Daily Prelims Notes 19 January 2024

Daily Prelims Notes

19 January 2024

Table Of Contents

1. JAA, BLF, BLA: Who are the militant groups Iran, Pakistan have hit in cross-border strikes
2. Consider using debt-service and debt-to-income ratios to assess retail borrowers’ viability: RBI bulletin
3. CBI registers FIR against Environics Trust for alleged violation of FCRA provisions
4. 13% of land mass in Kerala vulnerable to landslips
5. GM crops will make edible oil cheaper: govt
6. How satellites track the weather
7. Distress alert transmitter (DAT)
8. Courts should not allow suits that seek to convert places of worship
9. PM releases postage stamps on Ram Temple, stamp book on Ramayana
10. No respite for Brazil’s Yanomami group facing illegal mining­ linked crisis

1. JAA, BLF, BLA: Who are the militant groups Iran, Pakistan have hit in cross-border strikes

Subject :IR

Section: Places in news

Context:

• Iran and Pakistan have carried out air attacks in each other’s territories, along their 909 km-long border.

More on news:

• Missile strikes between Iran and Pakistan this week along with  attacks in the Red Sea  highlights the interconnected insecurities of the Subcontinent and the Gulf.
• Iranian missiles and drones hit targets in Panjgur in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. 

About the attack:

• Baloch minorities across Pakistan and Iran  are now targeted by Tehran and Rawalpindi.
• The dissident groups are caught up in regional power politics between Arabs, Israelis and Iranians. 
• The deepening conflict between Iran and its Arab neighbors on the one hand and Israel on the other breeds trans-border interventions.
• Balochistan’s geopolitical location – at the mouth of the oil-rich Gulf also makes it part of the new great game.
• “The Army of Justice” Jaish Al-Adl (JAA) emerged in 2012 from its older version Jandallah organization after its leader Abdolmalek Rigi was captured and executed by Iran.
  • It has the stated objective of securing recognition of Baluchi cultural, economic, and political rights from the Iranian government.
• The Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) was founded by Jumma Khan Marri in Damascus, Syria in 1964.
  • It was at the forefront of the Baloch insurgency in Iran in 1968-73 then in Pakistan in 1973-78. BLF re-emerged in 2004 under the leadership of Allah Nazar Baloch.
• BLF is known to work closely with theBalochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which was founded around 2000.
  • BLA led  a violent struggle for Baloch self-determination in Pakistan in 2004.

Relationship since 1979:

• Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, both countries(Iran and Pakistan) were firmly allied to the United States.
• They had joined the Baghdad Pact in 1955 which  later became known as the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), a military alliance modeled on NATO.

India’s interests:

• India has deployed ten warships to protect its interests.
• India’s clear stand against terrorism and its close ties with Israel along with  deeper engagement with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are all new elements of New Delhi’s Middle East policy.

Areas in news:

Balochistan:

• Balochistan  is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau’s far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline.
• This arid region of desert and mountains is primarily populated by ethnic Baloch people.
• The Balochistan region is split among three countries: Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• It comprises of:
  • The Pakistani province of Balochistan, 
  • The Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan, and 
  • Southern areas of Afghanistan, which include Nimruz, Helmand and Kandahar provinces.

Common Baloch ‘problem’:

• The 909-km Iran-Pakistan border, known as the Goldsmith Line which stretches from a tripoint with Afghanistan to the northern Arabian Sea.
• Roughly 9 million ethnic Baloch live on either side of the line i.e. in the Pakistani province of Balochistan and the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchistan. 
• Another 500,000 live in the neighboring areas of Afghanistan in the north.

About Baloch people:

• The Baloch  are a nomadic, pastoral, ethnic group which speaks the Western Iranian Baloch language.
• They are  native to the Balochistan region of South and Western Asia, encompassing the countries of Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. 
• There are also Baloch diaspora communities in neighboring regions, including in Central Asia, and the Arabian Peninsula.
• The majority of the Baloch people in Pakistan are Sunni Muslims, with 64.78% belonging to the Deobandi movement, 33.38% to the Barelvi movement, and 1.25% to the Ahl-i Hadith movement.
• 800,000 Pakistani Balochis are estimated to follow the Zikri sect.
• A small number of Balochs are non-Muslims, particularly in the Bugti clan which has Hindu and Sikh members.
• There are Hindu Balochs in the Bugti, Marri, Rind, Bizenjo, Zehri, Mengal and other Baloch tribes.
• The Bhagnaris are a Hindu Baloch community living in India who trace their origin to southern Balochistan but migrated to India during the Partition.

