Daily Prelims Notes 23 September 2023

September 23, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
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Daily Prelims Notes

23 September 2023

Table Of Contents

1. JPMorgan bond index inclusion

Subject: Economy

Section: External sector

Source: TH

Context: JPMorgan on Friday said it will include India in its widely tracked emerging market debt index, setting the stage for billions of dollars of inflows into the world’s fifth-largest economy.

Impact of JPMorgan bond index inclusion

It can boost foreign fund flows into the debt market
It will lower India’s cost of funding
It will enhance the liquidity
It will broaden ownership base of Gsecs
It will bolster the rupee
It will lower the cost of borrowing for government, corporates, and banks
It can help to finance its fiscal and current account deficit.

Details

India will be included in JP Morgan’s GBIEM Global index suit e from June 28 next year. India’s weightage is set to increase to a maximum of 10 per cent in the GBIEM Global Diversified and 8.7 per cent in the GBIEM Global index. Currently, 23 Indian government bonds (IGBs) with a combined notional value of $330 billion are index eligible. GBIEM GD accounts for $213 billion of the estimated $236 billion benchmarked to the GBIEM family of indices. Only IGBs designated under the Fully Accessible Route are index eligible.

What is Emerging markets bond index (EMBI)?

The emerging markets bond index (EMBI) tracks the performance of emerging market bonds and was first published by investment bank JP Morgan.
Emerging market bonds are debt instruments issued by developing countries, which tend to carry higher yields than government or corporate bonds of developed countries.
Emerging markets bond indexes are used as benchmarks for bond performance in emerging markets.
Emerging market debt or bonds are considered sovereign debt. These government bonds are typically issued in foreign currencies, either in US dollars, euros, or Japanese yen.
Because of the increased economic and political risk present in these countries, the credit rating on emerging market bonds tend to be lower than that on developed market bonds. Due to the perceived higher risk of investing in these assets. Alternately the sovereign bonds have higher yields for investors than that of more stable bonds in developed countries.
The index is weighted on the basis of the market capitalization of government bonds, but it is the sub-index with the greatest liquidity requirements, so some markets are excluded.
When one puts money in an index fund, that cash is then used to invest in all the companies that make up the particular index, which gives you a more diverse portfolio than if you were buying individual stocks.

Are there any other indices?

There are two other major indices: Bloomberg Global Aggregate Index and FTSE EM index

2. Peace clause at WTO

Subject :IR

Section: International Organisation

Source: BL

Context: Developing nations, including India, will make a strong pitch for a permanent solution to their concerns on subsidy limits placed on their public stockholding programmes at the WTO Senior Officials’ meeting scheduled next month, sources have said.

The meeting has been called by the WTO Secretariat, on October 23-24, to work out the agenda for WTO’s 13th Ministerial Conference in February 2024.
The Africa Group and the G33 alliance of developing nations, of which India is a part, have all been pushing for a permanent solution on public stockholdings underlining the importance of food security especially in the light of the sufferings during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The G33 (or the Friends of Special Products in agriculture) is a coalition of developing and least developed countries. Despite the name, there are currently 48 member nations including China, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan etc.
It was established prior to the 2003 Cancun ministerial conference, that have coordinated during the Doha Round of World Trade Organization negotiations, specifically in regard to agriculture.
Dominated by India, The group has “defensive” concerns regarding agriculture in relation to World Trade Organization negotiations, and seeks to limit the degree of market opening required of developing countries.

Facing repeated attacks from certain developed nations at the WTO which allege that India’s MSP programmes affect food security of other nations, India argued at a meeting on agriculture earlier this year that its public stockholding of food grain actually helped provide food security.
During Covid-19 disruptions, these stocks helped India feed (provide free foodgrains) to its 800 million plus vulnerable population, it said.
WTO members have been specifically targetting India’s MSP programme for rice as its subsidies have breached the subsidy ceiling of 10 per cent for agriculture produce forcing the country to use the Bali ‘peace clause’.

Peace Clause

It was agreed to at the WTO’s Bali Ministerial meeting in December 2013 that allowed developing countries to breach subsidy limits on food crops subject to certain conditions being met related to notifications on the PSH programmes and food security.

