30 June 2023 : Daily Current Affairs
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS
30-June-2023
Daily Current Affairs For UPSC ,Daily Current affairs of The hIndu and Indian Express.
1. IIT-Kharagpur to develop tamper-proof signalling system for Indian Railways.
Topic: GS3 – Indian Railway safety.
Context:
- The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, is developing a tamper-proof signalling system for the Indian Railways based on blockchain technology.
More about the news:
- The system aims to enhance safety measures and complement the existing Data Logger, known as the ‘Black Box’ of rolling stock.
- Blockchain technology ensures the recording of information that cannot be tampered, hacked, or manipulated.
- The system will provide enhanced data integrity, transparency, and security compared to the existing Data Logger.
- It will enable the live movement of trains to be available for various stakeholders, such as Station Masters, Section Controllers, and Signal Engineers.
- The system will facilitate secure data sharing among stakeholders, automate processes with smart contracts, and create tamper-evident audit trails.
- The existing limitations of centralised storage, lack of tamper-evident data, and limited access control will be addressed by storing data in a distributed ledger using cryptography.
Source: The Hindu, 30 June 2023, page – 4
2. The Open Market Sale Scheme for wheat and rice.
Topic: GS3 – food security.
Context:
- The Food Corporation of India (FCI) imposed quantity restrictions and refused to allow states to procure wheat and rice through its Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS).
- The Centre’s decision to restrict supplies and exclude states from procuring through auctions was aimed at curbing inflation and regulating supply.
- States like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have criticized the government, accusing it of engaging in “politics” at the expense of marginalized beneficiaries of state welfare schemes.
What is the Open Market Sale Scheme?
- The Food Corporation of India (FCI) conducts e-auctions under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) to sell surplus food grains like wheat and rice from the central pool.
- The OMSS allows traders, bulk consumers, and retail chains to participate in e-auctions and buy specified quantities of food grains at pre-determined prices.
- States also have the option to procure food grains through the OMSS without participating in the auctions, for distribution to National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries.
- The FCI conducted six weekly e-auctions of wheat till March 15, 2023, offloading a total quantity of 33.7 LMT (Lakh Metric Tons) and reducing wheat prices by 19% within 45 days.
How has the Centre revised the OMSS?
- The Centre has decided to restrict the quantity that a single bidder can purchase in a single bid under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS).
- Previously, the maximum quantity allowed per bid for a buyer was 3,000 metric tonnes (MT), but it has now been reduced to a range of 10-100 metric tonnes.
- The objective of this move is to accommodate more small and marginal buyers and ensure wider reach of the scheme, as well as to curb retail prices by breaking monopolies of bulk buyers and promoting competitive bids from small buyers.
- In addition to the quantity restriction, the Centre has also stopped the sale of rice and wheat from the central pool under the OMSS to state governments, as well as disallowed private bidders from selling their OMSS supplies to state governments.
- The Food Corporation of India (FCI) asserts that the Centre is already meeting its obligations to distribute grains to 80 crore marginalised beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and also has an obligation to the 60 crore common consumers affected by retail prices.
How have States reacted?
- The Congress party in Karnataka has accused the Centre of conspiring to undermine the implementation of the Anna Bhagya scheme, which aims to provide rice to marginalised families.
- The Congress leaders claim that the Centre deliberately restricted the supply of rice to the state, making it difficult for the government to fulfill its poll promise.
- In Tamil Nadu, the state government is exploring alternative options to procure rice after the Union government stopped the supply of rice under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS).
- Tamil Nadu used to purchase rice from OMSS at a subsidized rate and distribute it to all ration card holders. With the halt in OMSS supplies, the state is seeking other sources to ensure rice availability.
- Both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are facing challenges in procuring rice due to the restrictions and changes imposed by the Centre on the OMSS.
Source: The Hindu, 30 June 2023, page – 10
3. India, Philippines to explore scope of joint sales, patrols to boost defence partnership.
Topic: GS2 – International relations.
