IASbhai DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS(THE HINDU+LIVEMINT+PIB)
Be sure what you want and be sure about yourself.-Adriana Lima
ORANGE COLOUR: Important for Prelims.
RED COLOUR: Important for Mains.
BLACK COLOUR: Must Read !
BLUE COLOUR : Important Links/Survey.
PINK COLOUR: Reports/Themes/Summits.
Page Contents:
38 World Heritage Sites
HEADLINES:
India has 38 World Heritage Sites at present
WHY IN NEWS:
At present, India has 38 World Heritage Sites. The world heritage sites are well conserved and in good shape.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 1:Culture
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS its important to map them out ! Keep a note on new entries and any venue which is in news!
For MAINS you have to understand the significance of WHS.
ISSUE:
WHY WORLD HERITAGE SITES ?
UNESCO’S WORLD HERITAGE MISSION IS TO:
- Encourage countries to sign the World Heritage Convention and to ensure the protection of their natural and cultural heritage;
- Encourage States Parties to the Convention to nominate sites within their national territory for inclusion on the World Heritage List;
- Encourage States Parties to establish management plans and set up reporting systems on the state of conservation of their World Heritage sites;
- Help States Parties safeguard World Heritage properties by providing technical assistance and professional training;
- Provide emergency assistance for World Heritage sites in immediate danger;
- Support States Parties’ public awareness-building activities for World Heritage conservation;
- Encourage participation of the local population in the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage;
- Encourage international cooperation in the conservation of our world’s cultural and natural heritage.
CULTURAL SITES:
UNDER PROTECTION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA (22)
| S.No | Name of Site | State |
| 1 | Agra Fort (1983) | Uttar Pradesh |
| 2 | Ajanta Caves (1983) | Maharashtra |
| 3 | Ellora Caves (1983) | Maharashtra |
| 4 | Taj Mahal (1983) | Uttar Pradesh |
| 5 | Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984) | Tamil Nadu |
| 6 | Sun Temple, Konarak (1984) | Odisha |
| 7 | Churches and Convents of Goa (1986) | Goa |
| 8 | Fatehpur Sikri (1986) | Uttar Pradesh |
| 9 | Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986) | Karnataka |
| 10 | Khajuraho, Group of Temples (1986) | Madhya Pradesh |
| 11 | Elephanta Caves ( 1987) | Maharashtra |
| 12 | Great Living Chola Temples at Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram (1987 & 2004) | Tamil Nadu |
| 13 | Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987) | Karnataka |
| 14 | Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989) | Madhya Pradesh |
| 15 | Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi (1993) | Delhi |
| 16 | Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993) | Delhi |
| 17 | Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003) | Madhya Pradesh |
| 18 | Champaner-Pavagarh Archaeological Park (2004) | Gujarat |
| 19 | Red Fort Complex, Delhi (2007) | Delhi |
| 20 | Hill Forts of Rajasthan (Chittaurgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Jaisalmer and Ranthambhore, Amber and Gagron Forts) (2013) (Amber and Gagron Forts are under protection of Rajasthan State Archaeology and Museums) | Rajasthan |
| 21 | Rani-ki-Vav (The Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan (2014) | Gujarat |
| 22 | Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) at Nalanda (2016) | Bihar |
UNDER PROTECTION OF MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (2)
| 23. | Mountain Railways of India ( Darjeeling,1999), Nilgiri (2005), Kalka-Shimla(2008) | West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh |
| 24. | Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004) | Maharashtra |
UNDER PROTECTION OF BODHGAYA TEMPLE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (1)
| 25 | Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya, (2002) | Bihar |
UNDER PROTECTION OF RAJASTHAN STATE ARCHAEOLOGY AND MUSEUMS (1)
| 26. | The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010) | Rajasthan |
UNDER PROTECTION OF CHANDIGARH ADMINISTRATION (1)
| 27. | The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (2016) | Chandigarh |
UNDER PROTECTION OF AHMEDABAD MUNICIPAL CORPORATION (1)
| 28. | Historic City of Ahmedabad (2017) | Gujarat |