2. Consider using debt-service and debt-to-income ratios to assess retail borrowers’ viability: RBI bulletin

Subject :Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

Context:

• RBI’s latest monthly bulletin says that policymakers need to consider structural prudential tools such as debt-service ratio and debt-to-income ratio to assess viability of retail borrowers.

More on news:

• There is a persistent credit growth in certain segments of retail credit.
• Risk weights on certain segments of consumer credit were enhanced by 25 percentage points. 
• Between 2007 to 2023, the share of unsecured advances in retail credit increased from 25 to 35 per cent. 
• The share of major segments representing the secured credit remained stable. 
• The housing loans continue to be the single largest sub-segment which constitutes around 48 to 50 percent of retail credit.
• The vehicle loans constituted the second largest segment accounting for about 10 to 12 percent share.

Surge in retail credit growth:

• The Indian economy is witnessing a surge in retail credit growth.
• Between 2015 to 2023, the personal loans or retail credit registered a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17 per cent in outstanding amounts and 15 percent in borrower accounts.
• Non-food credit registered a CAGR of 10 percent in outstanding amounts and 12 per cent in borrower accounts.

Measures to be adopted

• Debt service ratio:
  • A country’s debt service ratio is the ratio of its debt service payments (principal + interest) to its export earnings.
  • The debt service ratio is one way of calculating the ability to repay debt.
  • A country’s international finances are healthier when this ratio is low.
  • For most countries the ratio is between 0 and 20%.
  • India’s external debt of $624.7 billion at March-end 2023 with a debt-service ratio of 5.3% is within the comfort zone

• Debt-Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR)
  • The debt-service coverage ratio (DSCR) measures a firm’s available cash flow to pay current debt obligations. 
  • The DSCR shows investors and lenders whether a company has enough income to pay its debts.
• About Debt Income Ratio:
  • The debt-to-income ratio (DTI) measures a borrower’s debt repayment capacity as per their gross monthly income.
  • DTI is the gross of all monthly debt payments divided by the gross monthly income, calculated as a percentage.
  • The debt-to-income (DTI) ratio measures the amount of income a person or organization generates in order to service a debt.
  • A low DTI ratio indicates sufficient income relative to debt servicing, and it makes a borrower more attractive.
• About Account Aggregator Network:
  • An Account Aggregator (AA) is a type of RBI regulated entity (with an NBFC-AA license) that helps an individual securely and digitally access and share information from one financial institution they have an account with to any other regulated financial institution in the AA network.
  •  Data cannot be shared without the consent of the individual.
  • Account Aggregator replaces the long terms and conditions form of ‘blank cheque’ acceptance with a granular, step by step permission and control for each use of your data.

3. CBI registers FIR against Environics Trust for alleged violation of FCRA provisions

Subject : Polity

Section: Legislation in news

Context:

• The CBI has alleged that Environics Trust has funded agitators and had been involved in activities creating law and order issues in the country.

More on news:

• The CBI has alleged that Environics Trust has funded agitators and had been involved in activities creating law and order issues in the country.
• As of now, there are 22,457 NGOs or associations registered under the FCRA, while the licenses of 20,674 were canceled and 6,702 are deemed to have expired.

About FCRA:

• Foreign funding of persons in India is regulated under FCRA act and is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Individuals are permitted to accept foreign contributions without permission of MHA. However, the monetary limit for acceptance of such foreign contributions shall be less than Rs. 25,000.
• As defined in Section 2(1)(h) of FCRA, 2010, “foreign contribution” means the donation, delivery or transfer made by any foreign source.
• Foreign source, as defined in Section 2(1) (j) of FCRA, 2010 includes:-
  • the Government of any foreign country or territory and any agency of such Government;
  • any international agency, not being the United Nations or any of its specialized agencies, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund or such other agency as the Central Government may, by notification, specify in this behalf;
  • a foreign company; 
  • a corporation, not being a foreign company, incorporated in a foreign country or territory; 
  • a multinational corporation referred to in sub-clause 
  • of clause ; 
  • a company within the meaning of the Companies Act, 1956,
• This Act ensures that the recipients of foreign contributions adhere to the stated purpose for which such contribution has been obtained.
• Under the Act, organizations are required to register themselves every five years.
• Registered NGOs can receive foreign contributions for five purposes: Social, educational, religious, economic and cultural.
• Suspension of FCRA license means that the NGO can no longer receive fresh foreign funds from donors pending a probe by the Home Minister.
• The FCRA is mandatory for associations and NGOs to receive foreign funds.