The peace clause allows developing countries to breach the subsidy ceiling without being dragged into dispute by members, for rice. However, it comes with tough notification requirements and conditions, all of which are difficult to follow.

Notification conditionalities mentioned in the Bali peace clause

A separate notification on all PSH programmes involves giving details of all MSP operations and numbers related to procurement, storage and disbursement not only for rice but other items covered under the programmes, including wheat and pulses.

First country to invoke the peace clause

India had earlier invoked the clause for 2018-19, when it became the first country to do so.

India informed the WTO that the value of its rice production in 2019-20 was $46.07 billion while it gave subsidies worth $6.31 billion, or 13.7 percent as against the permitted 10 per cent.

India said that under its public stockholding programmes for food security purposes, rice, wheat, coarse cereals and pulses, among others, are acquired and released in order to meet the domestic food security needs of the country’s poor and vulnerable population, and “not to impede commercial trade or food security of others. For these reasons only the breach of the de minimis limits for rice is covered by the peace clause.

Government does not undertake exports on a commercial basis from public stockholdings. Additionally, open market sales of food grains from public stockholding are made provided the buyer gives an undertaking of not exporting from such purchase.

The ‘peace clause’ said that no country would be legally barred from food security programmes even if the subsidy breached the limits specified in the WTO agreement on agriculture. It protects India’s food procurement programmes against action from WTO members in case the subsidy ceilings – 10 percent of the value of food production in the case of India and other developing countries – are breached.

The Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) is a WTO treaty that was negotiated during the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and formally ratified in 1994 at Marrakesh, Morocco.

The AoA came into effect in 1995. According to its provisions, developing countries were to complete their reduction commitments by 2000 and developing countries by 2004.

The Least Developed Countries were not required to make any reductions.The Agreement covers products that are normally considered part of agriculture but excludes forestry and fishery products and also rubber, sisal, jute, coir and abaca.

The provisions of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture relate mainly to three broad categories-

1.Market Access

Tariffication – implies all non-tariff barriers to be abolished and converted to tariffs.
Tariff reduction – Developing countries were obligated to reduce tariffs by 24% in 10 years.
Access opportunities – Minimum access equal to 3% of domestic consumption in 1986-88 will have to be established for the year 1995 rising to 5% at the end of the implementation period.

2.Export subsidies

Developed countries are mandated to reduce their export subsidy volume by 21% and expenditure by 36% in 6 years, in equal installment (from 1986 –1990 levels).

Developing countries need to reduce export subsidy volume by 14% and expenditure by 24% over ten years in equal installments.

3.Domestic support

It calls for reduction in domestic subsidies that distorts free trade and fair price.

Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS) is to be reduced by 20% over a period of 6 years by developed countries and 13% over a period of 10 years by developing countries.

The Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) divides domestic support into

1.Trade distorting – all trade distorting subsidies are placed under Amber box which is qualified in accordance with Aggregate Measure of Support (both product and non product specific).These include measures to support prices, or subsidies directly related to production quantities.

AoA stipulates reduction of total AMS by 20% for developed countries over a period of 6 years while by 13% over a period of 10 years by developing countries.

Policies amount to domestic support under this category of less than 5% of value of production for developed countries and less than 10% for developing countries are excluded from any reduction commitments also called de minimis subsidies.

2.Non trade distorting or minimal trade distorting –

Green box includes assistance given through environmental assistance programmes like research training and extension, marketing information, rural infrastructure etc.. Support under it is excluded from any reduction commitments and is not subject to any upper limit.

They have to be government-funded (not by charging consumers higher prices) and must not involve price support.They tend to be programmes that are not targeted at particular products, and include direct income support for farmers that are not related to current production levels or prices. They also include environmental protection and regional development programmes.

Blue box This is the “amber box with conditions”- designed to reduce distortion and includes direct payments in the form of price deficiency, direct payment to limit production. It is also exempted from reduction commitments but has an upper limit.
Special and Differential box includes measures taken by developing countries, otherwise subject to reduction like investment subsidies, input subsidies.

