Daily Prelims Notes 3 March 2023

March 3, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

Daily Prelims Notes

3 March 2023

Table Of Contents

Subject: Environment

Section: International Convention

Context: March 3 marks the 50th anniversary of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973.

More on the News:

March 3 is World Wildlife Day.
In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed March 3 as the UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of protecting the world’s wild animals and plants.
This date was chosen as it is the birthday of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, signed in 1973.
This year, the theme is ‘Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation’.
March 3 marks the 50th anniversary of CITES’ establishment.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

CITES is an international agreement to which States and regional economic integration organizations adhere voluntarily.
Aim: Ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963at a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
The CITES Secretariat is administered by UNEP(The United Nations Environment Programme) and is located at Geneva, Switzerland.
It plays a coordinating, advisory and servicing rolein the working of the Convention (CITES).
The Conference of the Parties to CITES, is the supreme decision-making bodyof the Convention and comprises all its Parties.
Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties, it does not take the place of national laws. Rather, it provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which has to adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level.

Functions

The CITES works by subjecting international trade in specimensof selected species to certain controls.
All import, export, re-export and introduction from the sea of species covered by the Conventionhas to be authorized through a licensing system.
Each Party to the Convention must designate one or more Management Authorities in charge of administering that licensing system and one or more Scientific Authorities to advise them on the effects of trade on the status of the species.
Appendices I, II and III to the Convention are lists of species afforded different levels or types of protection from over-exploitation.
Appendix I
- It lists species that are the most endangeredamong CITES-listed animals and plants.
- They are threatened with extinctionand CITES prohibits international trade in specimens of these species except when the purpose of the import is not commercial, for instance for scientific research.
- In these exceptional cases, trade may take place provided it is authorized by the granting of both an import permit and an export permit(or re-export certificate).
Appendix II
- It lists species that are not necessarily now threatened with extinctionbut that may become so unless trade is closely controlled.
- International trade in specimens of Appendix-II species may be authorized by the granting of an export permit or re-export certificate.
- No import permit is necessaryfor these species under CITES (although a permit is needed in some countries that have taken stricter measures than CITES requires).
Appendix III
- It is a list of species included at the request of a Party that already regulates tradein the species and that needs the cooperation of other countries to prevent unsustainable or illegal exploitation.
- International trade in specimens of species listed in this Appendix is allowed only on presentation of the appropriate permits or certificates.

Criticism:

Wildlife allowed to be traded further legitimises their movement and increases the possibility of their illegal trade.
Many animals that are in the wildlife trade are not protected by CITES.
International conventions not going far enough to enforce their mandate.
The implicit agreement that while the bodies generally do not have powers to penalise, there is at least a level of commitment that ensures some common ground as a first step.

2. Coral reefs

Subject: Environment

Section: Ecosystem

Context: Things aren’t looking too good for coral reefs. They’re suffering from bleaching, overfishing and are being cooked by warming oceans.

Coral Reefs:

Coral reefs are one of the most biologically diverse marine ecosystems on the Earth.
They are the underwater structures that are formed of coral polyps that are held together by calcium carbonate.
Coral reefs are also regarded as the tropical rainforest of the sea and occupy just 0.1% of the ocean’s surface but are home to 25% of marine species.
They are usually found in shallow areas at a depth less than 150 feet. However, some coral reefs extend even deeper, up to about 450 feet.
Corals can be found in all the oceans but the biggest coral reefs are mostly found in the clear, shallow waters of the tropics and subtropics.
The largest of these coral reef systems, The Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the largest coral reef is more than 1,500 miles long.

Conditions for Coral reef growth:

Stable climatic conditions: Corals are highly susceptible to quick changes. They grow in regions where climate is significantly stable for a long period of time.
Perpetually warm waters: Corals thrive in tropical waters [30°N and 30°S latitudes, temperature of water is around 20°C] where diurnal and annual temperature ranges are very narrow.
Clear salt water: Clear salt water is suitable for coral growth, while both fresh water and highly saline water are harmful.
Abundant Plankton: Adequate supply of oxygen and microscopic marine food, called plankton [phytoplankton], is essential for growth. As the plankton is more abundant on the seaward side, corals grow rapidly on the seaward side.
Little or no pollution: Corals are highly fragile and are vulnerable to climate change and pollution and even a minute increase in marine pollution can be catastrophic.

Types of Coral Reefs:

Fringing reefs consist of flat reef areas that directly skirt a non-reef island, often volcanic, or a mainland mass.
Barrier reefs are also close to a non-reef landmass but lie several kilometres offshore, separated from the landmass by a lagoon or channel often about 50 metres (160 feet) deep. Some barrier reefs are more or less circular, surrounding an island, but larger barrier reefs, such as those along the Red Sea coast and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, are complex linear features consisting of chains of reef patches, some of them elongated into ribbon reefs.
Atolls are like circular barrier reefs but without their central landmass.