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020:

• Prohibition to accept foreign contribution: Under the Act, certain persons are prohibited to accept any foreign contribution.
  • These include: election candidates, editor or publisher of a newspaper, judges, government servants, members of any legislature, and political parties, among others. 
• Transfer of foreign contribution: Under the Act, foreign contribution cannot be transferred to any other person unless such person is also registered to accept foreign contribution (or has obtained prior permission under the Act to obtain foreign contribution).
• Aadhaar for registration: The Act states that a person may accept foreign contribution if they have:
  • (i) obtained a certificate of registration from central government, or
  • (ii) not registered, but obtained prior permission from the government to accept foreign contributions.
• FCRA account: Under the Act, a registered person must accept foreign contributions only in a single branch of a scheduled bank specified by them.
• Restriction in utilization of foreign contribution:The Bill adds that the government may also restrict usage of unutilised foreign contribution for persons who have been granted prior permission to receive such contribution.
• Renewal of license:Under the Act, every person who has been given a certificate of registration must renew the certificate within six months of expiration.
• Reduction in use of foreign contribution for administrative purposes: Under the Act, a person who receives foreign contribution must use it only for the purpose for which the contribution is received.
• Surrender of certificate: The Bill adds a provision allowing the central government to permit a person to surrender their registration certificate.

Eligibility and Procedure for FCRA license:

• The FCRA registration guidelines require that the Association should be a non-profit organization and must be registered under one of the Indian societies laws:
  • The Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860 or. 
  • The Indian Trusts Act, 1882 or.
  •  Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956.
• NGOs that want to receive foreign funds must apply online in a prescribed format with the required documentation.
• FCRA registrations are granted to individuals or associations that have definite cultural, economic, educational, religious, and social programmes.
• Following the application, the MHA makes inquiries through the Intelligence Bureau into the antecedents of the applicant, and accordingly processes the application.
• The applicant should not be fictitious or benami and should not have been prosecuted or convicted for indulging in activities aimed at conversion through inducement or force, either directly or indirectly, from one religious faith to another.
• The applicant should also not have been prosecuted for or convicted of creating communal tension or disharmony, should not have been found guilty of diversion ,misutilisation of funds and should not be engaged or likely to be engaged in the propagation of sedition.
• The MHA is required to approve or reject the application within 90 days. 
• In case of failure to process the application in the given time, the MHA is expected to inform the NGO of the reasons for the same.

4. 13% of land mass in Kerala vulnerable to landslips

Subject :Geography

Section: Indian Physical geography

Context:

• An artificial intelligence based map of Kerala has revealed that 13% of the land mass is extremely vulnerable to landslips, forming part of a multifaceted crisis gripping the region.
• The vulnerability map, prepared under the aegis of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, is the first AI­ based landslip susceptibility map.

What is a Landslip/Landslide?  

• A landslide is a geological phenomenon involving the downward movement of a mass of rock, soil, and debris on a slope. This movement can vary in scale from small, localized shifts to massive and destructive events.
• Landslides can occur on both natural and man-made slopes, and they are often triggered by a combination of factors such as heavy rainfall, earthquakes, volcanic activity, human activities (such as construction or mining), and changes in groundwater levels.

Reasons behind Landslides in Himalayan region

• Fragile Ecosystem: Tectonic or neo-tectonic activities, associated with numerous subsurface processes like rock deformation, exhumation and reworking of rocks and surface processes such as erosion, weathering and rain/snow precipitation make the ecosystem inherently fragile.
• Earthquakes: The convergence of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate in the Himalayan region has created subterranean stresses that get released in the form of earthquakes which, in turn, cause fractures and loosen the litho-structures near the mountain surface. This increases the possibilities of rock movement along the slope.
• Climate Induced Excessive Events:  Climate-induced excessive events like freezing/thawing and heavy rain/snow precipitation lead to avalanches, landslides, debris flow, glacial lakes outburst floods, landslide lakes outburst floods and flash floods.
• Anthropogenic Factors: Human activities such as road construction, tunneling, mining, quarrying, deforestation, urbanization, agriculture, excessive tourism and hydroelectric projects can also cause or worsen landslides in the Himalayas. These activities can disturb the natural balance of the slopes by removing vegetation cover, altering drainage patterns, increasing soil erosion, creating artificial cuts and fills, blasting rocks, and generating vibrations.
• Geological Composition: Some of the Himalayan rocks are made of limestone, which is more prone to water and landslides than other types of rocks because it can dissolve in weakly acidic rainwater or groundwater. This process creates caves, sinkholes, and other karst features that weaken the stability of the slopes. 
• Westerly Disturbance & Monsoon:  Confluence of Westerly Disturbance — a low-pressure system, originating from the Mediterranean Sea, moving eastward across central Asia and northern India — and the South West Indian Summer Monsoon cause excessive and concentrated rainfall in parts of J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand leading to landslides and flash floods.