Context:
- India and the Philippines are exploring opportunities for expanding defence cooperation, particularly in the area of maritime security.
- The two countries are considering joint sales and joint patrols as part of their defence cooperation efforts.
More information about the news:
- The Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation highlighted various areas of collaboration, including official-level interactions, opening a Defence Attaché office in Manila, concessional Line of Credit for the Philippines’ defence requirements, acquisition of naval assets, and joint exercises on maritime security and disaster response.
- Apart from defence, discussions also covered areas such as cyber security, artificial intelligence, space cooperation, and combating cyber trafficking.
- The focus of defence cooperation goes beyond equipment sales and includes training courses, military exchanges, and potential joint exercises in the future.
- Economic cooperation and improved market access were also discussed during the bilateral talks.
- Both India and the Philippines expressed their commitment to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
Source: The Hindu, 30 June 2023, page – 12
4. India’s largest radio telescope plays vital role in detecting universe’s vibrations
Topic: GS3 – Science and technology.
Context:
- India’s Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) was part of a global effort that confirmed the presence of gravitational waves through pulsar observations.
Why in the news?
- An international team of astronomers from India, Japan, and Europe utilized six of the world’s most sensitive radio telescopes, including the GMRT and uGMRT, to monitor pulsars.
- The results indicate evidence for ultra-low frequency gravitational waves originating from massive black hole pairs.
- The team, composed of members from the European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA) and Indian Pulsar Timing Array (InPTA) consortia, published their findings in the Astronomy and Astrophysics journal.
- The studies suggest a time aberration in the signals from the observed pulsars, indicating the presence of gravitational waves.
- Pulsars, rapidly rotating neutron stars, emit regular radio beams and serve as cosmic lighthouses.
- Accurate timing of these pulsar signals allows scientists to study them and uncover mysteries of the Universe.
- Scientists employ a network of stable pulsar clocks distributed across the Milky Way to create a galactic-scale gravitational wave detector.
Source: The Hindu, 30 June 2023, page – 12
5. Unrest spreads in France over police shooting of teen.
Topic: GS2 – Global news.
Context:
- Unrest erupted for a third day in France over the police shooting of a teenager of North African descent during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb.
Protests in France:
- Protesters in Nanterre set cars on fire and engaged in clashes with police following a peaceful street march in memory of the 17-year-old victim.
- The incident has intensified existing grievances about police violence and systemic racism within law enforcement agencies.
- The officer involved in the shooting has been placed under formal investigation for voluntary homicide, and the public prosecutor stated that the legal conditions for using the weapon were not met.
- A video shared on social media showed the officer shooting the teenager at close range as he pulled away in a car.
- The officer claimed that he fired the shot to prevent a car chase and potential harm to himself or others after the teenager allegedly committed traffic violations.
Source: The Hindu, 30 June 2023, page – 15
6. Putting minds and funds together to find ways of tackling drug resistance
Topic: GS3 – Drug resistance
Context:
- A patient in a Hyderabad hospital with an extensively drug-resistant bacterial infection was treated with a promising candidate, cefepime-zidebactam, under a compassionate use protocol and showed steady recovery.
Rising drug resistance across the world:
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has prioritized 40 research topics for evidence generation to inform policy on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by 2030.
- AMR poses a significant threat to human health, with an estimated 4.95 million deaths in 2019, and low- and middle-income countries may be disproportionately affected.
- The WHO’s priority research agenda aims to address knowledge gaps, improve awareness of AMR, monitor antimicrobial consumption, implement infection prevention and control programs, and optimize antimicrobial use.
- The agenda also focuses on optimizing the delivery of diagnostics and medicines in low and middle-income countries.
Source: The Hindu, 30 June 2023, page – 20.
7. 2 deaths heighten tensions in Manipur
Syllabus – GS II, GS III
Recent Context – Two bodies belonging to members of the Meitei community were recovered in Haraothel village in Kangpokpi district’s border with Imphal West after heavy firing.
Manipur Issue
- In 1951, the population of Meiteis was 59%, which came down to 44% in 2011.
