Daily Prelims Notes 27 January 2024
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Daily Prelims Notes
27 January 2024
Table Of Contents
- Climate change, war disrupting global trade in 3 key sea lanes of Black Sea, Red Sea & Panama Canal: UNCTAD
- Union govt. makes it clear that Aadhaar card no proof of citizenship, birth date
- Jet engine deal with France will give 100% access to tech
- Rare golden tiger snapped in Kaziranga
Subject: IR
Section: Places in news
Context: UN body warns that prolonged interruptions, particularly in container shipping, poses a direct threat to global supply chains
Details:
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) expressed concern on January 26, 2024, over increasing disruptions in global trade caused due to the impact of climate change and war on shipping in three key sea lanes: The Black Sea, the Red Sea and the Panama Canal.
Choke points
Black Sea
- The disruption in global trade first began on February 24, 2022, when Russian troops invaded Ukraine on the express orders of President Vladimir Putin.
- Russia also launched a blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports such as Odessa and Mykolayiv through which much of the global supply of wheat, sunflower oil and maize was exported through ‘choke points’ like the Straits of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles to the Mediterranean and globally.
- Russia and Ukraine signed a landmark deal — The Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered by the United Nations and Turkey— in Istanbul on July 22, 2022, to allow the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports from ports on the Black Sea. In July 2023, Russia refused to renew the initiative after it expired.
Panama Canal
- The Panama Canal, running across the isthmus of Panama that connects North and South America, saves time for ships travelling between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by five months. Ships would otherwise have to travel to Cape Horn or the Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of South America.
Red Sea
- Global trade has also been affected in the Red Sea, which connects the Mediterranean (through the Suez Canal at its northern end) with the Indian Ocean (through the Strait of Bab El Mandeb in the south).
- The Houthis of Yemen have been attacking shipping in the waterway in the wake of the Israel-Gaza Conflict which began on October 7, 2023.
Impact:
- Avoiding the Suez and Panama Canal necessitates more days of shipping, resulting in increased expenses. The price per day of shipping and insurance premiums have surged, compounding the overall cost of transit.
- Additionally, ships are compelled to travel faster to compensate for detours, burning more fuel per mile and emitting more CO2, further exacerbating environmental concerns,
2. Union govt. makes it clear that Aadhaar card no proof of citizenship, birth date
Subject: Polity
Section: Constitution
Context:
- New Aadhaar cards and PDF versions now explicitly state that they are only proof of identity, not citizenship or date of birth.
- Government departments and organizations are cautioned against using Aadhaar for citizenship or birth date verification.
More About News:
- Aadhaar has never served as proof of citizenship, as even foreign nationals living in India for 180 days are eligible to obtain one.
- Offline authentication of Aadhaar requires scanning the QR code or using an XML file issued by UIDAI.
- Some organizations, like the Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), no longer accept Aadhaar as proof of birth date based on a recent circular.
- Updates: A 2018 memorandum clarified that Aadhaar is not proof of birth date.
About Aadhaar
- Aadhaar, a 12-digit unique identification number, is issued by the UIDAI to every Indian resident.
- Brought by Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies,Benefits and Services) Act, 2016.
- It serves as proof of identity, tied to biometric and demographic data.
- Launched in 2009, the Aadhaar program aims to offer a distinct and verifiable identity for all Indian residents.
Citizenship
- Citizenship is listed in the Union List under the Constitution and thus is under the exclusive jurisdiction of Parliament.
- The Constitution does not define the term ‘citizen’ but details of various categories of persons who are entitled to citizenship are given in Part 2 (Articles 5 to 11).
- Unlike other provisions of the Constitution, which came into being on January 26, 1950, these articles were enforced on November 26, 1949 itself, when the Constitution was adopted.
3. Jet engine deal with France will give 100% access to tech
Subject: Science and tech
Section: Defence
Context:
- India is in discussions with France to manufacture an engine for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a fifth-generation fighter jet.
- Talks involve Safran, DRDO, and India’s Aeronautical Development Agency to establish specifications aligning with India’s fighter jet requirements.
About Indigenous Engine Development:
- India’s deal with General Electric (GE) involves manufacturing the F-414 engine, enhancing India’s jet engine capabilities.
- The F-414 engines will power the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-MK2 and the initial version of the AMCA, marking significant progress from past unsuccessful attempts at local engine development under the Kaveri project.
About Kaveri project
- The Kaveri program aimed to create an indigenous military gas turbine engine for the LCA project in 1986.
- Despite spending over ₹2,000 crore, the program did not fulfil the required technical standards.
- Due to Kaveri’s ongoing development, India opted for interim American GE-F404 engines for LCA Tejas Mark-1.
AMCA
- AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) is India’s fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter aircraft project.
- AMCA is being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in collaboration with HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited).
4. Rare golden tiger snapped in Kaziranga
Subject: Environment
Section: Protected Area
Context:
- Gaurav Ramnarayanan, a wildlife photographer from Coimbatore, captured a rare golden tiger in Kaziranga National Park on January 24.
About Genetic Study by Researchers:
- The golden appearance results from a genetic variant or mutation, with the absence of black pigmentation and faded orange colour.
About Golden Tiger (Kazi 106 F)
- Kazi 106 F Golden Tiger, a tigress in Kaziranga National Park, Assam, is also known as the ‘Tabby tiger’ or ‘Strawberry tiger.’
- Tigers typically have orange-yellow skin with black stripes and a whitish abdominal region.
- The tigress’s colour variation is influenced by agouti and tabby genes, which control the yellow background and black stripes respectively, affecting the expression of pigments in her fur.
Kaziranga National Park
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