What are the Initiatives taken by the Government to mitigate the risk of landslides? 

• National Landslide Risk Management Strategy (2019): This is a comprehensive document that addresses all the components of landslide disaster risk reduction and management, such as hazard mapping, monitoring, early warning system, awareness programs, capacity building, training, regulations, policies, stabilization and mitigation of landslides, etc.
• Landslide Risk Mitigation Scheme (LRMS): This is a scheme under preparation that envisages financial support for site specific landslide mitigation projects recommended by landslide prone states, covering disaster prevention strategy, disaster mitigation and R&D in monitoring of critical landslides, thereby leading to the development of early warning system and capacity building initiatives.
• Flood Risk Mitigation Scheme (FRMS): This is another scheme under preparation that covers activities like pilot projects for development of model multi-purpose flood shelters and development of river basin specific flood early warning system and digital elevation maps for preparation of inundation models for giving early warning to the villagers for evacuation in case of flood.
• National Guidelines on Landslides and Snow Avalanches: These are guidelines prepared by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to guide the activities envisaged for mitigating the risk emanating from landslides at all levels.
• Landslide Atlas of India: The Landslide Atlas of India is a document that provides the details of landslides present in landslide provinces of India, including damage assessment of specific landslide locations. It is prepared by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), one of the centers of ISRO.

5. GM crops will make edible oil cheaper: govt

Subject :Science and Tech

Section: Biotechnology

Context:

• The Supreme Court said it only wanted what was good for India even as the government argued that growing genetically modified (GM) crops such as mustard would make quality edible oil cheaper for the common man and benefit the national interest by reducing foreign dependence.

GM Crop

• Conventional plant breeding involves crossing species of the same genus to provide the offspring with the desired traits of both parents.
• Genetic engineering aims to transcend the genus barrier by introducing an alien gene in the seeds to get the desired effects.
• The alien gene could be from a plant, an animal or even a soil bacterium. E.g. Bt cotton has alien genes from soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
  • It allows the crop to develop a protein, toxic to the common pest pink bollworm.
• In Bt brinjal, a gene allows the plant to resist attacks of fruit and shoot borer.
• Seeds produced using genetic engineering are called Genetically Modified Seeds.

Legal position of genetically modified crops in India

• In India, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is the apex body that allows for commercial release of GM crops.

• In 2002, the GEAC had allowed the commercial release of Bt cotton.
• Use of the unapproved GM variant can attract a jail term of 5 years and fine of Rs 1 lakh under the Environmental Protection Act ,1989.

6. How satellites track the weather

Subject :Science and Tech

Section: Space tech

Context:

• The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of “very dense fog” in several states, impacting visibility to less than 50 meters in some areas.

Types of Weather Satellites

• Geostationary Satellites (GEO): Orbit at an altitude of approximately 35,786 kilometers above the equator, allowing them to remain stationary relative to a specific point on Earth. They provide continuous monitoring of a specific region, such as a continent or an ocean.
• Polar Orbiting Satellites (PO): Orbit the Earth from pole to pole, providing global coverage. They operate at lower altitudes (typically 800-1,200 kilometers) and are crucial for collecting detailed information about the atmosphere, including temperature, humidity, and cloud cover.

India’s Weather Satellites

• INSAT 3D and 3DR are currently active in geostationary orbits, aiding in weather monitoring.
• India has a history of launching progressively advanced weather satellites, with each new version being an improved and better-equipped iteration of its predecessor.

Instruments and Sensors

• Visible and Infrared Sensors: Capture images of clouds, land, and ocean surfaces. They help identify cloud cover, storm systems, and surface temperatures.
• Microwave Sensors: Penetrate clouds to measure temperature and humidity levels in different layers of the atmosphere.
• Radiation and Energy Sensors: Monitor incoming solar radiation and outgoing thermal radiation to study energy balance in the atmosphere.
• Scatterometers: Measure wind speed and direction over the ocean by analyzing the backscattered signals from ocean surfaces.

Data Collection

• Satellites continuously collect data on various atmospheric parameters, including temperature, humidity, wind speed, cloud cover, and precipitation.
• This data is transmitted to ground stations, where it undergoes processing and analysis.