- There are sections of the Meitei community that have SC status. Meiteis were also given OBC status, so they do have some reservations.
- The struggle was about the protection of the Meitei identity and lands. Despite being the dominant community, they occupy only 8% of Manipur’s land. Anybody from outside can come here, buy land, and settle down. But they can’t even go to the hills, which is a part of the state, and buy land there.
- Tribal groups, on the other hand, argue that they now make up 40% of Manipur’s population and are under-represented in the Assembly.
- The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) was set up in November 2012.
- When the Meitei Tribe Union (MTU) — formed last year — filed a writ petition in the HC in March 2023, numerous memorandums demanding ST status for Meiteis had already been submitted to both the state and Union governments.
- STDCM argued that before the merger agreement between the Manipur kingdom and the Union of India in 1949, the British had designated the Meiteis as a “tribe amongst tribes”.
Situation now
- As the number of people grew, many police and RAF personnel were deployed to manage the situation.
- The women who had gathered chanted slogans against the Biren Singh government for its inability to prevent violence.
- The eruption of violence at this scale has taken place in Manipur after around 15 days. The last major violence incident with multiple casualties occurred on June 14 when nine were killed at Aigejang in Kangpokpi district.
8. India and the chips war
Syllabus – GS III
Recent Context – India has positioned itself as a player in the critical semiconductor tech field with a major US partnership. But it must make up for the 2-4-decade delayed start— and negotiate formidable challenges that lie ahead.
Chips, the ‘new oil’
- Semiconductors or chips are essential to almost every modern device, from a phone to advanced defence systems, not to mention advanced artificial intelligence-powered machines.
- But only a few countries are making chips among the world’s most advanced technologies, and some specialise only in some aspects.
- Since 2020, the US has taken several steps aimed at
- denying semiconductor technology to China to prevent it from gaining high-tech dominance over the world, and
- pumping up its own capacity for making chips.
- The Trump Administration listed the Chinese telecom giant Huawei and several ancillaries as a threat to US national security and restricted their access to chips from US companies.
- The Biden Administration retained restrictions on Huawei—and introduced its own— effectively cutting off the world’s largest manufacturer of 5G phones and other Chinese companies from semiconductors made using American tools and software.
- In August 2022, Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act, providing $280 billion in new funding for domestic research and US semiconductors manufacturing.
- The US also moved towards semiconductor friend shoring in the Quad, where the leaders of Australia, Japan, India, and the US committed themselves to build “resilient, diverse and secure supply chains of critical and emerging technologies” over two summits in 2021 and 2022.
- Also, at the 2022 summit in Tokyo, President Biden and Prime Minister Modi announced the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).
India’s chip challenge
- Three things are essential for chip making: uninterrupted and uninterruptible power, unlimited pure water supply, and chip-making infrastructure—the “fabs” or fabrication plants that are highly specialised units.
- Currently, no place in India can guarantee 24×7 power or water supply. Chip manufacturing also requires a highly skilled workforce.
- The absence of a “chip ecosystem” is why, despite the political will, no big international chip maker has yet shown interest in India.
- Taiwan has long been pushing India for a free trade agreement and a bilateral investment agreement to make it more attractive for TSMC, the world’s biggest chipmaker, to set up a base here, but Delhi has been reluctant.
State of the chip wars
- In 2020, China was the biggest market for semiconductor machines. Beijing’s “Made in China 2025” plan, launched in 2019, had prioritised achieving self-sufficiency in semiconductors.
- But the export controls set in motion by the US—and more are in the pipeline — have made China’s mission look difficult, if not impossible.
- Japan has also announced restrictions on semiconductor exports to China.
- China has lashed out at the move and warned of “consequences”.
- As the US works with key partners to restrict Chinese access to chip tech, China’s chip imports from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, part of the US-led “Chip 4Alliance”, fell by 20 per cent in the first five months of 2023, according to the latest trade numbers.
- New Delhi has positioned itself in the global chip war with a technology partnership that promises to take bilateral ties with the US to the next level.
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