3. Gandhi-Ambedkar Debate on caste-based separate electorates

Subject: History

Section: Modern HISTORY

Source: IE

Introduction:

In September 1932, Mahatma Gandhi initiated a life-threatening fast in Pune’s Yerawada Central Jail to protest caste-based separate electorates, a decision still influential today.
Fasting was a potent tool in Gandhi’s arsenal, serving as personal penance and a means of pressuring those in power due to his immense popularity.
The “Gandhi-Ambedkar debate” revolved around their differing caste perspectives, culminating in Gandhi’s “victory” reflected in India’s reservation system.

Differences in Views on Caste:

Aspect	Gandhi’s Views on Caste	Ambedkar’s Views on Caste
Early Perspective	Supported caste, including restrictions	Radical, rejected caste as divinely ordained
Approach to Untouchability	Opposed untouchability, promoted unity	Advocated for the rejection of untouchability
Role of Caste in Hinduism	Considered caste vital to Hinduism	Believed caste needed to be eradicated from Hinduism
Evolution of Views	Evolved over time, influenced by the Dalit movement	Consistently radical, emphasized political power for lower castes
Solution to Caste	Rejected caste but not Hinduism	Called for rejecting both caste and Hinduism

Differences in Views on Separate Electorates:

Aspect	Gandhi’s Views on Separate Electorates	Ambedkar’s Views on Separate Electorates
Rationale	Opposed separate electorates, saw them as ineffective	Advocated for separate electorates as a means of political empowerment
Political Power	Believed lower castes should aspire to broader political representation	Emphasized that political power was crucial for lower castes to address grievances
Integration vs. Empowerment	Favored integration, feared divisions within Hinduism	Prioritized empowerment and saw separate electorates as a way to prevent domination
Perception of Results	Thought separate electorates “do too little” for lower castes	Saw separate electorates as a necessary step toward challenging oppression
Impact on Unity	Feared that separate electorates would divide Hindu community	Believed separate electorates could empower lower castes without compromising unity

The Yerawada Fast and the Poona Pact

In September 1932, Gandhi began a fast unto death in Yerawada Jail, Pune, protesting caste-based separate electorates, viewing it as a divine sacrifice for the oppressed.
Ambedkar, despite reservations, yielded to Gandhi’s pressure due to his immense popularity, signing the Poona Pact.
This secured reservations for lower castes and abandoned the demand for separate electorates.

The legacy of the fast

Gandhi’s fast is credited with thwarting the British “divide and rule” strategy, praised by poet Rabindranath Tagore for sacrificing for India’s unity.
Critics see Gandhi’s fast as coercive, leaving Ambedkar no real choice.
Ambedkar questioned why Gandhi didn’t fast against untouchability and expressed dissatisfaction with the Joint Electorate system established by the Poona Pact, which he believed upheld upper-caste control over untouchable representatives.

4. Adi Shankaracharya Statue at Omkareshwar

Subject: History

Section: Art and culture

Source: IE

Context: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveiled the 108-foot-tall ‘Statue of Oneness’ of Adi Shankaracharya at Omkareshwar.

The statue represents Adi Shankaracharya as a 12-year-old child, the age he was said to have visited Omkareshwar.
The statue is intended to endure for more than 500 years, while the museum building is designed to have a service life of 100 years.

Who Was Adi Shankaracharya?

Lived between 788 and 820 AD and was born in Kerala’s Kaladi.
He became a sanyasin at an early age, studied under his guru Govinda Bhagavatpada, and became a proponent of Advaita Vedanta.
He authored 116 works, including commentaries on the 10 Upanishads, the Brahmasutra, and the Gita.
During his 32-year lifespan, he visited all the important spiritual centers of the time, including Kanchi, Kamrup, Kashmir, Kedar, Badri dhams, Sringeri, Ujjain, Kashi, Puri, and Joshimath.

Why Is the Mandhata Island an Important Religious Destination?

