

2. India’s Third Moon Exploration Mission: Chandrayaan-3

Syllabus: GS-3; Science and Technology:

Prelims: About Chandrayaan-3

Background on Chandrayaan-2:

  • Chandrayaan-2 lander and rover configuration, along with the payloads, were lost when the Vikram lander crashed during a soft landing on the lunar surface.
  • ISRO aims to launch Chandrayaan-3 in mid-July aboard the LVM3 (formerly GSLV Mk-III) rocket from Sriharikota.

Read more on Chandrayaan-2

Retaining Names from Chandrayaan-2

  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) intends to keep the same names for the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover as their Chandrayaan-2 counterparts.
  • The Chandrayaan-3 lander will be named Vikram after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of the Indian Space Programme.
  • The rover for Chandrayaan-3 will be named Pragyan.

Mission Details:

  • A propulsion module will carry the land rover configuration to a 100 km lunar orbit.
  • Upon safe arrival on the moon, the Vikram lander module will deploy the Pragyan rover for in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface.

Scientific Experiments:

  • The lander, rover, and propulsion module will carry payloads for conducting experiments to gain insights into the moon’s characteristics.
  • Lander payloads: Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive Ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA), Chandra’s Surface Thermo Physical Experiment (ChaSTE), Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) and the LASER Retroreflector Array (LRA).
  • Rover payloads: Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (AAPXS) and the LASER Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS).
  • Propulsion module payload: SHAPE (Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth).

G. Tidbits

1. China’s Support to Pakistan Army

  • China has been aiding the Pakistan Army in building its defense infrastructure.
  • China is providing support by offering Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), setting up communication towers, and installing underground cables along the Line of Control (LoC).
  • Purpose: 
    • To solidify China’s position as a steadfast ally of Pakistan and safeguard Chinese enclaves in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
    • Chinese enclaves were established with the purpose of safeguarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) road and hydel projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
  • The recently developed SH-15, a 155 mm truck-mounted howitzer gun, has been observed along the LoC after its display on Pakistan Day.
    • The SH-15 was supplied by Chinese firm North Industries Group Corporation Limited (Norinco) as part of a contract for 236 units.
    • The first batch of SH-15s was delivered in January 2022.
  • Some intercepts indicate that Chinese troops and engineers are involved in setting up infrastructure along the LoC.

2. Floods and droughts in Bihar

  • The South-West monsoon has advanced over most parts of the country, including Bihar.
  • Bihar faces a peculiar situation of simultaneous flood and drought conditions.
  • The southern districts of Bihar are particularly affected by erratic and deficient rainfall.
  • Major rivers like Gandak and Kosi, originating in Nepal, often lead to floods in Bihar due to heavy rain in the neighboring country.
    • Bihar has been demanding for a dam in Nepal to mitigate floods in the state.
    • A high-rise dam in Nepal will help in controlling water discharge and provide irrigation and drought relief.
  • The state has devised a plan to handle both flood and drought situations.
    • The government will utilize a new application called Befikr to provide real-time flood information and address public concerns.
    • Anti-erosion work has been carried out at 298 vulnerable locations prone to flooding.
    • An early warning system has been implemented to minimize the impact of floods.
    • The Chief Minister has instructed officials to ensure the subsidized supply of diesel to farmers and timely release of water from canals to address the impending drought.

3. Meira Paibis

  • The Manipur Chief Minister, emphasized the importance of engaging with all stakeholders, including the Meira Paibis, to initiate dialogue and restore peace in the violence-hit state. 
  • Meira Paibis is a women-led group, has been actively leading protests and blockades, urging for resolution and obstructing security forces when necessary.
  • In a recent incident, their intervention led to the release of twelve members of a banned extremist outfit who were detained by the army.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. ‘Climate Shift Index’ (CSI) model, recently seen in news has been developed by:
  1. Climate Central 
  2. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
  3. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
  4. Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

The Climate Shift Index model has been developed by a U.S Non-profit organization called Climate Central.  It reveals how much climate change influences the temperature on a particular day.

Q2. The Suez Canal connects which two seas?
  1. Sea of Marmara and the Agean Sea
  2. Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea
  3. Mediterranean Sea and the Adriatic Sea
  4. Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:

The Suez Canal is an artificial waterway in Egypt that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, separating Africa and Asia. 

unnamed

Image source: Encyclopedia Britannica

Q3. ‘Meira Paibi’ recently seen in news is a women’s social movement in which of 
these states?
  1. Manipur
  2. West Bengal
  3. Rajasthan
  4. Arunachal Pradesh
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

Meira Paibi is a women’s social movement in the state of Manipur. Referred to as the “guardians of civil society”, it dates to 1977 in present Kakching district.

Q4. India has plans to procure the ‘MQ-9B High Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned 
Aerial vehicles’ from which of these countries?
  1. Saudi Arabia
  2. United States of America
  3. Russia
  4. Israel
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:

India plans to procure 31 General Atomics MQ­9B High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial vehicles (UAV). The MQ­9B has two variants — the SkyGuardian and the SeaGuardian, its maritime variant. MQ-9B is the first hunter-killer unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for long-endurance and high-altitude surveillance.

Q5. Consider the following statements with reference to Five-hundred-meter Aperture 
Spherical Telescope (FAST):
  1. It is one of the biggest radio telescopes in the world.
  2. It is a single dish aperture telescope.
  3. It is located in India.

How many of these statements is/are correct?

  1. One only
  2. Two Only 
  3. All Three
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:

Only 2 statements are correct. Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) is located in the Dawodang depression in China. 

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

  1. India’s relations with Egypt is undergoing a significant transformation. Discuss in detail. (250 words, 15 marks) [GS-2; International Relations]
  2. Evaluate the distribution of Tamil diaspora around the world, their contribution and challenges being faced by the community. (250 words, 15 marks) [GS-2; International Relations]

Read the previous CNA here.

CNA 26 June 2023:- Download PDF Here

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