30 Jun 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

CNA 30 June 2023:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
C. GS 3 Related
ECONOMY
1. The Open Market Sale Scheme for wheat and rice
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
ECONOMY
1. Spiralling food prices
F. Prelims Facts
1. As humans exit, wildlife has the run of Debrigarh
2. India's Largest radio telescope plays vital role in detecting 
universe’s vibrations
G. Tidbits
1. IIT Kharagpur to develop tamper-proof Signaling System for Indian Railways 
Using Blockchain Technology
2. From Aug. 15, only digital payments in panchayats
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
FIP Magazine

F. Prelims Facts

1. As humans exit, wildlife has the run of Debrigarh

Syllabus: GS-3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Prelims: Wildlife sanctuaries, human-wildlife conflict.

Details:

  • Debrigarh, a wildlife sanctuary in the Bargarh district of Odisha, achieves complete removal of human settlements.
  • Considered one of the largest ‘peaceful’ relocations of forest dwellers in the country.
  • Positive impact observed through a reduction in human-wildlife conflicts.

Background:

  • Debrigarh sanctuary spans 353.81 sq. km and previously housed human settlements.
  • Permanent human settlements within wildlife sanctuaries are common in the state.
  • Debrigarh and Nalabana Bird Sanctuary in Chilika Lake are exceptions.

Relocation Process:

  • Consultations were conducted with the 400 families residing in Debrigarh.
  • Families voluntarily agreed to move out of their villages.
  • No use of force during the relocation process.
  • Compensation of ₹15 lakh paid to each eligible family.

Reasons for Relocation:

  • Villagers lacked access to basic facilities like electricity, healthcare, and education.
  • Mandate to protect critical wildlife sanctuaries from human interference.
  • Ensures inviolability of the sanctuary.

Impact of Relocation:

  • Reduction in incidents of human-wildlife conflicts observed after relocation.
  • Recent incident: A tiger from neighbouring Chhattisgarh crossed over into Debrigarh.
  • Relocation benefits both wildlife conservation and the villagers.

2. India’s Largest radio telescope plays vital role in detecting universe’s vibrations

Syllabus: GS-3, Achievements of Indians in science and technology, recent developments in the field of space and astronomy.

Prelims: Radio telescopes, technological advancements in space exploration.

Details

  • India’s Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) played a crucial role in confirming the presence of gravitational waves through pulsar observations.
  • Using six of the world’s most sensitive radio telescopes, including India’s largest telescope called the uGMRT (upgraded GMRT) based in Pune, an international team of astronomers from India, Japan, and Europe conducted the study.

Evidence for Gravitational Waves

  • The study’s results provide evidence for the presence of ultra-low frequency gravitational waves.
  • Gravitational waves are expected to originate from massive black hole pairs much heavier than our sun.
  • The observations hint at the relentless vibrations of the fabric of the universe caused by these gravitational waves.

Research Collaboration and Publications

  • The group of researchers involved in the study included individuals from both the European Pulsar Timing Array and the Indian Pulsar Timing Array consortia.
  • Their findings on the detection of gravitational waves in their dataset were published in two papers in the Astronomy and Astrophysics journal.

Pulsars: Nature’s Best Clocks

  • Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars, remnants of dead stars, located in our galaxy.
  • They emit radio beams that regularly flash towards the Earth, making them akin to cosmic lighthouses.
  • The signals from pulsars are precisely timed, making them valuable for studying the mysteries of the Universe.

Creating a Galactic-Scale Gravitational Wave Detector

  • Scientists utilize highly stable pulsar clocks distributed throughout the Milky Way galaxy to detect gravitational wave signals.
  • These pulsars collectively form an “imaginary” galactic-scale gravitational wave detector.