The Mandhata island, located on the Narmada River, houses two of the 12 Jyotirlingas – Omkareshwara and Amareshwara.
It features Shaivite, Vaisnavite, and Jain temples from the 14th and 18th centuries.
The island’s name ‘Omkareshwar’ is derived from its shape, resembling the sacred syllable ‘Om‘.
Puranas say that Lord Shiva pierced the world as an endless pillar of light, called the jyotirlinga.
There are 12 jyotirlinga sites in India that are considered a manifestation of Shiva:

Somnath in Prabhas Patan, Saurashtra, Gujarat
Mallikarjuna in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
Omkareshwar in Mandhata Island, Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh
Kedarnath in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand
Bhimashankar in Pune district, Maharashtra
Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Trimbakeshwar (Trimbak) in Nashik district, Maharashtra
Vaidyanath (Vaijnath) in Deoghar, Jharkhand
Nageshwar (Aundha Nagnath) in Dwarka, Gujarat
Rameshwar (Ramanathaswamy) in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu
Grishneshwar in Ellora, near Aurangabad, Maharashtra

What Went into Making the 108 ft Statue?

The multi-metal statue is installed atop Mandhata Parvat hill, facing southwards toward the Narmada River.
Weighing 100 tons, the statue was conceptualized by an Indian team of artists, sculptors, and engineers, with metal casting done in China’s Nanchang city.
The statue is made primarily of bronze, containing 88% copper, 4% zinc, and 8% tin.
Its internal structure is made up of high-quality steel, and it stands on a 75-foot-high platform.
At the base of the statue is the Shankar Stambh, featuring wooden domes and stone pillars with carvings depicting 32 stories related to Acharya Shankar.

What Are the Other Projects?

Ekatma Dham includes the Advaita Lok museum, showcasing Acharya Shankar’s life and philosophy.
The museum boasts a variety of architectural styles, including “Nagara, Dravidian, Oriya, Maru-Gurjara, Hoysala, North Indian-Himalayan, and Kerala.”
The Acharya Shankar International Institute of Advaita Vedanta.
The Maharshi Vedavyasa Advaita Library serves as a comprehensive resource center for scholars in Advaita Vedanta.
A 36-hectare forest is planned for meditation seekers.

5. EU to contain greenwashing by 2026

Subject :Environment

Section: Climate Change

Source: DTE

Context:

The European Union (EU) is all set to contain greenwashing by On September 19, 2023, the EU finalized a new draft rule banning advertisements that mislead customers with false sustainability promises.

Details:

The rule will impose stricter guidelines on environmental claims, mandating verifiable proof of recognised performance.
This will likely prevent the businesses from making tall general environmental claims like “environmentally friendly”, “natural”, “biodegradable”, or “climate neutral” without evidence.
The claims based on emissions offsetting that label products as neutral, reduced or positive, based on their environmental impact, are banned under the new regulation.
The result also contains the Green Claims Directive and the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF).
EU green deal:
The Green Deal is a set of legislative proposals that attempts to put the EU on a green transitional path with the objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
The new regulations contribute towards the EU’s larger goals to attain net zero emissions by 2050.

Carbon Market Watch (CMW):

Carbon Market Watch is an independent, not-for-profit watchdog and research organization with unique expertise in carbon pricing and a track record of shaping and influencing international and European climate policy.
Our strengths lie in evidence-based advocacy to improve climate policymaking, turning complex issues into comprehensible messages, and helping people understand and influence those policies.

Greenwashing:

It refers to “the practice of making products, activities, or policies seem more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than they actually are.”

6. Bioinvasions are a global threat to ecosystems, says IPBES report

Subject : Environment

Section: Biodiversity

Source: DTE

Context:

Over 3,500 harmful invasive alien species have been introduced into regions and biomes around the world by human activities, says an assessment report.

Details:

The global economic cost of invasive alien species, that negatively impact nature and people, exceeded $423 billion annually in 2019. Costs have at least quadrupled every decade since 1970.
About 60% of species extinctions are attributable to invasive alien species either solely, or in combination with other drivers.
About 90% of documented global extinctions of native species, attributed mainly to invasive alien species, have occurred on islands, especially remote islands.

Threats from Invasive Alien Species (IAS):

The first comprehensive global report on invasive alien species and their control, published by
The spread of invasive species is one of the five major threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Multiple anthropogenic activities have introduced more than 37,000 alien species to regions and biomes around the world, with the number rising at 200 new alien species every year.
A conservative estimate from India suggests that over the last 60 years, invasive species have cost the Indian economy $127 billion. A pan-India monitoring of invasive plants for the last 16 years suggests that one-time control of invasive plants across India would necessitate $13.5 billion, with uncertain outcomes.