Benefits:

Marine diversity: Coral reefs have many species of marine organisms that depend on them for food, shelter, and reproduction. Healthy corals support thriving marine life, but unhealthy corals can lead to loss of the marine line which in turn will disrupt the food chain.
Tourism: Healthy coral reefs are attractive tourism destinations, and bleaching can affect the local economy negatively.
Fishing: Fishing communities are depended on corals for seasonal migrations of fish species. Unhealthy corals will lead to a decrease in fishing activities impacting economic activities.
Coastline protection: Coral reefs protect coastlines by absorbing constant wave energy from the ocean, thereby protecting people living near the coast from increased storm damage, erosion, and flooding
- Coral reefs act like low-crested breakwaters and absorb 97% of wave energy.

Coral Bleaching

The coral and the zooxanthellae share a symbiotic relationship and 90% of the nutrients that are produced by the algae are transferred to the coral hosts.
But this relationship gets affected under severe environmental stress which causes the loss of symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae).
As a result, the white calcium-carbonate exoskeleton is visible through its transparent tissue leading to a condition known as Coral Bleaching.
The corals become vulnerable in the absence of the algae and begin to die if the temperature of the sea remains high for weeks.

Causes of coral bleaching

Warm Sea Temperature: Coral species prefer to live in waters close to the warm temperatures which they can tolerate but a slight increase in ocean temperature can harm corals.
Extreme low tides: Extreme events of low tides exposes the corals to solar and ultraviolet radiations which can induce coral bleaching.
Ocean Acidification: Oceans are the carbon sinks, but more carbon dioxide increases the acidity of the ocean. This increase in the acidity of ocean water inhibits the coral’s ability to create calcareous skeletons, which is essential for their survival.
Diseases: Species of bacteria like vibrio shiloiinhibits the photosynthesis of zooxanthellae. These bacteria become more potent at higher sea temperatures.
Ocean Pollution: The increasing nutrient concentrations leads to excessive phytoplankton growth, and attracts more and more marine life, which may cause strain on the reefs.
Sedimentation: High rates of land erosion causes silt and other sediments to leach into ocean waters which causes sedimentation and water turbidity. The siltation tends to smother corals and turbidity reduces light availability potentially reducing coral photosynthesis and growth.
Anthropogenic threat: Over-fishing, pollution from agricultural and industrial runoff,coral mining, development of industrial areas near coral ecosystems have adverse impacts on coral reefs.
Predators: Acanthasterplanci, also known as Crown-of-Thorns Starfish, eats corals during the night. They may destroy the entire coral reefs if found in huge numbers.

3. Global CO2 emissions rose less than initially feared in 2022

Subject: Environment

Section: Climate Change

Context: Clean energy growth offset much of the impact of greater coal and oil use, according to the IEA analysis.

More on the News:

Global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rose by under one per cent in 2022 as the growth of solar, wind, electric vehicles, heat pumps and energy efficiency helped limit the impacts of increased use of coal and oil amid the global energy crisis, according to a new analysis by the International Energy Agency.
The rise in emissions last year was far smaller than the exceptional jump of over six per cent in 2021, according to an IEA statement.
However, the IEA report, titled CO2 Emissions in 2022, called for stronger actions to accelerate the clean energy transition and move the world onto a path towards meeting its energy and climate goals.
The report is the first in a new series, the Global Energy Transitions Stocktake, which will bring together the IEA’s latest analysis in one place, making it freely accessible in support of the first Global Stocktake in the lead-up to the COP28 Climate Change Conference in November.

Global Stocktake

The global stocktake of the Paris Agreement (GST) is a process for taking stock of the implementation of the Paris Agreement with the aim to assess the world’s collective progress towards achieving the purpose of the agreement and its long-term goals (Article 14).
The first stocktake got underway at the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow last November (COP26) and will conclude at COP28 in 2023. Each stocktake is a two-year process that happens every five years.
The first global stocktake is critical to assessing collective progress under the Paris Agreement and addressing opportunities for enhanced action and support.

Why the Global Stocktake matters

The Paris Agreement calls on each country to set its own plan to cut emissions and adapt to climate impact It also established a process for countries to continually strengthen their national climate plans. These national climate change plans are formally known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
To hold themselves accountable, countries agreed to regularly report on and review their individual efforts and to take stock of their collective progress. The Paris Agreement created the global stocktaking process, which follows a five-year cycle.
The global stocktake will help national governments see what they have achieved so far in implementing their climate plans, identify what still needs to be done to meet their targets, and highlight opportunities to increase their ambition on climate action.

