21 Oct 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. Political Crisis in the U.K.
POLITY
1. Competition Commission penalty on Google
C. GS 3 Related
ENVIRONMENT
1. Vultures of Tamil Nadu
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
SOCIAL ISSUES
1. This Hindi – and Hindi alone – counsel is flawed
F. Prelims Facts
1. ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’
G. Tidbits
1. ‘Akash Tatva’
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

A. GS 1 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

C. GS 3 Related

Category: ENVIRONMENT

1. Vultures of Tamil Nadu

Syllabus: Conservation

Mains: Conservation efforts to save the vulture population.

Context: The Tamil Nadu government recently formed a committee for the effective conservation of vultures.

Introduction: 

• Tamil Nadu is home to four species of vultures — the white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), long-billed vultures (Gyps indicus), the Asian king-vulture (Sarcogyps calvus) and the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus).  
• Tamil Nadu boasts the largest population of vultures south of the Vindhya Mountain Range.
• The Nilgiris, Erode and Coimbatore districts are believed to form one of the largest contiguous expanses where vultures are spotted. 
  • In the Nilgiris, it is estimated that there are between 100 and 120 white-rumped vultures, 10 and 15 long-billed vultures and less than 10 Asian king vultures.
• The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, parts of the Nilgiris forest division and the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve are crucial strongholds for the vultures in southern India. 
• Occasional migrants such as the Himalayan griffon vulture and the Cinereous vulture are also spotted in Tamil Nadu each year. 
• However, there are no traces of the breeding sites of the critically endangered Asian king vulture in the state.

Vultures in India:

• India is home to nine species of vultures but most of them face the danger of extinction.
  • Vulture numbers saw a decline of as much as 90% in some species in India since the 1990s. 

• IUCN Status: Critically Endangered: 
  • White-rumped vulture 
  • Slender-billed vulture 
  • Long-billed vulture 
  • Red-headed vulture 
• Endangered:
  • Egyptian vulture 
• Near Threatened:
  • Himalayan Griffon 
  • Cinereous vulture
  • Bearded vulture 
• Least Concern:
  • Griffon Vulture

Decrease in Vulture Population:

• The population of the vultures in the state has remained largely stable. Yet the numbers are still extremely low, and even a single poisoning event could lead to several of the species going locally extinct, especially the long-billed and Asian king vultures. 
• Over the last few years, breeding seasons have also seen fewer hatchings, than is the norm due to lesser availability of prey as well as erratic weather. 
• The use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) to treat cattle, such as diclofenac, nimesulide, ketoprofen among others, has led to the crash in vulture populations across India. Vulture’s tolerance for harmful substances does not extend to man-made drugs.
• Temple tourism in the Sigur plateau is centred primarily around vulture habitats. Over the last few years, there have been recorded instances of vultures abandoning nesting sites located too close to temples inside these reserves.
• Spread of invasive weeds such as the Lantana camara in vulture-landscapes, which hinder the birds from scavenging as their large wing spans require plenty of open areas to safely land and to take to the skies in case of any major threats. 
• Vulture nesting areas are disappearing due to illegal tapping of water along the streams running through these areas, possible climate change, and forest fires.

Way forward:

• As scavengers, vultures help prevent the spread of many diseases and can remove toxins from entering the environment by consuming carcasses of dead cattle/wildlife before they decompose.
• The State government has banned the use of diclofenac, a drug, to treat cattle, while there are strict restrictions for the sale of other NSAIDs in the Nilgiris, Erode and Coimbatore districts. 
  • The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change released the Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2006 with the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) banning the veterinary use of diclofenac in the same year.
• Government should also focus on strict controls on the number of people allowed to attend festivals around the Sigur plateau which disturbs the vulture population.
• Vultures in the Sigur plateau utilise landscapes in neighbouring Karnataka and Kerala, there should be a synchronous vulture census to accurately identify vulture populations and nesting sites.  
• The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) have established the Vulture Conservation Breeding Programme. More state governments should be involved in the program for effective and timely conservation.

Nut Graf: Tamil Nadu has the largest population of vultures in South India. Recent committee by the state government for the effective conservation of vultures is a step in the right direction as the vulture numbers are decreasing over the last few years due to severe human interventions in their habitat.

E. Editorials

Category: SOCIAL ISSUES

1. This Hindi – and Hindi alone – counsel is flawed

Syllabus: Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.

Mains: Critical evaluation of recommendations made by the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language and the moves to promote Hindi as the only official language of India.

Context: The 11th volume of the Report of the Official Language Committee was recently submitted to President Droupadi Murmu.

Background

• It is known that the Constituent Assembly experienced numerous debates on the question of official language. Finally, Hindi was announced as the official language of the Union and it was also declared that the English language would be in use for 15 years from the commencement of the Constitution. 
  • Article 343 of the Indian Constitution provides that Hindi in Devanagari script would be the official language of the Union. 
• Parliament could extend the use of English even after the expiry of 15 years through an Act and accordingly, the Parliament introduced the Official Languages Act in 1963 which facilitated the use of English indefinitely as an official language along with Hindi for official purposes of the Union and for the transaction of business in Parliament.