G. Tidbits

1. IIT Kharagpur to develop tamper-proof Signaling System for Indian Railways Using Blockchain Technology

  • The Indian Railways is set to benefit from the development of a tamper-proof signalling system based on blockchain technology by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.
  • The new system aims to enhance safety measures and complement the existing Data Logger, known as the ‘Black Box’ of rolling stock.
  • Benefits and Objectives:
    • The system will ensure safety, communication, and control of train operations.
    • It will provide a mechanism for secure data sharing among stakeholders.
    • Automation of processes will be facilitated through smart contracts.
    • Tamper-evident audit trails will be created for enhanced data integrity, transparency, and security.
  • Blockchain Technology:
    • Blockchain is a system of recording information that cannot be tampered with, hacked, or manipulated.
    • The technology is widely used in cryptocurrency and banking transactions.
  • Enhancements over Existing Data Logger:
    • The new system will offer enhanced data integrity, transparency, and security.
    • Live movement of trains will be made available to Station Masters, Section Controllers, Signal Engineers, and other stakeholders with all logs.
    • Data will be stored in a distributed ledger using cryptography, addressing the limitations of centralized storage in the existing Data Logger.
    • Access control will be improved, and tamper-evident data will be ensured.

2. From Aug. 15, only digital payments in panchayats

  • From August 15, all panchayats in India are required to mandatorily use digital payments for development work and revenue collection.
  • Union Panchayati Raj Ministry issued a letter mandating UPI-enabled transactions.
  • States are instructed to announce and inaugurate UPI-compliant panchayats.
  • Implementation of UPI-Enabled Payments:
    • Nearly 98% of panchayats have already initiated UPI-based payments.
    • A total of ₹1.5 lakh crore in payments has been processed through the Public Financial Management System (PMFS).
  • Universal Coverage:
    • UPI-enabled payments have achieved almost universal coverage, with 98% of panchayats onboarded.
  • Engagement with Service Providers and Vendors:
    • Panchayats are instructed to hold meetings with service providers and vendors.
    • The Ministry shares a list of contact persons from UPI platforms: WhatsApp Pay, GPay, Paytm, PhonePe,  Amazon Pay, BHIM, Mobikwik and Bharat Pe.
    • According to the Ministry’s guidelines, the deadline for panchayats to choose appropriate service providers will be July 15 and vendors should be finalized by July 30.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Consider the following statements:
  1. El Nino Southern Oscillation is an irregular periodic variation of wind and sea surface temperature that occurs over the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean.
  2. The warming phase of ENSO is known as El Nino.
  3. The cooling phase of ENSO is known as La Nina.

How many of these statements is/are correct?

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. All three
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

ENSO affects the tropics (the regions surrounding the equator) and the subtropics (the regions adjacent to or bordering the tropics). 

Read more on El Nino & La Nina.

Q2. Consider the following statements with reference to Food Corporation of India (FCI):
  1. It is a government-owned corporation and a statutory body.
  2. It functions under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
  3. It is responsible for the procurement, storage & distribution of food grains across India to ensure food security for the population.

How many of these statements is/are correct?

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. All three
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:

Statement 2 is incorrect. It functions under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

Q3. Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is located closer to which of these bird sanctuaries?
  1. Nalabana Bird Sanctuary
  2. Mayani Bird Sanctuary
  3. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
  4. Vembanad Bird Sanctuary
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: a

Explanation:

The Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary, alongside the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary in Chilika Lake, is located in the Bargarh district in Odisha. It is situated near the city of Sambalpur’s Hirakud Dam.

Q4. Consider the following statements with reference to Giant Metrewave Radio 
Telescope (GMRT):
  1. The GMRT Observatory is located near Pune at Junnar, Narayangaon.
  2. It is an array of thirty fully steerable parabolic radio telescopes.
  3. The upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) is India’s largest radio telescope.

How many of these statements is/are correct?

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. All three
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

All three statements are correct. 

Q5. Consider the following statements w.r.t National Payments Corporation of India 
(NPCI):
  1. It is an initiative of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Banks Association (IBA).
  2. It is an umbrella organization incorporated in 2008 as a “Not for Profit” Company under the Companies Act 1956.
  3. It was established to create the infrastructure for the entire banking system in India for physical as well as electronic payment and settlement systems.

How many of these statements is/are incorrect?

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. All three
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation:

None of the given statements is incorrect. Read more on the National Payments Corporation of India in the linked article.

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

  1. What is the Open Market Sale Scheme? How does the centre use to regulate prices? (150 words, 10 marks) [GS-3, Economy]
  2. In light of the recent Railway accidents, discuss the role of Blockchain in its mitigation. (150 words, 10 marks) [GS-3, Science and Technology]

Read the previous CNA here.

CNA 30 June 2023:- Download PDF Here

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  1.  Alamakanti Navya
    July 1, 2023 at 9:56 am

    Here your information is good thank you for giving more information.

    Reply