International Energy Agency

The International Energy Agency is anautonomous Intergovernmental Organisation established in 1974 in Paris, France.
To ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its member countries and beyond. Its mission is guided by four main areas of focus: energy security, economic development, environmental awareness and engagement worldwide
India became an Associate member of IEA in March 2017 but it was in engagement with IEA long before its association with the organization.
Established in the wake of the 1973-1974 oil crisis,to help its members respond to major oil supply disruptions, a role it continues to fulfil today.
IEA’s mandate has expanded over time to include tracking and analyzing global key energy trends, promoting sound energy policy, and fostering multinational energy technology cooperation.
It has 30 members at present. The IEA family also includeseight association countries.
A candidate country must be a member country of the OECD. But all OECD members are not IEA members.
To become member a candidate country must demonstrate that it has:
- Crude oil and/or product reserves equivalent to 90 days of the previous year’s net imports, to which the government has immediate access (even if it does not own them directly) and could be used to address disruptions to global oil supply.
- A demand restraint programme to reduce national oil consumption by up to 10%.
- Legislation and organisation to operate the Co-ordinated Emergency Response Measures (CERM) on a national basis.
- Legislation and measures to ensure that all oil companies under its jurisdiction report information upon request.
- Measures in place to ensure the capability of contributing its share of an IEA collective action.
Reports released:
- Global Energy & CO2 Status Report.
- World Energy Outlook.
- World Energy Statistics.
- World Energy Balances.
- Energy Technology Perspectives.

4. India’s norms for pumped storage hydro projects aim to facilitate energy storage

Subject: Geography

Section: Indian Physical Geography

Context: The Ministry of Power recently issued draft guidelines to promote pumped storage projects (PSPs) in India.

Pumped storage hydro (PSH) plants

Pumped storage hydro (PSH) plants are storage systems based on hydropower operations between two or more reservoirs (upper and lower) with an elevation difference.
At the time of demand, downward water flow generates electricity with a hydraulic turbine, and water is pumped back to the upper reservoir using power from grid or RE sources, with an overall efficiency of 75-80%.

PSP Potential in India

The country has 5,745 large dams, which provide an excellent opportunity for developing PSP plants by placing them in between two large dams or by using one dam and a second reservoir on a hill-top in a manner.
In India, as per government estimates, has the potential of 103 gigawatt (GW) of PSP. Currently, India has around 4.7 gigawatt (GW) of installed capacity of PSPs, of which 3.3 GW is operational.

Significance:

It is conventionally used to stabilise the grid and maintain peak power. With the seasonal variability of renewable energy production, the importance of energy storage systems like battery storage and PSPs has assumed significance.
Operational cost per KwH is lower than that of battery storage systems.
PSP plants are highly useful options for the integration of Renewable Energy power with the power system.
The PSP plants will have a very low impact on biodiversity and involve very few resettlements and rehabilitation (R&R) challenges.

Issues:

Several issues have halted the growth of PSPs in India.
- Higher upfront cost
- High tariff of power used to pump water uphill,
- long gestation period

5. Ornamental fish aquaculture to help women in Lakshadweep islands

Subject : Environment

Section: Places in news

Concept :

Community-based ornamental fish aquaculture with the use of local resources is expected to help women in the Lakshadweep islands take a step towards self-reliance.
In a first-of-its-kind experiment, about 82 islanders (77 of them being women) have been selected and they underwent intensive training with technical support from the ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR).
The NBFGR maintains a germplasm resource centre for marine ornamental organisms on Agatti Island for conservation and improving the livelihood sources for the islanders.
Four cluster-mode community aquaculture units with the participation of women have been set up and the group has been raising ornamental shrimps to marketable size.
Further, along with the two species of ornamental shrimps, captive-raised clownfish seeds have also been supplied to expand the activity.
The NBFGR has supplied culture devices such as rearing tubs, aeration tubes, mini blowers, hand nets, feed, beneficial bacteria, and seeds of shrimps and clownfish.

Ornamental Fish Farming

The culture of ornamental fishes is called as aquaculture.
Ornamental fish culture is the culture of attractive, colourful fishes of various characteristics, which are reared in a confined aquatic system.
Farmers and hobbyists mainly grow it. Ornamental fishes are also known as living jewels.
There are more than 30,000 fish species reported around the world, of this about 800 belong to ornamental fishes.
Most of the ornamental fishes survive in freshwater.
They come under eight closely related families namely, Anabantidae, Callichthyidae, Characidae, Cichlidae, Cobitidae,Cyprinodontidae, Cyprinidae and
Ornamental fishes of India are contributing about 1% of the total ornamental fish trade.
These fishes are exported to the tune of 54 tons, having the value of Rupees 13.08 crores in 2020-21. It registered a growth of 66.55 % in terms of quantity and 20.59% in terms of value in INR.
The ornamental species are categorized into indigenous and exotic. Availability of a vast number of native species has contributed significantly to the development of ornamental fish industry in the country.
North-eastern states, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are blessed with potential indigenous species. About 90% of native species (85% are from northeast India) are collected and reared to meet export demand.
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal mainly practice ornamental fish farming in India.
It consists of three major islands. They are ,
Amindivi Islands (consisting of six main islands of Amini, Keltan, Chetlat, Kadmat, Bitra and Perumul Par). [don’t have to remember all these names]
Laccadive Islands (consisting of five major islands of Androth, Kalpeni, Kavaratti, Pitti and Suheli Par) and
Minicoy Island.
At present these islands are collectively known as Lakshadweep.
The Lakshadweep Islands are a group of 25 small islands.
They are widely scattered about 200-500 km south-west of the Kerala coast.
Amendivi Islands are the northern most while the Minicoy island is the southernmost.
All are tiny islands of coral origin {Atoll} and are
They are surrounded by fringing reefs.
The largest and the most advanced is Lakshadweep Islands the Minicoy island with an area of 4.53 sq km.
Most of the islands have low elevation and do not rise more than five metre above sea level (Extremely Vulnerable to sea level change).
Their topography is flat and relief features such as hills, streams, valleys, etc. are absent.