Impact on Island nations and indigenous communities:

Most countries lack a national legislation or regulations directed specifically towards the prevention and control of invasive alien species.
90% of documented global extinctions attributed mainly to invasive alien species have occurred on islands, especially remote islands with high levels of endemism.

Bioinvasion:

A bioinvasion occurs when a species that originally exists in a certain part of the planet is intentionally or, more often, accidentally introduced into an entirely new location.
This happens, for example, whenever a ship carrying fruit cargo also carries in a new species of spider among the fruit, or parasites on the ship mascot, or burrs stuck on the captain’s jacket.
“Invasional meltdown hypothesis” where various invader-invader interactions facilitate further invasions. Interactions among invasive alien species can enable further biological invasions.
Negative impact of bioinvasion:
- The more we human beings travel to all parts of the globe, the more bioinvasions we spread.
- The negative impacts of bioinvasions are far-reaching, affecting the economy, food security, water security and human health.
- The spread of South American shrub Lantana camara impacted the livelihoods and wellbeing of the Soliga Adivasis in Karnataka.
Positive impact:
- Prosopis juliflora, an invasive alien tree. Charcoal made from the tree is a source of income for local communities and hence attempts at managing the species have been problematic.

7. Borlaug award for Dr Swati Nayak

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Biotechnology

Source: IE

Context:

Dr Swati Nayak, an Indian scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), has been named the 2023 recipient of the prestigious Norman E Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, with the World Food Prize Foundation describing her as an “outstanding young scientist.”

About Norman E Borlaug award:

Given by: World Food Prize Foundation
The award is given to exceptional scientists under 40 and someone who works in the field of food and nutrition security, hunger eradication in memory of the Nobel awardee and Green Revolution’s chief architect Dr Norman Borlaug.
Norman Ernest Borlaug was an American agronomist who led initiatives worldwide that contributed to the extensive increases in agricultural production termed the Green Revolution. Borlaug was awarded multiple honors for his work, including the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.
Borlaug was often called “the father of the Green Revolution”.

About Dr Swati Nayak and her work:

Nayak is South Asia head for Seed System and Product Management at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
Her work has been on “technology scaling” or closing the gap between scientific knowledge and its practical application among farmers.
She is credited with the successful dissemination and adoption of more than 20 climate-resilient and bio-fortified rice varieties.
- Among these are ‘Sahbhagi Dhan’, a drought-tolerant variety suitable for hilly uplands, and ‘BINA Dhan-11’, which is flood-tolerant.
- She introduced ‘Sahbhagi Dhan’ in the tribal belt of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district with the help of women farmers. ‘Sahbhagi Dhan’ becomes a much in-demand variety throughout Odisha.
- ‘BINA-Dhan-11’, which contains a submergence-tolerant Sub1 gene identified from an indigenous land race of Odisha, was a similar success. The Sub1 gene has been incorporated into many existing popular high-yielding varieties such as ‘Samba Mahsuri’, ‘Swarna’ and ‘Ranjit’.
- There are other drought-tolerant varieties such as ‘DRR Dhan 42’ and ‘DRR Dhan 44’.
Nayak is credited with taking all these varieties from lab to land.

Seed varieties:

Nuclear seed : This is the hundred percent genetically pure seed with physical purity and produced by the original breeder/Institute /State Agriculture University (SAU) from basic nucleus seed stock. A pedigree certificate is issued by the producing breeder.
Breeder seed : The progeny of nucleus seed multiplied in large area as per indent of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DOAC), Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, under supervision of plant breeder / institute / SAUs and monitored by a committee consisting of the representatives of state seed certification agency, national / state seed corporations, ICAR nominee and concerned breeder. This is also hundred percent physical and genetic pure seed for production of foundation seed. A golden yellow colour certificate is issued for this category of seed by the producing breeder.
Foundation seed : The progeny of breeder seed produced by recognized seed producing agencies in public and private sector, under supervision of seed certification agencies in such a way that its quality is maintained according to prescribed field ad seed standards. A white colour certificate is issued for foundation seed by seed certification agencies.
Registered seed : Registered seed shall be the progeny of foundation seed that is so handled as to maintain its genetic identity and purity according to standard specified for the particular crop being certified. A purple colour certificate is issued for this category of seed.
Certified seed : The progeny of foundation seed produced by registered seed growers under supervision of seed certification agencies to maintain the seed quality as per minimum seed certification standards. A blue colour certificate is issued by seed certification agency for this category of seed.
Labelled Seed : The seed notified under Section 5 of the Seeds Act, 1966, such seed sold in the market has to be labelled as prescribed under Section 6(a) and (b) of the Seeds Act Such seed is called Labelled Seed.