UNDER PROTECTION OF BOMBAY MUNICIPAL CORPORATION (1)
| 29. | Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai (2018) | Govt of Maharashtra |
UNDER PROTECTION OF JAIPUR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION (1)
| 30. | Jaipur City, Rajasthan (2019) | Govt of Rajasthan |
NATURAL SITES: (7)
UNDER PROTECTION OF MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGES
| 31. | Kaziranga National Park (1985) | Assam |
| 32. | Keoladeo National Park (1985) | Rajasthan |
| 33. | Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985) | Assam |
| 34. | Sunderbans National Park (1987) | West Bengal |
| 35. | Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988, 2005) | Uttarakhand |
| 36. | Western Ghats (2012) | Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra,Tamil Nadu |
| 37 | Great Himalayan National Park (2014) | Himachal Pradesh |
MIXED SITE: (1)
UNDER PROTECTION OF MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGES
| 38. | Khangchendzonga National Park (2016) | Sikkim |
IASbhai WINDUP:
SOURCES:PIB/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains
Defexpo:Outcomes
HEADLINES:
Outcomes of recently held Defexpo
WHY IN NEWS:
The 11th edition of Defexpo was organized from 05-09 February, 2020 at Sector-15, Vrindavan Yojna, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Defence
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS it is important to know what are the outcomes of such summits and thereby for UPSC PRELIMS analysing MOU’s or any other pacts
For MAINS keep an eye on advantages and New initiatives . This can be an important question !
ISSUE:
These include 14 MoUs signed at the 5th India-Russia Military Industrial Conference between Russian defence companies and Indian companies under the framework of Inter Government Agreement (IGA) between the two countries.
THE ADVANTAGES IN ORGANIZING SUCH EVENTS ARE :
- Defence Exhibitions provide an opportunity for the domestic manufacturing industry to showcase their range of products and services to the prospective foreign companies and try to become a part of their global supply chain.
- Aligned with the ‘Make in India’ vision, 292 Indian MSMEs participated at subsidised rates.
- Through the India Pavilion, Innovative technologies by Indian Start-ups were showcased to the world thus giving a fillip to the Indian Defence start-up manufacturing eco-system.
- This edition received unprecedented response with 1000+ exhibitors, 35+ Foreign Defence Ministers and over 12 lakh visitors.
- Youth of Uttar Pradesh were exposed to newer avenues in the field of Defence Manufacturing.
- The exhibition generated a revenue of over Rs. 90 crore and Lucknow received business for Hotels, Food and vehicles renting.
- Foreign Investment in India will ensue due to the 200 forged partnerships during the exposition.
STEPS TAKEN TO ACHIEVE SELF-RELIANCE IN DEFENCE PRODUCTION:-
- Two Defence Industrial Corridors have been established in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
- Defence Procurement Procedure was revised in 2016 to stimulate the growth of domestic Defence industry. A new category ‘Buy {Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured’)} was introduced to promote indigenous design and development of Defence equipment.
- ‘Make-II’ category encourages indigenous development by assurance for orders.
- Department of Defence Production has notified 127 items under Public Procurement Order 2017. Accordingly, DPSUs and OFB are required to give preference to domestic manufacturers while procuring these items.
- Defence Investor Cell (DIC) has been created in February, 2018 to provide all necessary guidance and information to investors, innovators, MSMEs and Start-ups interested in defence manufacturing in India.
- An innovation ecosystem to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace titled Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) has been launched in April, 2018.
- FDI Policy has been revised and FDI is allowed under automatic route upto 49% and upto 100% with Government approvals.
- Defence Products list requiring Industrial Licences has been rationlised.
- In March, 2019 Government has notified a Policy for indigenization of components and spares used in Defence Platforms.
IASbhai WINDUP:
The signing of MoUs/ToTs are a step in the direction to achieve the target of Rs 35,000 crore defence exports target in next 5 years.