6. The aftermath of Sri Lanka’s economic crash

Subject: International Relations

Section: International organization

Concept:

Sri Lanka has been relying upon the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the country is experiencing a balance of payments problem that escalated in 2022.
The citizens of the island nation who experienced crippling shortages and long power cuts undertook massive protests and ousted the Rajapaksas and the chants seeking IMF support persisted through these demonstrations.
In July 2022, Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected the President and one of his initial tasks was to negotiate an IMF deal to restructure Sri Lanka’s economy.
Later on, September 1, 2022, Sri Lanka reached an agreement with the IMF.

IMF’s bail-out

The Sri Lankan President announced that the government had completed 15 tasks prescribed by the IMF and that the provisional package of $2.9 billion would come through soon.
While Sri Lanka had hoped to avail the package by the end of 2022 the process was delayed as IMF had sought written financing assurances from Sri Lanka’s top three bilateral creditors namely China, Japan, and India.
India was the first country to send its assurances followed by the Paris Club group of creditors, which includes Japan. However, China’s written financing assurances are still pending.
Experts believe that a $2.9 billion Extended Fund Facility, over a period of four years would not be big money for Sri Lanka as the country even after streamlining its imports to save dollars spends a significant amount of dollars every month on essential imports alone and with a substantial drop in exports the trade deficit has been widening.
However, the IMF package will still help Sri Lanka become more creditworthy to global lenders such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank or even the bilateral lenders.

Opposition against the IMF package

As per critics, the IMF package has been seen as part of the problem and not the solution.
Critics opine that the austerity measures that come attached with the package could impact the working class of the country.
Even worker unions have expressed displeasure and are protesting against the increase in taxes and utility bills which have been introduced by the government in anticipation of the IMF bail-out.
However, these protests have only been over specific policy measures that are hurting them. Otherwise, there is no popular resistance to the IMF within Sri Lanka.

Tackling corruption

The IMF, while extending its package, has emphasised correcting Sri Lanka’s corruption vulnerabilities.
According to various economists and policy analysts in Sri Lanka, widespread corruption along with the government’s tendency to introduce populist welfare schemes that were unsustainable made the country’s economy fragile.

The problem of food insecurity

In the last year, poor households in the country have been forced to reduce their food intake as the soaring prices have made food such as eggs, fish, and meat out of reach for many which has resulted in concern over nutrition levels.
According to a survey conducted by Save the Children, a humanitarian organisation, inflation levels of over 50% have forced more than half of the families in Sri Lanka to reduce the amount they feed their children.
Furthermore, the World Food Programme has said that about 33% of Sri Lankan households are food insecure.

UN World Food Programme

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the food assistance branch of the United Nations and the world’s largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security.
Born in 1961, the WFP strives to eradicate hunger and malnutrition, with the ultimate goal in mind of eliminating the need for food aid itself.
It is a member of the United Nations Development Group and part of its Executive Committee.
WFP food aid is also directed to fight micronutrient deficiencies, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and combat disease, including HIV and AIDS.
It is governed by an Executive Board consisting of 36 Member States, which provides intergovernmental support, direction and supervision of WFP’s activities.
The organization is headed by an Executive Director, who is appointed jointly by the UN Secretary-General and the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Awards
In 2020, it was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.

7. Mughal Rule in India

Subject: History

Section: Medieval India

Concept:

Mughals were the descendants of two great lineages of rulers.
Babur, who was the founding father of the Mughal empire in India was associated with Timur from his father’s side and to Chengiz khan from his mother’s side.
Within the medieval period, it had been very difficult for one ruler to rule the entire undivided India all by themselves.

Contribution of Akbar

Akbar was only thirteen years old at the time of Humayun’s death. When his father died, Akbar was at Kalanaur in Punjab and therefore his coronation took place in Kalanaur itself in 1556.
It was his tutor and Humayun’s favourite and confidant Bairam Khan, who served as the regent of the Mughal emperor from 1556 to 1560.
As a conqueror Akbar triumphed all over North India. The first four years of Akbar’s rule saw the expansion of the Mughal empire from Kabul to Jaunpur, including Gwalior and Ajmer, under his regent Bairam Khan.
One of the major achievements of his regency period was the defeat of Hemu and the Afghan forces in the second battle of Panipat in 1556, who were posing a serious threat to the Mughal Empire.