Official Language Committee  The Official Language Committee is a statutory committee which has been established under the provisions of the Official Language Act, 1963 in 1976. The Union Home Minister is the chairperson of this Committee. The Committee consists of 30 members out of which 20 members are from Lok Sabha and 10 are from Rajya Sabha.  The members are elected to the Committee in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote (PRSTV).  The Committee is mandated to review the progress made in the use of Hindi for the official purposes of the Union.  As per the provisions of the Official Language Act, 1963, Committee submits its reports directly to the President.  The Official Language Act also makes it binding on the President to issue directions “in accordance with the whole or any part of the report”.  Hence the committee’s recommendations must be acted upon.

Key recommendations of the Committee

• Replacing English with Hindi as the medium of language for examinations for recruitment to government services.
• Further, the knowledge of Hindi would be made compulsory in various government jobs.
• Hindi is to be made the only medium of instruction in all technical and non-technical central institutions of the country such as Kendriya Vidyalayas, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other central universities.
• It must be ensured that it is constitutionally binding on State governments to propagate Hindi.
• Hindi should be accepted as an alternative to English and not to local languages.

Issues associated with these recommendations

• Experts feel that the move to replace English as a medium of instruction in central universities, IIMs, IITs, etc. will have severe consequences on the performance and rankings of these institutions which are regarded as premier institutions of the country.
• Critics also question the authority of the Committee to recommend the medium of instruction in universities and professional institutions as the Committee is only mandated to review the progress made in the use of Hindi.
• As it is established by the law of the Parliament that English shall continue to be in use along with Hindi, experts question how a Committee set up under that same Act can recommend the discontinuation of English.
• If Hindi is used as the only language in the recruitment examinations of central services, candidates from the non-Hindi States especially from the south will face a great disadvantage when compared to Hindi-speaking candidates.
• Further, attempts by the Union government to exclude English and replace it with Hindi in the past have met with an upsurge, violent protests and immolations by non-Hindi speaking states.

For more information about this topic refer to the following article: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis dated 18 Oct 2022

Arguments for the continuation of the use of English 

• India consists of two major language groups namely the Indo-European language group and the Dravidian language group. 
  • Hindi belongs to the Indo-European group, whereas languages such as  Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam belong to the Dravidian group.
  • The English language has played a key role as a bridge between these different language groups from the northern and southern regions of the country.
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in the Constituent Assembly debates had said that “we have to admit that as far as the language is concerned, the North and South are two different parts. The union of North and South has been made possible only through the medium of English. If today we give up English then this linguistic relationship will cease to exist”.
• The use of the English language has helped the southern and other non-Hindi-speaking States to influence the decision-making of the Union and raise the concerns of the people from these regions.
• Further, English plays a crucial role in enhancing knowledge in science and technology, to meet the requirements of modern science and technology and also other fields of human activity.
• The knowledge of English also helps to understand the developments across the world, maintain cordial relationships with other countries and put forth opinions on common international platforms.

Nut graf: For a country that is home to over 179 languages and 544 dialects, the idea of imposing one official language will have serious implications on the unity of the people and result in imbalances in the regional representation of government structure and services. Thus the focus must be on devising a multi-linguistic accommodative policy. 

F. Prelims Facts

1. ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’

Syllabus: Art and Culture

Prelims: Government policies to promote culture

Context: The Union government launches a programme to strengthen the bond between Tamil Nadu and Varanasi.

Key Details:

• The Union government recently announced a month-long programme to “strengthen” and “rekindle” the cultural and civilisational bond between Tamil Nadu and Varanasi.
• Named the ‘Kashi-Tamil Sangamam’, the programme would be held from November 16 to December 16. 
• This programme is a part of the ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’  initiative.
• The knowledge partners for the programme would be IIT-Madras and the Banaras Hindu University, while the Uttar Pradesh government would be the host State. 
• The programme is aimed at rekindling the civilisational link between the new Kashi and Tamil Nadu — both deep centres of knowledge.
  • Building a heritage bridge for the new generation was a key feature of the National Education Policy. 
• As part of the programme, 2,500 people divided into 12 groups including students, teachers, artisans and people from various walks of life would be travelling to Varanasi by train during the period.

G. Tidbits

1. ‘Akash Tatva’

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) along with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), is set to organise a two-day conference themed ‘Akash Tatva’ (the element Akash) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
• The main objective of the conference is to expose the youth of India to the wisdom of ancient science along with modern scientific advancements. 
• The conference is expected to host 35 eminent speakers over three days who will host discussions on topics such as developing “sustainable life based on panchmahabhoot.”
  • Panchmahabhoot refers to the five elements – earth, fire, water, wind, and air as constituting all matter. 
• “The thrust of the conference is to attempt to explain one tatva, Akash, the ancient wisdom associated with it and how it connects to modern science,” said S. Somnath, Secretary, the Department of Space.