Applications

• Weather Forecasting: Satellites provide real-time data that improves the accuracy of short-term and long-term weather forecasts.
• Severe Weather Monitoring: Satellites help track hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes, and other severe weather events, allowing for early warnings and evacuation planning.
• Climate Monitoring: Long-term satellite data contribute to the study of climate patterns, climate change, and the Earth’s overall climate system.

Tracking Snow

• The colour scheme is designed to identify different cloud types, stages of thunderstorms, snow areas, and fire detection.
• Snow strongly absorbs radiation at 1.6 micrometers (shortwave infrared), causing the red component of the colour scheme to become weak when the satellite tracks snow.

Night Microphysics

• Night microphysics involves the difference between two signals to determine colors.
• Red color is determined by the difference between two thermal infrared signals (12 micrometers and 10 micrometers).
• Green color varies based on the difference between a thermal infrared signal and a middle infrared signal (10.8 micrometers and 3.9 micrometers).
• Blue color is determined by the strength of a thermal infrared signal at 10.8 micrometers.

Applications of Color Scheme

• The color scheme helps analyze cloud types, thunderstorm stages, snow areas, and fire detection.
• By combining day and night microphysics data, scientists can track moisture droplets, temperature differences, and cyclone formation, evolution, and depletion.

7. Distress alert transmitter (DAT)

Subject : Science and Tech

Section: Space tech

Context : 

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) upgraded an distress alert transmitter (DAT) with advanced capabilities for fishermen at sea to send emergency messages from boats.

About Distress alert transmitter (DAT)

• DAT is an indigenous technological solution for the fishermen at sea to send emergency messages from fishing boats.
• The messages are sent through a communication satellite and received at a central control station (INMCC: Indian Mission Control Centre) where the alert signals are decoded for the identity and location of the fishing boat.
• The extracted information is forwarded to Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCCs) under Indian Coast Guard (ICG). Using this information the MRCC co-ordinates to undertake Search and Rescue operations to save the fishermen at distress.
• The DAT is operational since 2010 and till now more than 20000 DATs are being used. Further, taking advantage of technological developments in satellite communication and satellite navigation ISRO has improvised DAT with advanced capabilities and features evolving to Second Generation DAT (DAT-SG).

Second Generation DAT (DAT-SG)

• Space Applications Centre (ISRO) has developed the Distress Alert Transmitter-Second Generation(DAT-SG) which is a UHF transmitter based on NavIC receiver module.
• This NavIC receiver module supports position determination as well as broadcast messages reception called NavIC messaging service.
• The end users are mainly fishermen of small boats who can use this device for emergency messages reporting with position information and the unit can also help them receive useful information like Potential Fishing Zone, weather alerts etc. as supported by NavIC messaging service

Features of Second Generation DAT (DAT-SG)

• The DAT-SG has the facility to send back acknowledgement to the fishermen who activates the distress alert from sea. This gives an assurance of rescue coming.
• Apart from transmitting distress signal from Sea, DAT-SG has the capability to receive messages from the control centre.
• Using this, advance alert messages can be sent to the fishermen at sea whenever there are events of bad weather, cyclone tsunami or any other emergencies. Thus, the fishermen will be able to sail back home or go to safe places.
• Information about Potential Fishing Zones (PFZs) are also transmitted to fishermen using DAT-SG on regular intervals. This helps fishermen to get good yield in the catch and savings in terms of time and fuel.
• DAT-SG can be connected to mobile phones using Bluetooth interface and the messages can be read in native language using an App in the mobile.
• The central control centre (INMCC) has a web based network management system called “SAGARMITRA” which maintains a database of registered DAT-SGs and helps MRCCs to access the information about boat, coordinate the boat in distress in real time. This helps the Indian Coast Guard to undertake Search & Rescue operations at the time of distress, without any time delay.

8. Courts should not allow suits that seek to convert places of worship

Subject :Polity

Section: Legislation in news

Context:

• Allahabad High Court order to appoint a commissioner to inspect the Shahi Idgah  Mosque in Mathura, the Supreme Court has stalled for a while a likely move to get the  status of the place of worship altered through the courts.

What is the Places of Worship Act?

• It was enacted to freeze the status of religious places of worship as they existed on August 15, 1947, and prohibits the conversion of any place of worship and ensures the maintenance of their religious character.