Akbar’s Military Conquests:

Malwa was conquered in 1562 from Baz Bahadur who was made a mansabdar in Akbar’s court.
The Gondwana region of central India was annexed after a fierce battle with Rani Durgavati and her son Vir Narayan in 1564.
Akbar conquered Gujarat from Muzaffar Shah in 1573. Akbar built new capital Fathepursikri in memory of this victory.
In the Battle of Haldighati, Rana Pratap Singh was severely defeated by the Mughal army led by Man Singh in 1576. Following the defeat of Mewar, most of the leading Rajput rulers had accepted Akbar’s suzerainty.
Defeated Daud Khan, the Afghan ruler of Bihar and Bengal, both the provinces were annexed to the Mughal empire in 1576.
Akbar’s forces had occupied Khandesh region in 1591.
Chand Bibi defended Ahmednagar against the Mughal forces.

Rajput policy:

The Rajput policy of Akbar was notable. He married the Rajput princess, the daughter of Raja Bharamal.
It was a turning point in the history of Mughals. Rajputs served the Mughals for four generations.
Many of them rose to the positions of military generals. Raja Bhagawan Das and Raja Man Singh were given senior positions in the administration by Akbar. One by one, all Rajput states submitted to Akbar.

Religious policy:

He abolished the pilgrim tax and jiziya.
In 1575, he ordered for the construction of IbadatKhana(House of worship) at his new capital Fatepur Sikri.
Akbar invited learned scholars from all religions like Hinduism, Jainism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism.
In 1582, he promulgated a new religion called Din Ilahi or Divine Faith. It believes in one God. It contained good points of all religions.
He propagated a philosophy of Sulh-i-Kul (peace to all).
In 1582, he discontinued the debates in the IbadatKhanaas it led to bitterness among different religions
Badauni, a contemporary author, was bitter critic of Akbar’s religious experiment.
Sheikh Mubarak was religious guru of Akbar.
Akbar’s new religious policy was drafted by Abul Faizi.

India under Mughals

Influence of Mughal Empire on Agriculture

The peasants under the Mughal regime were continuing with the method of crop rotation to maintain soil nutrition. In the coastal areas, fish was used to provide enrichment to the soil.
Devices like wooden scoops were used to lift water from the closed water channels.
In few parts of India, Persian wheels were made into usage for various agricultural activities.
Various Mughal canals didn’t provide sufficient water to many agricultural fields.
In the 17th century, crops like Maize and Tobacco were added to the already existing list of crops like Gram, pulses, rice, wheat, sugarcane, etc.

Influence of Mughal Empire on Economic and Social Life

The Economic and Social life of Indian people under the Mughal rule represented both sides of a coin.
Some parts observed the lavishing life of nobles where there was just prosperity and wealth. While on the other hand, some regions were devoid of even basic needs.
Even the great travellers documented both the economic and social life under the Mughal Empire and some of them cited it as full of suffering while others exclaiming the huge flow of wealth; filled with prosperity.

Cultural Development under the Mughal

However, there was suffering in some parts but during the Mughal Empire, varied types of Culture in terms of art and architecture, music, and paintings came into existence.
Literary works played an important role to bridge the cultural gaps and ensure inclusiveness among people of various geographical regions.
Further, already existing Languages and the surfacing of Urdu played a vital role in the dimension of Cultural development.

Influence of Mughal Empire on Paintings

Humayun laid the foundation of Mughal Painting in Persia.
Humayun on returning to India brought famous artists like Abdal Samad and Mir Sayyid Ali.
Miniature art forms of various mythological texts like Ramayana were produced in Persian.
Akbar was so fond of paintings and thus he established an Art Studio.
Mughal paintings were at their peak during Akbar’s reign but had just vanished under the Jahangir rule.

Influence of Mughal Empire on Music

Tansen under Akbar’s court introduced some of the famous ragas like Darbari, Mian ki Mand, etc.
Aurangzeb was a learned Veena player and a famous book ‘Tuhfat-ul-Hind’ was written for his grandson.
Apart from Akbar, the expansion of music was widespread under the rule of Shah Jahan and Jahangir.

Influence of Mughal Empire on Language

The Persian language was quite prominent during the Mughal rule.
Many words from Persian, Turkic and Arabic languages were taken and used in daily lives.

Influence of Mughal Empire on Literature

Many historical works were written during this period.
Akbar Nama and Ain-i-Akbari were some of the famous literary works during the Mughal Empire.
Abul Faiziwas the leading poet then. Under his supervision, the Mahabharata was translated into Persian.
Scholars like Ghiyas Beg, Naqib Khan, and Niamatullah were patronized by Jahangir.
Shah Jahan patronized writers like Abdul Hamid Lahori.
Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri, Jahangir’s autobiography was also published during this period.
Some of the famous Persian poets of that period include Naziri and Utbi.
Shah Jahan Nama was written by Inayat Khan and Nama.
Many regional languages like Gujarati, Rajasthani, and Oriya were also popularized by locals. Mahabharata and Ramayana were translated in them.

Influence of Mughal Empire on Growth of Trade

There were different kinds of traders in terms of the distance of trading which are as follows:

Long-distance traders: Bohra
Local traders: Banik
Bulk carrying traders: Banjaras moved long distances carrying the bulk of goods.