8. UNGA Session

Subject: IR

Section: International organisation

Context: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar began a nine-day visit to the US, primarily to attend the annual session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

More about the news:

The theme of the 78th session of UNGA is “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and the sustainability for all.”
The events were started on 5th September till 23rd September 2023.
The first day of the high-level General Debate took place on 19th September 2023.
Dennis Francis is the President of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly,

Some facts about United Nations General Assembly (UNGA):

It was established in 1945 under the Charter of the United Nations and is headquartered in New York City.
It is one of the six principal organs of the UN and serves as the main policy-making organ of the Organization.
It provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations.
Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote.

What is President of the General Assembly (PGA):

Any Member State can put forward a candidate for PGA.
He/she is not required to be, but always has been, a citizen of the Member State presenting the candidacy.
The PGA is elected in his/her personal capacity for a one-year term
The Member State of the PGA cannot at the same time hold the office of Vice-President or Chair of a Main Committee. Thus, the five permanent members of the Security Council, who are always Vice-Presidents, cannot hold the office of the PGA.
The Presidency of the General Assembly rotates among the five regional groups, namely:
- Group of Asian States,
- Group of Eastern European States,
- Group of Latin American and Caribbean States,
- Group of African States,
- Western European and other States Group.
The President is elected by a simple majority vote of the General Assembly.
The President is elected at least three months before formally assuming office, usually in mid-June.

What is the role and mandate of the President of the General Assembly (PGA):

The PGA is the guardian of the General Assembly Rules of Procedure but has no say in the actual decision-making of the General Assembly; in fact, the PGA does not have a vote in the General Assembly.
Even on procedural matters, the PGA always remains under the authority of the General Assembly.
Hence, PGA has very little formal power. It depends on the moral authority and convening power of the office as main instruments to keep the 193 Member States working together.

9. Ukraine fires missiles at Russia Black Sea navy headquarters in Crimea

Subject :IR

Section: Places in news

Source: IE

Context: Ukraine struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in a missile attack.

More about the news:

Ukraine fires a missile attack that struck the headquarters of Moscow’s Black Sea fleet in annexed Crimea.
The strike on the symbolic heart of Russia’s Black Sea fleet marks a major blow for Moscow, which has suffered a string of attacks on the strategically important port in recent months

What is Black Sea Fleet:

The Black Sea Fleet has a long history and is considered to have been founded back in 1783.
It comprises warships of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and the eastern Mediterranean, and is headquartered at Sevastopol, the major port on the Crimean peninsula.

Some facts about Sevastopol:

Sevastopol is the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea.
Due to its strategic location and the navigability of the city’s harbors, Sevastopol has been an important port and naval base throughout its history.

Some facts about Crimean Peninsula:

The Crimean peninsula is connected on the northwest to the mainland by the “Perekop Isthmus”, a 5-mile- (8-km-) wide strip of land that has been the site of numerous battles for the control of Crimea.
Between Crimea and the mainland to the north lies Svyash (“Putrid Sea”), a network of shallow inlets that is separated from the Sea of Azov by the Arabat Spit, a 70-mile- (113-km-) long sandbar along the eastern shore of Crimea.
The Crimean Peninsula was annexed by the Russian Federation in 2014 and since then has been administered as two Russian federal subjects – the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol.

10. China Targets athletes from Arunachal

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context: China Targets athletes from Arunachal.

More about the news:

On the eve of the 19th Asian Games’ opening ceremony, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur canceled his planned trip to China.
The decision was prompted by a troubling incident involving three athletes, all practitioners of wushu martial arts, hailing from Arunachal Pradesh.
These athletes were denied accreditation cards, essential for participating in the Games, and were instead offered stapled visas by the Chinese authorities.
It is important to note that these accreditation cards serve a dual purpose, functioning both as identification cards for the Asian Games and as visas for entry into the host country.

