26 August 2023 : Daily Current Affairs
Daily Current Affairs
26-August-2023
Daily Current Affairs For UPSC ,Daily Current affairs of The hIndu and Indian Express.
1. 28-ft Nataraja sculpture from Tamil Nadu to grace G-20 venue in Delhi.
Topic: GS1 – Indian art and culture
Context:
- A 28-foot Nataraja statue, the world’s tallest of its kind, is being transported from Swamimalai, Tamil Nadu to New Delhi.
- The statue is intended for display in front of the venue of the G-20 Leaders’ Summit scheduled in New Delhi next month.
About Nataraja sculpture:
- Nataraja is a significant Hindu deity, symbolizing Lord Shiva in his cosmic dance form.
- The dance of Nataraja represents the continuous cycle of creation, preservation, destruction, and rebirth.
- The sculpture often features Lord Shiva dancing within a circle of flames, with one foot raised.
- Nataraja sculptures are rich in symbolism, portraying various elements like the destruction of ignorance, cosmic balance, and the rhythm of the universe.
- The gesture of Lord Shiva’s hands in the Nataraja pose carries symbolic meanings, such as protection and granting blessings.
- Nataraja sculptures are found in various sizes and materials, often crafted using bronze due to its durability and intricate detailing.
- These sculptures are prominent in South Indian temples, especially from the Chola period, showcasing exceptional artistic craftsmanship.
- Nataraja sculptures continue to hold cultural, religious, and artistic significance, symbolizing the interconnectedness of the spiritual and material worlds.
Mains question: Examine the historical and artistic significance of the Nataraja sculpture, highlighting its representation, materials used, and its relevance in the context of Indian cultural heritage.
2. Those who can’t tolerate criticism are unfit to hold public office, says HC judge
Topic: GS4 – ethics
Context:
- Justice N. Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court declined to take action against critics of his suo motu revision of a case involving Higher Education.
More about the news:
- The judge emphasized that public office holders should be able to tolerate criticism and that those who cannot handle criticism are unfit for such positions.
- He stated that he is committed to his duties and that criticism will not deter him from acting in accordance with his conscience as a judge.
- The judge addressed a lawyer’s concern about imaginary theories circulating on social media after comments from DMK organisation secretary R.S. Bharathi.
- He noted that social media discussions are inevitable but the court is not influenced by them.
- Justice Anand Venkatesh highlighted the court’s preparedness to face such situations and stressed that it is not governed by social media opinions.
Importance – News can be mentioned as a case study in ethics/GS2 paper
3. Why did Chandrayaan-3 land on the near side of the moon?
Topic: GS3 – Science and technology
What’s in the news
- The near side of the moon is the side that is always visible from Earth.
- The far side of the moon is the side that is never visible from Earth.
- The near side is relatively smoother and has many more maria than the far side.
- The far side has huge craters, thousands of kilometers wide.
- Chandrayaan-3 landed on the near side, but it is the closest any lunar mission has come to the lunar South Pole.
- The mission’s goal was to land as close to the South Pole as possible in order to increase the chances of encountering frozen water-ice.
- Landing on the far side would have meant no direct communication with Earth, so the Chandrayaan-3 orbiter was used as a relay.
Here are some additional details:
- The South Pole is a region of the moon that is of particular interest to scientists because it is thought to be rich in water ice.
- Water ice is a valuable resource that could be used for drinking, fuel, and other purposes.
- The Chandrayaan-3 mission is the first Indian mission to land on the near side of the moon.
- The mission is expected to provide valuable data about the moon’s surface and its resources.
4. India and Greece pledge to upgrade ties to become strategic partners
Topic: GS2 – International relations
What’s in the news
- India and Greece have elevated their bilateral relationship to the level of a strategic partnership.
- The announcement was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Athens.
Moe about the news:
- The two countries will collaborate in the defense sector and finalize an agreement on migration mobility to facilitate the movement of skilled individuals.
- Both leaders expressed their commitment to freedom of navigation, with concerns in the Eastern Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific regions highlighted.
- Defense industries and military ties between India and Greece will be strengthened.
- Cultural and academic exchanges between educational institutions will be promoted, along with increased people-to-people contacts.
- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized the historical ties between India and Greece, seeking investment from Indian entities.
- This move marks a significant step in enhancing cooperation and relations between the two nations.