Government of UP signed 23 MoUs and anticipate an investment of Rs 50,000 crore in the U.P. Defence Corridor.
SOURCES:PIB/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains
Reforms in Exploration and Licensing Policy
HEADLINES:
Reforms in Exploration and Licensing Policy
WHY IN NEWS:
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is working in collaboration with various Central Government Ministries/stakeholders to make efforts to achieve reduction in import dependency on oil.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Exploration and Licensing Policy
ISSUE:
The Roadmap has highlighted various strategies/initiatives which can be taken for reducing import dependency, for which disaggregated level targets have not been indicated.
As per the schedule stipulated in Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP)/Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP), four bidding rounds have so far been finalized in which 94 exploration blocks have been awarded covering an area of approximately 1,36,790 sq. km.
Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP)
Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) is a policy adopted by Government of India on 10.03.2016 indicating the new contractual and fiscal model for award of hydrocarbon acreages towards exploration and production (E&P).
FEATURES OF HELP
Four main aspects of HELP are:
- Uniform License: It provides for a uniform licensing system to cover all hydrocarbons such as oil, gas, coal bed methane etc. under a single licensing framework.
- Open Acreages: It gives the option to a hydrocarbon company to select the exploration blocks throughout the year without waiting for the formal bid round from the Government.
- Revenue Sharing Model: Present fiscal system of production sharing contract (PSC) is replaced by an easy to administer “revenue sharing model”.
Under the new regime, the Government will not be concerned with the cost incurred and will receive a share of the gross revenue from the sale of oil, gas etc.
Bidders will be required to quote revenue share in their bids and this will be a key parameter for selecting the winning bid.
They will quote a different share at two levels of revenue called “lower revenue point” and “higher revenue point”.
Revenue share for intermediate points will be calculated by linear interpolation.
- Marketing and Pricing Freedom: has been granted, subject to a ceiling price limit, for new gas production from Deepwater, Ultra Deepwater and High Pressure-High Temperature Areas.
OTHER FEATURES OF HELP ARE:
- Exploration is allowed through-out the contract period.
- Exploration Phase for onshore areas have been increased from 7 years to 8 years and for offshore increased from 8 years to 10 years.
- A concessional royalty regime will be implemented for deep water and ultra-deep water areas.
- This policy provides for a uniform, non-discretionary framework for extension of contract in respect of 28 Pre-NELP discovered fields.
OBJECTIVES OF HELP
- enhance domestic oil and gas production
- bring substantial investment
- generate sizable employment
- enhance transparency and
- reduce administrative discretion
Further, in order to improve the availability of ethanol Second Generation (2G) route and allowed use of other feedstocks like grains, sugarcane juice, fruit and vegetable wastes etc. for production of ethanol.
IASbhai WINDUP:
The Government, through Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), is implementing Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme and Biodiesel blending programme for blending of ethanol and biodiesel with Petrol and High Speed Diesel respectively.
SOURCES:PIB/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains
Mission Solar Charkha
HEADLINES:
AIMS and Objectives of Mission Solar Charkha
WHY IN NEWS:
Hot from PIB!
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:MSME
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS understand the aim and objective of this mission.
For MAINS go with the implementation process drawbacks and issues concerning such schemes.
ISSUE:
BACKGROUND
A pilot project on Solar Charkha was implemented at Khanwa village, Nawada District of Bihar in 2016.
AIM AND OBJECTIVE:
- To ensure inclusive growth by generation of employment, especially for women and youth and sustainable development through solar charkha cluster in rural areas.
- To boost rural economy and help in arresting migration from rural to urban areas.
- To leverage low-cost, innovative technologies and processes for substance.
FEATURES
Till date, 10 projects have been approved under Mission Solar Charkha.
One Solar Charkha cluster has been identified in Andhra Pradesh.
The scheme envisages to generate direct employment to nearly one lakh persons.
IASbhai WINDUP:
The promoter agency will form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), before the release of the first instalment of funds, possibly a Section – 8 Company or a Producer company under the Companies Act, 2013 for putting up the integrated model of solar charkhas, solar looms, sewing machines etc. with one village being a focal village.