Certain traders were engaged in various trading activities, which include:

Multani Merchants: They had rich reserves of Gold and silver.
Bengali Merchants: They exported muslin (cotton cloth), rice, and silk.
Gujarat: It’s the place from where goods were imported and directed towards the northern part.
An extensive import of precious metals like Gold and silver took place during the Mughal Empire. In the west, different communities of Rajasthan were collectively named Marwaris.
The majority of trade merchants were Jain, Hindu, and Muslim while other communities also played a minor role in the Growth of Trade.
The period of the Mughal Empire had seen growth in certain parts but there were other areas where the growth and development remained stuck; agriculture being one of them.

8. Panel of PM, CJI, LoP to pick CEC, says court

Subject: Polity

Section: National Bodies

Concept:

A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in its landmark judgment has held that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners will be appointed by the President on the advice of a committee that includes:
- The Prime Minister,
- The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, or the leader of the single largest party in Opposition, and
- The Chief Justice of India (CJI)
- This judgement of the Supreme Court has put an end to the practice of appointing the CEC and ECs on the advice of the Council of Ministers, as is laid down in the Constitution.

How are the CEC and ECs currently appointed?

Under Article 324 (2), the President appoints the CEC and other Election Commissioners.
The President makes the appointment on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister.
The Constitution does not prescribe any qualifications, academic or otherwise, for appointment to these offices.
The tenure of office and the conditions of service of all the commissioners is determined by the President.
The tenure of commissioners is 6 years or up to the age of 65, whichever is earlier.
The CEC and the two other ECs have the same powers and emoluments, including salaries, which are the same as a Supreme Court judge.
All three commissioners have the same right of taking a decision. In case of a difference of opinion amongst the three members, the matter is decided by the Commission by a majority.
The Constitution has not debarred the retiring Election Commissioners from any further appointment by the Government.
Composition: The commission consists of a Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two Election Commissioners (ECs).

Can CEC and ECs be removed?

Article 324 of the Constitution of India mentions the provisions to safeguard and ensure the independent and impartial functioning of the Election Commission.
The CEC is provided with security of tenure.
He cannot be removed from his office except in the same manner and on the same grounds as a judge of the Supreme Court.
Any other election commissioner or a regional commissioner cannot be removed from office except on the recommendation of the CEC.

What does the recent Supreme Court ruling say?

The CEC and other ECs should be appointed by the President on the advice of a committee comprising the prime minister, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India.

9. Ancient city of Sisupalgarh

Subject : History

Section: Ancient India

Concept :

Land mafias have damaged a portion of the wall of the fortified ancient city of Sisupalgarh.

About Sisupalgarh:

It is located near the city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha.
It was once the capital of Kalinga, which is the ancient name of Odisha.
It is considered one of the largest and best-preserved ancient fortifications in India.
The fortifications are over 2,000 years old and date back to the 3rd or 4th century BC.
The remains of the fortification were discovered in 1948 by the Indian archaeologist B.B. Lal.

Features:

It was designed and constructed in a complete square shape that was surrounded by defensive walls.
Each side spreads for over half a mile, and the interior is full of stone ruins and sculptures.
The walls of the fortification are a little over nine meters (30 feet) tall.
There were eight gateways into the city, two in each of the four sides of the wall.
The gateways were connected by streets in a grid-like arrangement with the palace in the center.
The gates were elaborate structures made of brick and stone.
There is evidence of stone-lined reservoirs that were likely used for harvesting rainwater.
Intelligent traffic management, pedestrian-friendly pathways, grand gateways with guard houses, wide roads, and a vast open space were some of the key features of this ancient city.
The city is believed to have a population of around 20,000 to 25,000.

10. Young Defence Officers’ Exchange Programme

Subject: Schemes

Concept:

Fifteen officers from the Australian Defence Forces are visiting India from March 1 under the inaugural General Rawat India-Australia Young Defence Officers’ Exchange Programme that was announced in 2022.

About Young Defence Officers’ Exchange Programme

In 2022, in recognition of the contributions of India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, and the importance of deepening our defence relationship, the Australian and Indian governments announced an Australia-India Young Defence Officers’ Exchange Programme named in his honour.
The exchange programme is the latest in a series of military to military exchanges between the two countries.
It includes visits to the Air Force Academy, the College of Defence Management, the Defence Research and Development Organisation, Naval facilities in Goa, and other key defence installation.
The programme aims to expose young officers from Australia and India to each other’s training philosophies and capabilities.

11. Foreign Contribution Regulation Act

Subject :Polity

Section: Msc

Concept :

Recently, the Central government of India suspended the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR).

About Foreign Contribution Regulation Act:

This act was enacted during the Emergency in 1976 amid apprehensions that foreign powers were interfering in India’s affairs by pumping money into the country through independent organisations.
The FCRA requires every person or NGO seeking to receive foreign donations to be registered under the Act
To open a bank account for the receipt of foreign funds in the State Bank of India, Delhi.
To utilise those funds only for the purpose for which they have been received and as stipulated in the Act.