Mains question: What are the key aspects and significance of the upgraded strategic partnership between India and Greece?
5. Rover moving on Moon, has already covered 8 metres, all payloads are performing: ISRO
Topic: GS3-Science and Tech
Context:
- Two days after Chandrayaan-3 landed on the Moon, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released the first video of the rover moving on the lunar surface.
- In an update later, the space agency confirmed that the rover had covered a distance of 8 metres on the lunar surface and the two science experiments it was carrying had also been switched on.
Technical details:
- The rover is capable of travelling a total distance of 500 metres.
- A two-segment foldable ramp on the lander module helped the rover roll down with a cord attached to it. The cord was retracted after the rover touched the surface of the Moon.
- As it was rolling out, a solar panel also opened up, allowing the rover to generate 50W power for its journey.
- Rover payloads LIBS (LASER Induced Breakdown Spectroscope) and APXS (Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer) had been switched on.
- Data collected by the rover is sent to the lander, which then communicates with the orbiter of the previous Chandrayaan mission.
- The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter then transmits the data to Earth. With this, all experiments have now been turned on to collect data during the lunar day.
- The instruments will carry out experiments and observations over the next two weeks.
- They are expected to become inactive once the lunar night descends because of lack of sunlight.
6. India-Greece relations:
Topic: GS2-IR
Context:
- In the first prime ministerial visit to Greece after 40 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis decided to elevate bilateral ties to strategic partnership, promised to double bilateral trade by 2030 and agreed to firm up a migration and mobility pact soon.
What all issues were discussed?
- The two countries decided to expand cooperation in areas of defence and security, infrastructure, agriculture, education and new and emerging technologies.
- The two sides also agreed to have an institutional dialogue framework at the level of National Security Advisers besides vowing to strengthen defence industrial cooperation.
- Both India and Greece sought to support diplomacy and dialogue to resolve the Ukraine crisis, adding both sides have “excellent coordination” on geopolitical, international and regional issues including that of the Indo-Pacific.
- Both sides are fully united in the goal of maintaining maritime security and the need for adherence to the Convention on the Law of the Sea as it is crucial in view of concerns over the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific.
- Having a direct air connectivity between India and Greece was also discussed as both countries talked about exploring great opportunities in the tourism sector.
- The two sides also discussed mutual cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism and cybersecurity.
- An agreement on agricultural cooperation was also inked following the talks.
- The discussions covered digital payments, shipping, pharma, tourism, culture, education and people to people ties.
- The two leaders also deliberated on regional and multilateral issues, including the European Union, Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean, and called for respect of international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
- A migration and mobility partnership agreement will be signed “soon” to facilitate skilled migration between the two countries.
- In the area of defence and security, both sides agreed to give a boost to defence industries, along with military-to-military ties.
Way forward
- While India and Greece have built a solid foundation for their diplomatic ties, there is potential for further deepening cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, and other sectors.
- Both countries can leverage their historical and cultural connections to enhance collaboration in various fields.
7. Smart Cities Awards: MP adjudged best state, Indore best city for 6th year in row
Topic: GS2-govt policies and intervention, prelims facts
Context:
- The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry named Indore the best city and Madhya Pradesh the best state in the Smart Cities Mission in its India Smart Cities Awards 2022.
- Surat and Agra were named second and third best among cities and Tamil Nadu second in states, with the third prize being shared by Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
- A total of 66 winners in different categories were announced; the awards would be presented by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony in Indore on September27.
- Earlier this year, the mission’s deadline was extended from June 30 to next year to allow the 100 cities to complete their projects.
Criteria for Selection:
- The cities were selected based on their ranking in terms of progress of projects, project outcomes and presentations submitted for the awards.
Details:
- Indore has topped the cleanliness rankings under the Swachh Bharat Mission, being named the cleanest city for the past six years in a row.
- Madhya Pradesh, too, won the tag of the cleanest state in the Swachh Survekshan 2022.
- In the Smart Cities awards, Indore had shared the first place with Surat last time.
- In the Smart Cities Awards 2022, Coimbatore’s project of model roads, restoration and renovation of lakes was ranked the best in the category of built environment.
- Jabalpur won the award for its incubation centre in the economy category.
- Chandigarh’s public bike sharing and e-governance services won in the mobility and governance categories, respectively. Chandigarh also won the overall award in the Union Territory category.