Major Provisions of the Act:

• Prohibition of Conversion (Section 3):
  • Prevents the conversion of a place of worship, whether in full or part, from one religious’ denomination to another or within the same denomination.
• Maintenance of Religious Character (Section 4(1)):
  • Ensures that the religious identity of a place of worship remains the same as it was on August 15, 1947.
• Abatement of Pending Cases (Section 4(2)):
  • Declares that any ongoing legal proceedings concerning the conversion of a place of worship’s religious character before August 15, 1947, will be terminated, and no new cases can be initiated.
• Exceptions to the Act (Section 5):
  • The Act does not apply to ancient and historical monuments, archaeological sites, and remains covered by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
  • It also excludes cases that have already been settled or resolved and disputes that have been resolved by mutual agreement or conversions that occurred before the Act came into effect.
  • The Act does not extend to the specific place of worship known as Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, including any legal proceedings associated with it.
• Penalties (Section 6):
  • Specifies penalties, including a maximum imprisonment term of three years and fines, for violating the Act.

Criticism:

• Bar on Judicial Review:
  • Critics argue that the Act prevents judicial review, which is a fundamental aspect of the Constitution.
• Arbitrary Retrospective Cutoff Date:
  • The Act is criticized for using an arbitrary date (Independence Day, 1947) to determine the status of religious places.
• Violation of the Right to Religion:
  • Critics claim that the Act infringes upon the religious rights of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs.
• Violation of Secularism:
  • Opponents argue that the Act violates the principle of secularism, which is a core component of the Constitution, and favours one community over others
• Exclusion of Ayodhya Dispute:
  • The Act is specifically criticized for excluding the land involved in the Ayodhya dispute.
• Supreme Court’s Stance on the Act:
  • The Supreme Court views the Places of Worship Act as a legislative intervention that upholds the commitment to secularism, a fundamental aspect of the Indian Constitution.

9. PM releases postage stamps on Ram Temple, stamp book on Ramayana

Subject :History

Section: Art and culture

Context:

• The Prime Minister released commemorative postage stamps on the Ram temple, along with a book of stamps on the Ramayana from around the world.

More about News:

• These tickets are the smallest form of history books, artefacts and historical sites and serve as a miniature form of epics and great ideas.
• Components of the design include the under­ construction Ram Temple, the chaupai-‘Mangal Bhavan Amangal Hari’, the Saryu river flowing through Ayodhya, and the sculptures in and around the temple.
• The 48­ page stamp book includes stamps issued by more than 20 countries, including the U.S., New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, Cambodia, and organisations such as the UN.

About Commemorative Stamps

• Commemorative stamps are issued for marking:
  • Important events
  • Prominent personalities in various fields
  • Aspects of nature
  • Beautiful or rare flora and fauna
  • Environmental issues
  • Agricultural activities
  • National/international issues
  • Games
• No formal release function for a stamp can be held without specific prior approval from the Department of Posts.
• These stamps are only available at Philatelic Bureaux and counters or under the Philatelic Deposit Account Scheme. They are printed in limited quantities.

10. No respite for Brazil’s Yanomami group facing illegal mining­ linked crisis

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context: The Yanomami Indigenous group is again facing a severe humanitarian crisis blamed on illegal gold miners, despite Brazil’s President deploying the military to wrest back control of their territory.

Who are Yanomami Indigenous people?

The indigenous people live in a reserve in Brazil’s northern state of Roraima.

An estimated 28,000 indigenous people live in the Yanomami reserve.

The Yanomami are the largest relatively isolated tribe in South America. They live in the rainforests and mountains of northern Brazil and southern Venezuela.

They hunt, practise small-scale slash-and-burn agriculture and live in small, scattered, semi-permanent villages.

Details:

• President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has accused his predecessor, far-right Jair Bolsonaro, of committing genocide against the rainforest tribe.
• The government declared a medical emergency after hundreds of Yanomami children died from malnutrition.
• In his four years in power, Mr Bolsonaro often criticised the size of the indigenous reserves and promised to open some of them to agriculture and mining. His government weakened environmental protections, and critics said his rhetoric emboldened illegal activity in the region.
• Today, some 20,000 illegal miners are estimated to operate inside the Yanomami reserve, which is rich in gold, diamonds and minerals.

What has been the impact of illegal mining in Yanomami territory?

• The spread of illegal mines and the arrival of thousands of miners has caused a spike in reported cases of diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. In a 2022 study published in BioMed Central’s Malaria Journal, researchers wrote that between 2016 and 2020, the number of malaria cases rose by 1,090 per cent in Indigenous areas and 75,576 per cent in mining areas.