SOURCES:PIB/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains
Death penalty
HEADLINES:
Getting the hang of death penalty
WHY IN NEWS:
India is one of only 58 countries that have the death penalty on their statute book and have used it in the recent past. In 1967, the Law Commission had argued to retain capital punishment, but in 2015 it stated that ‘retribution cannot be reduced to vengeance’
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 2:Death Sentence:Judiciary:Governance
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS it is important to understand in which cases death penalty is hammered ! Anf the most important convict has what options left with him/her.Names here are not important.
For MAINS this is a very important article in which you will find the chronology of events regarding death penalty.Go through it.
ISSUE:
The debate over the death sentence is going on for a long time. Those in favour of capital punishment see it as a deterrence against such type of crimes while others opine that it has not had any such effect.
FIRST INITIATIVE
In British India’s Legislative Assembly, the first time an issue was raised regarding capital punishment was in 1931, when one of the Members from Bihar, Gaya Prasad Singh, sought to introduce a Bill to abolish the death penalty for offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
However, this was defeated.
At the time of Independence, India retained several laws put in place by the British colonial government, including capital punishment for various crimes under the IPC.
The CrPC was re-enacted in 1973 where several changes were made, notably to Section 354(3) mandating judges to provide special reasons for why they imposed the death sentence.
LAW COMMISSION REPORTS
In 1967, the 35th Report of the Law Commission had argued for retention of capital punishment in India.
The report stated that retribution should not be understood as an “eye for an eye”, but in its refined form as public denunciation of crime.
It also stated that there are a category of individuals who are “cruel and wicked”, and are not capable of reform.
A major reason stated in the report for the retention of capital punishment was the unique condition of India, and the society then prevalent.
About half-a-century later, the Law Commission, in its 262th Report, highlighted that the death penalty does not serve the penological goal of deterrence any more than life imprisonment.
The commission, in its report published in 2015, recommended that the death penalty be abolished for all crimes other than terrorism-related offences and waging war against the State.
RAREST OF RARE CASES
The first legal challenge to the constitutionality of the death penalty came in the 1973 case of Jagmohan Singh vs State of Uttar Pradesh in which the petitioners argued that the death penalty was against the Constitution.
The Supreme Court, however, found that the death penalty was a permissible punishment.
This was followed by the 1980 landmark verdict of the top court in the Bachan Singh case where it upheld the constitutionality of the death penalty but confined its application to the ‘rarest of rare cases’, to reduce the arbitrariness of the penalty.
INTERNATIONAL SCENARIO
Internationally, countries are classified on their death penalty status based on four categories:
- Abolitionist for all crimes(Ex:2017: Mongolia and Guinea abolished the death penalty for all crimes.)
- Abolitionist for ordinary crimes,(Ex:Brazil , Israel ; Countries whose laws provide for the death penalty only for exceptional crimes such as crimes under military law or crimes committed in exceptional circumstances.)
- Abolitionist de facto, (Ex:South Korea .Countries and territories which retain the death penalty for ordinary crimes but have not executed. anyone during the past 10 years or more)
- Retentionist.(Ex:India ,USA,UAE . Countries and territories that retain the death penalty for ordinary crimes.)
This brought the number of countries which are abolitionist in law or practice to 140.
At the same time, 58 countries are regarded as retentionist, who still have the death penalty on their statute book and have used it in the recent past. This list includes some of the most populous nations in the world, including India, China, Indonesia and the United States.
Neighbouring countries such as Nepal officially abolished the death penalty in 1990 and did not reintroduce it even in the aftermath of the civil war.
Sri Lanka, despite a long civil war, has maintained a moratorium on the penalty, the commission report said.
RECENT EXECUTIONS
2015:Yakub Memon was executed by hanging in Nagpur Central Jail for his role in the 1993 Bombay bombings.