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020

The Act regulates the acceptance and utilization of foreign contributions by individuals, associations and companies.
Foreign contribution is the donation or transfer of any currency, security or article (of beyond a specified value) by a foreign source.
Prohibition to accept foreign Contributions: Certain persons are prohibited to accept any foreign contribution. These include;
Election candidates, editors or publishers of a newspaper, judges, government servants, members of any legislature, and political parties, among others.
The Bill adds public servants (as defined under the Indian Penal Code) to this list. A public servant includes any person who is in service or paid by the government or remunerated by the government for the performance of any public duty.
Transfer of foreign Contributions
Foreign contributions cannot be transferred to any other person unless such person is also registered to accept foreign contributions (or has obtained prior permission under the Act to obtain foreign contributions).
The Act prohibited the transfer of foreign contributions to any other person. The term ‘person’ under the Act includes an individual, an association, or a registered company.
Aadhar for registration
Any person seeking registration (or renewal of such registration) or prior permission for receiving a foreign contribution must make an application to the central government in the prescribed manner.
The Act adds that any person seeking prior permission, registration or renewal of registration must provide the Aadhar number of all its office bearers, directors or key functionaries, as an identification document.
In the case of a foreigner, they must provide a copy of their passport or the Overseas Citizen of India card for identification.
FCRA Account
Foreign contributions must be received only in an account designated by the bank as an “FCRA account” in such a branch of the State Bank of India, New Delhi, as notified by the central government.
No funds other than the foreign contribution should be received or deposited in this account.
The person may open another FCRA account in any scheduled bank of their choice for keeping or utilizing the received contribution.
Restriction in the utilization of foreign contributions
The Government may restrict the usage of unutilized foreign contributions for persons who have been granted prior permission to receive such contributions.
Renewal of licence
Certificate of Registration under FCRA is valid for 5 Years.
Every person who has been given a certificate of registration must renew the certificate within 6 months of expiration.
The Act provides that the government may conduct an inquiry before renewing the certificate.
Reduction in the use of foreign contributions for administrative purposes
A person who receives a foreign contribution must use it only for the purpose for which the contribution is received.
They must not use more than 20% of the contribution for meeting administrative expenses (earlier it was 50%).
Suspension of Registration
Earlier governments may suspend the registration of a person for a period not exceeding 180 days.
The Act adds that such suspension may be extended up to an additional 180 days.
The Union government reserves the right to cancel the FCRA registration of any NGO if it finds it to violate the Act.
Registration of the NGO can be cancelled for a range of reasons. Once the registration is cancelled, it is not eligible for re-registration for three years.
All orders of the government can be challenged in the High Court.

12. Remembering Maulana Azad

Subject: History

Section: Personality

Context: Historian S Irfan Habib’s biography, Maulana Azad: A Life, throws light on the man who stood against Muslim League’s demand for Pakistan

Concept:

He born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia in 1888, his family relocated to Calcutta (now Kolkata) two years after his birth.
He studied a variety of languages such as Persian, Urdu and Arabic, and subjects such as history, philosophy and geometry.

Contribution to freedom struggle

In 1912, Azad started publishing a weekly called Al-Hilalwhich he used as a weapon to attack and question British policies. The publication gained immense popularity among the masses, so much so that the British finally banned it in 1914.
Azad soon started another weekly, Al-Balagh, which ran until he was externed under Defence of India Regulations in 1916. The governments of Bombay, Punjab, Delhi, and United Provinces had banned his entry and he was deported to Bihar until 1920.
After his release, Azad, already inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-cooperation to fight the British, started leading the Khilafat Movement, launched by Indian Muslims to demand that the British preserve the authority of the ‘Ottoman Sultan as Caliph of Islam after World War I’.
He became the youngest party leader in 1923.
In 1942, he along with the rest of the leadership was arrested and put in jail for four years for participating in the Quit India movement.
A little before Partition, he stuck his neck out against Muslim League’s demand for a separate homeland for Muslims and beseeched the minority not to leave the trusted shores of India for the untried waters of Pakistan.

Free India

Azad was a strong believer in the co-existence of all religious communities. He was deeply affected by the violence witnessed during India’s Partition. Azad travelled through the violence-affected regions of Bengal, Assam and Punjab and contributed in establishing the refugee camps and ensured supply of food and other basic resources.
The 7th schedule of the Constitution lists subjects on which the central and state governments can enact legislation. Under British India, education had been listed as a subject, for which only provinces could enact legislation. Maulana Azad was strongly against leaving education to the states.
As first education minister of the country from 1947 to 1958, he advocated for free and compulsory primary education for all children up to the age of 14 as he believed it was the right of all citizens,with an emphasis on rural and girl’s education
Later, he went on to establish the Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi and contributed to the setting up of the IITs.
He was also one of the brains behind the University Grants Commission, India’s higher education regulator, and played a key role in the establishment of other educational institutions.
He built literary and cultural bodies like the Sahitya Akademi, Lalit Kala Akademi and the Sangeet Natak Akademi, etc.
His birthday, 11 November, is celebrated as National Education Day.