What is a stapled visa:

A stapled visa is simply an unstamped piece of paper that is attached by a pin or staples to a page of the passport and can be torn off or detached at will.
This is different from a regular visa that is affixed to the passport by the issuing authority and stamped.

History of Stapled visas issued by China

China has a longstanding practice of issuing stapled visas to Indian nationals hailing from two specific regions: Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Despite China’s assertion that these stapled visas are valid travel documents, the Government of India consistently rejects this position.
China initiated the issuance of stapled visas to residents of Arunachal Pradesh in the mid-2000s and extended this practice to residents of Jammu and Kashmir starting in 2009.
Notably, China claims the region of Arunachal Pradesh as part of its own territory, a claim that is contested by India.
The Indian government firmly refuses to recognize stapled visas as legitimate travel documents for its citizens.

Some facts about Asian Games:

The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, are a multi-sport event that takes place every four years. The games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympics.
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) organizes the games, which have 45 participating countries or regions.
The Asian Games were first held in 1951, soon after the end of World War II.
The 1st Games were held in New Delhi, with 11 participating countries, including Japan.
The 19th edition of the Asian Games is being held in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8.

The 18th Asian Games were held in Indonesia.

11. Rules of Construction around Protected ASI Monuments, AMASR Act 1958

Subject: History

Section: Art and culture

Context: A Parliamentary panel has observed that the provision of 100-metre prohibited and 300-metre regulated area around all monuments protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has pitted the local community against these heritage structures in many places as they find it difficult to carry out necessary repair work of their residential spaces.

The Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport Tourism and Culture has thus asked the government to revise the rules to make them realistic.
It has also recommended rationalizing the application of such rules based on the historical significance of the monuments.
In some cases, the entire village is within a radius of 300 metres, which makes it difficult for the entire village to carry out repair work of their residential houses.
Such a situation in many places creates a hostile scenario, pitching the local community against the monuments.
Another issue is that at present, the same set of rules apply to both significant and insignificant monuments.
For example, the rules above apply identically to the iconic Ajanta and Ellora monuments and Kos Minars, unknown cemeteries and tombs etc.
It also recommended that the list of all 3,691 ASI-protected monuments be rationalised and categorised based on their national significance, unique architectural value and specific heritage content.
A quarter of the Centrally Protected Monuments are minor monuments with no national significance. The list includes, for instance, 75 graves of colonial-era soldiers or officials of no notable importance.
It gave the example of a small brick wall enclosure containing two graves located in Kumta, Karnataka, which is a centrally protected monument under the supervision of the ASI. The structure had no architectural value, and the individuals were of no historical significance. Yet, they are supposed to get the same level of protection as the country’s most cherished monuments.

Legal Provision : AMASR Act 1958

The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958 is one of the landmark laws for the –

Preservation of ancient and historical monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance (over 100 years old).
Regulation of archaeological excavations and
Protection of sculptures, carvings and other like objects.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) functions under the provisions of this act.
The monuments are regularly inspected by the ASI officials to assess their present condition and the necessary conservation and preservation works are taken up as per the requirement.
In the original Act of 1958, “ancient monument” is defined as “any structure, erection, or monument, or any tumulus or place of interment, or any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription, or monolith which is of historical, archaeological, or artistic interest and which has been in existence for not less than 100 years”.
“Archaeological sites and remains” mean “any area which contains or is reasonably believed to contain ruins or relics of historical or archaeological importance which have been in existence for not less than 100 years”.
The prohibited and restricted area provision was introduced in 2010 through an amendment to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958. It prohibits and regulates all activities like mining and construction around 100 metres and 300 metres.
Section 20 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act of 1958, last amended in 2010, prohibits construction within a 100 metre radius of all Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected monuments and regulates activities within another 300 metre

Kos Minars or Mile Pillars are medieval Indian milestones along the Grand Trunk Road that were introduced by the 16th-century ruler Sher Shah Suri.
They were erected to serve as markers of distance along royal routes.