Data on Smart Cities mission:
- Under the Smart Cities Mission, which was launched in 2015, the 100 selected cities have completed 76% of the proposed projects worth Rs.1.10lakh crore, while the remaining projects worth Rs.60,095 crore “will be completed by 30 June 2024”
Most notable achievement:
- Most notable milestone achieved in the mission has been the Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCC), which is operational in all 100 Smart Cities.
- These ICCCs work as the brain and nervous system for city operations, using technology for urban management.
- The urban services have significantly improved in fields like crime tracking, safety and security of citizens, transport, solid waste management, water supply, disaster management etc.
8. State of birds
Topic: GS3-Environment
Context:
- There is a general decline in numbers in most bird species in the country with some recording current decline and others projected to decline in long term, according to a report based on data from about 30,000 birdwatchers that was released.
Details:
- The State of India’s Birds, 2023 report, highlighted that several bird species such as the Indian Peafowl, Rock Pigeon, Asian Koel and House Crow are not healthy in both abundance and distribution, but showing “increasing trend”.
- Raptors, migratory shorebirds and ducks have declined the most.
INDIAN PEAFOWL:
- The Peafowl, India’s national bird, is one of the most rapidly increasing species in the country today, “expanding into habitats where it has never occurred previously”.
- In the last 20 years, Indian Peafowl has expanded into high Himalaya and the rainforests of the Western Ghats. It now occurs in every district in Kerala, a state where it was once extremely rare. Apart from expanding its range, it also appears to be increasing in population density in areas where it occurred earlier.
ASIAN KOEL and others:
- Among the bird species that have been doing well, compared to their pre-2000 baseline, the Asian Koel has shown a rapid increase in abundance of 75%, with an annual current increase of 2.7% per year.
- Also the House Crow, Rock Pigeon and the Alexandrine Parakeet have established new populations in several cities
VULTURES:
- Vultures were nearly driven to extinction by consuming carcasses contaminated with Diclofenac.
- One of the most prolific birds in India, their numbers had dropped to near zero in the 1990s and early 2000.
- Raptors are one of the most affected species due to agrochemicals.
- White-rumped Vulture, Indian Vulture, and Red-headed Vulture have suffered the maximum long-term declines (98%, 95% and 91%, respectively).
- Today, remnant vulture populations occur in and around Protected Areas.
About State of India’s Birds Report:
- Released after three years, the report is an assessment of distribution range, trends in abundance and conservation status of 942 of India’s 1,200 bird species and has been carried out by 13 partner organisations, including the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
- The assessments rely on three indices. Two of them are related to change in abundance – long term trend (change over 30years) and current annual trend (change over past seven years) and the third is a measure of distribution range size in India.
Findings of the Report:
- According to the report, long-term trends as well as current annual trends could not be established for many of the 942 species.
- Of the 338 species, for which long-term trends have been identified, it says, 204 or 60% have declined in the long term, 98 species are stable, while 36 have increased.
- Similarly, current annual trends could be determined for 359 species, of which 142 species or 39% are declining, 64 are in rapid decline, 189 are stable and 28 bird species are increasing.
- The range size, or measurement of a bird species’ territory and home range, was assessed for all 942 bird species.
- According to the report, the range size of 39% bird species is moderate, 33% is very large while 28% species inhabit a “restricted and very restricted’’ area.
- The report found that bird species which are “specialists’’ – restricted to narrow habitats like wetlands, rainforests and grasslands, as opposed to species that inhabit a wide range of habitats such as plantations and agricultural fields are rapidly declining.
- The “generalist’’ birds that can live in multiple habitat types are doing well as a group.
- “Specialists, however, are more threatened than generalists.
- The report has found that birds that feed on invertebrates, including insects, are declining rapidly, which is in keeping with the worldwide trends of decrease in insect populations. The trend analysis shows that birds that feed on fruits and nectar are doing well.
- Birds that are endemic to the Western Ghats and SriLanka biodiversity hotspot have rapidly declined in India over the past few decades.
- While half of all bustards worldwide are threatened, the three species that breed in India– the Great Indian Bustard, the Lesser Florican, and the Bengal Florican – have been found to be most vulnerable.
Way Forward:
- The findings of the report should be taken seriously by the authorities and necessary steps should be taken to address the shortcomings.
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