13. Sugarcane workers

Subject: Geography

Section: Economic Geography

Context – Exploitation of sugarcane workers

Concept –

Sugar

India is today the world’s top producer andconsumer of sugar, and the second largest exporter, as per government data

In India, Sugarcane is grown as a Kharif Crop. It needs hot and humid climate with an average temperature of 21°C to 27°C.
75-150 cm rainfall is favorable for sugar cane cultivation.
Irrigation needed for areas with lesser rainfall.
Sugarcane can grow in any soil which can retain moisture. Ideal soil for sugarcane is deep rich loamy soil. The soil needs to be rich in nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus but neither it should be neither too acidic nor too alkaline.

Sugar Industry’s Location in India

Sugar industry is broadly distributed over two major areas of production– Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Punjab in the north and Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the south.
South India has tropical climate which is suitable for higher sucrose content giving higher yield per unit area as compared to north India.

14. SpaceX launches U.S., Russia, UAE astronauts to space station

Subject : Science and Technology

Section: Space

Context: A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule has arrived safely at the International Space Station (ISS), carrying two US astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut and a United Arab Emirates astronaut to begin a six-month science mission.

About the mission

The coupling was confirmed as the ISS and capsule flew in tandem at 28,164 km/h (17,500 miles per hour) some 240km (250 miles) above Earth across the coast of East Africa, according to a live NASA webcast of the rendezvous.
The four-member team was assigned to conduct more than 200 experiments and technology demonstrations on board the space station, ranging from research on human cell growth in space to controlling combustible materials in microgravity.
Some of the research will help pave the way for future long-duration human expeditions to the Moon and beyond under NASA’s Artemis programme, its successor to Apollo, the US space agency said.
The ISS crew is also responsible for performing maintenance and repairs on board the station, and to prepare for the arrival and departure of other astronauts and cargo payloads.
Designated Crew 6, the mission marks the sixth long-duration ISS team that SpaceX has flown for NASA since the private rocket venture founded by billionaire Elon Musk began sending American astronauts to orbit in May 2020. Musk is CEO of electric carmaker Tesla and social media platform Twitter.
The latest crew was led by Stephen Bowen, 59, a former US Navy submarine officer who has logged more than 40 days in orbit as a veteran of three Space Shuttle flights and seven spacewalks.

International Space Station:

The ISS is a manmade space station or artificial satellite that is habitable for humans in space.
It is in the low-earth orbit and there are astronauts living onboard the space station conducting experiments on earth science, biology, biotechnology, astronomy, microgravity, meteorology, physics, etc.
The International Space Station was the brainchild of former US President Ronald Reagan, who in 1984 proposed building a permanently inhabited spacecraft in cooperation with a few other countries.
The ISS was developed and built by five space agencies namely, NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), European Space Agency (ESA-Europe), JAXA (Japan) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA-Canada).
The station is divided into two sections: the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS) is operated by Russia, while the United States Orbital Segment (USOS) is run by the United States as well as many other nations.

How will the ISS retire?

According to NASA, the ISS’ re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere will take place in January 2031.
Mission control will first lower its altitude and then descent into the South Pacific Oceanic Uninhabited Area (SPOUA), in an area known as Point Nemo.
- Point Nemo is a sort of space cemetery, where decommissioned space debris are often brought to rest. It is located at a distance of 2,700 km from any land. The place has been named after a character in Jules Verne’s novel “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

What’s next for the ISS?

According to NASA, once it retires, the ISS will be replaced by “one or more commercially-owned and -operated” space platforms.

Crew Dragon:

It is a part of the Dragon 2, a class of reusable spacecraft developed and manufactured by American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX.
It is the fifth class of US spacecraft to take human beings into orbit, after the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs.
The rocket, named Falcon 9, which carried the spaceship into the orbit, was also built by SpaceX.
It is done under the Demo-2 Mission of NASA and SpaceX.

Crew-2 Mission

It is a part of collaboration between NASA and SpaceX under the Commercial Crew Program.
It is the second crew rotation of the SpaceX Crew Dragon and the first with international partners.

Commercial Crew Program

Its main objective is to make access to space easier in terms of its cost, so that cargo and crew can be easily transported to and from the ISS, enabling greater scientific research.
The NASA plans to lower its costs by sharing them with commercial partners such as Boeing and SpaceX through Commercial Crew Program.
It gives the companies incentive to design and build the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS).
NASA can focus on building spacecraft and rockets meant for deep space exploration missions.

What is Artemis-1 mission?

NASA’s Artemis mission is touted as the next generation of lunar exploration and is named after the twin sister of Apollo from Greek mythology.
Artemis is also the goddess of the moon.
It is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will enable human exploration to the Moon and Mars.
With the Artemis programme, NASA aims to land humans on the moon by 2024, and it also plans to land the first woman and first person of colour on the moon.
NASA will establish an Artemis Base Camp on the surface and a gateway (the lunar outpost around the Moon) in lunar orbit to aid exploration by robots and astronauts.
The gateway is a critical component of NASA’s sustainable lunar operations and will serve as a multi-purpose outpost orbiting the moon.