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Consider the following statements with respect to Green Crackers categories: 
(Level-Difficult)

1. SWAS – suppresses dust by releasing water vapour in the air
2. STAR – releases less particulate matter and reduces sound intensity.
3. SAFAL – minimal use of aluminium, and has more magnesium instead. It produces less sound as compared to traditional firecrackers.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation:

• Green Crackers are developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), they emit pollutants at a 30% lesser rate than their conventional counterparts. 
• There are three types of green crackers available in India –

1. SWAS – It is a safe water releaser, which suppresses the dust released by releasing water vapour in the air. It does not comprise potassium nitrate and sulphur and the particulate dust released will reduce approximately by 30 per cent.
2. STAR – It is a safe thermite cracker, which does not comprise potassium nitrate and sulphur, and emits reduced particulate matter and reduced sound intensity. 
3. SAFAL –  It has minimal use of aluminium, and has more magnesium instead. It produces less sound as compared to traditional firecrackers.

Q2. Consider the following Pairs: (Level-Difficult)

           Embroidery                                                    State

1. Kasuti                                                              Telangana
2. Khneng                                                           Arunachal Pradesh
3. Pipli                                                                 Odisha
4. Sozni                                                               Jammu and Kashmir

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

1. Only one pair
2. Only two pairs
3. Only three pairs
4. All four pairs

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: b

Explanation:

• Pair 01 is incorrectly matched, Kasuti is the world-famous embroidery of Karnataka state. 
  • Kasuti embroidery speaks about the people of Karnataka, their traditions, customs and professions. 
  • The word Kasuti comprises ‘Kai’ meaning hand and ‘Suti’ meaning cotton thread, i.e. Kasuti is a handwork of cotton thread in the Karnataka language. 
• Pair 02 is incorrectly matched, the only known village for Khneng embroidery, Mustoh village, is located near the Bangladesh border in Meghalaya, India. The pattern of Khneng embroidery resembles the multi-legged centipedes.
• Pair 03 is correctly matched, The village of Pipili, Odisha, is well known for its appliqué work, also known as Chandua. “Appliqué” comes from the French word appliquer, meaning “to put on”.
  • It is one of the products which has been granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the government of India.
• Pair 04 is correctly matched, Sozni (also known as Sozan Kaari) is a popular needlepoint embroidery technique from Kashmir valley in Northern India. Kashmiri artisans have been practising Sozni embroidery since almost 500 years ago. It’s mainly done in woollen and silk fabrics and is very famous for its use in Pashmina Cashmere shawls and jackets.

Q3. India’s first sanctuary for Slender Loris will be set up in which amongst the 
following states? (Level-Medium)

1. Andhra Pradesh
2. Goa
3. Maharashtra
4. Tamil Nadu

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: d

Explanation: Tamil Nadu government recently notified the Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary covering 11,806 hectares in Karur and Dindigul districts under Section 26 (A)(1)(b) of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.  It is India’s first-ever sanctuary for Slender Loris.

Q4. With respect to Interpol, which of the following statements is/are incorrect? 
(Level-Medium)

1. It has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
2. The R&AW (Research and Analysis Wing) is designated as the National Central Bureau of India.

Options:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both
4. None

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

• Statement 01 is incorrect, Interpol was set up in 1923 with its headquarters in Lyon, France.
• Statement 02 is incorrect, The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is designated as the National Central Bureau of India.

Q5. If a major solar storm (solar flare) reaches the Earth, which of the following 
are the possible effects on the Earth? (Level-Difficult)(CSE-PYQ-2022)

1. GPS and navigation systems could fail.
2. Tsunamis could occur at equatorial regions.
3. Power grids could be damaged.
4. Intense auroras could occur over much of the Earth.
5. Forest fires could take place over much of the planet.
6. Orbits of the satellites could be disturbed.
7. Shortwave radio communication of the aircraft flying over polar regions could be interrupted.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1, 2, 4 and 5 only
2. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 only
3. 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 only
4. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7

CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation:

• Solar flares are intense bursts of radiation from the sun that can directly influence electronics on Earth. They are often associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are large clouds of gas that erupt from the sun’s interior into its atmosphere.
  • Large solar flares affect GPS navigation, mobile phone transmissions, and satellite TV and they potentially disrupt power grids and electrical networks in various regions of the planet.
  • Solar flares do not cause Tsunamis as it only affects the upper atmosphere.
  • The high-energy particles emitted by the flare could also cause certain atoms in the Earth’s atmosphere to glow, leading to auroras in Central Europe as well as North America. 
  • There is no causal link between the coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and the deadly forest fires. 
  • Solar flares and storms heated and expanded the atmosphere and these effects could extend to the satellites’ orbits. 
  • Solar flares allow interference with the short-wave radios that are being used, emitting more rays and allowing people to get more sunburn during this time frame.