2013:Afzal Guru, who was convicted for his role in the 2001 Parliament attack, was executed in February 2013.
2012, Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, was hanged at Yerwada Jail in Pune.
2004: Dhananjoy Chatterjee for the crimes of rape and murder of a 14-year-old schoolgirl.
NO CLEAR DATA
As per Project 39A, India has executed around 755 persons since Independence.
Its report said that Uttar Pradesh carried out the highest number of executions at 366.
Also, the Bareilly District Jail in the State has the distinction of carrying out 130 executions, the highest of all jails in the country, with the last execution being carried out on September 24, 1988.
Delhi’s Tihar Central Prisons carried out 25 executions, the last one of Afzal Guru on February 9, 2013.
“Though we at Project 39A have tried our best to collate data from various sources, it is an unfortunate truth that the prisons and other government departments do not have accurate records of the people they have executed,” Project 39A stated.
“Hence, we continue our struggle to get accurate data on the administration of the death penalty in India and are hindered by an absolute lack of coordination between different official sources,” .
A CASE FOR ABOLITION
“The notion of “an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” has no place in our constitutionally mediated criminal justice system.
It pointed out that even the Supreme Court has on numerous occasions expressed concern about arbitrary sentencing in death penalty cases.
“The court has noted that it is difficult to distinguish cases where death penalty has been imposed from those where the alternative of life imprisonment has been applied,” it said.
The commission had stated that the constitutional regulation of capital punishment attempted in Bachan Singh case has failed to prevent death sentences from being “arbitrarily and freakishly imposed”.
The commission had put a case for abolition of death penalty, except terrorism-related offences and waging war, noting,“Retribution has an important role to play in punishment.
However, it cannot be reduced to vengeance”.
IASbhai WINDUP:
SOURCES:THE HINDU/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan
HEADLINES:
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is transforming the living conditions in villages-HRD Minister
WHY IN NEWS:
Hot from PIB !
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:SCHEME
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS though it has once been asked in Prelims ! We will discuss this issue again with a new version of it !
For MAINS nothing much here.
ISSUE:
UNNAT BHARAT ABHIYAN (UBA)
AIM AND OBJECTIVE
- To engage the faculty and students of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in identifying development issues in rural areas and finding sustainable solutions for the same.
- Identify & select existing innovative technologies, enable customisation of technologies, or devise implementation method for innovative solutions, as required by the people.
- To allow HEIs to contribute to devising systems for smooth implementation of various Government programmes.
FEATURES
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is inspired by the vision of transformational change in rural development processes by leveraging knowledge institutions to help build the architecture of an Inclusive India.
Currently under the scheme UBA, 13072 villages have been adopted by 2474 Institutes.
The technological interventions under the UBA cover different subjects broadly categorized like in the area of
- sustainable agriculture;
- water resource management;
- artisans, industries and livelihood;
- basic amenities (infrastructure & services) and
- rural energy system.
IASbhai WINDUP:
With the interventions in the abovementioned areas, various new and old technologies has been developed which have transformed the living conditions in villages and has been beneficial for rural India.
SOURCES:PIB/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains
‘India still in second transmission stage’
HEADLINES:
‘India still in second transmission stage’
WHY IN NEWS:
Will know trends by tomorrow: officials
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Diseases
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS just update your raw information about COVID with respect to temperature and season .
ISSUE:
He said the ICMR was doing random testing to understand and gain any indication of community transmission.
“We will be getting the results of our random sampling by Wednesday, which will give us a flavour of where we are headed. As of now, the transmission is localised and our labs are receiving very few samples, and can test far more than the the number of samples that we are getting,” .
The ICMR has also noted that it has intensified random sample testing of people who show flu-like symptoms but don’t have a travel history to any coronavirus-hit nation.
Asked if weather conditions had an impact on the virus, he said:
SOURCES:THE HINDU/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains
Let us ‘Discuss’
IASbhai WINDUP:
Let us know what you think about this in the comment section.
SOURCES:THE HINDU/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains
