INSIGHTS DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS + PIB SUMMARY- 1 January 2021

InstaLinks help you think beyond the issue but relevant to the issue from UPSC prelims and Mains exam point of view. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background. This helps you study a topic holistically and add new dimensions to every current event to help you think analytically.

current affairs, current events, current gk, insights ias current affairs, upsc ias current affairs

Table of Contents:

GS Paper 1:

1. Subhash Chandra Bose.

2. Why lightning still kills so many Indians?

 

GS Paper 2:

1. What is anaemia?

 

GS Paper 3:

1. Global Housing Technology Challenge.

2. Industrial Corridor nodes at Krishnapatnam and Tumakuru.

 

Facts for Prelims:

1. SAHAYAK-NG.

2. Argentina’s legalisation of abortion.

3. Core Sector.

 


GS Paper  : 1


 

Topics Covered: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.

Subhash Chandra Bose:


Context:

Subhash Chandra Bose had unfurled the Tricolour in Port Blair on 30th December, 1943.

Background:

Bose had arrived in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 1943 after Japan handed them over to his Azad Hind government. Japan had captured the islands during the second world war.

About Azad Hind Government:

  • Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose had announced the establishment of the provisional government of Azad Hind in occupied Singapore in
  • Known as Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind, it was supported by the Axis powers of Imperial Japan, Nazi Germany, the Italian Social Republic, and their allies.
  • He had launched a struggle to free India from British rule under the banner of the provisional government-in exile during the latter part of the Second World War.

Who were part of this?

Under his provisional government, the Indians living abroad had been united. The Indian National Army drew ex- prisoners and thousands of civilian volunteers from the Indian expatriate population in Malaya (present-day Malaysia) and Burma (now Myanmar).

  • Under the provisional government, Bose was the head of the state, the prime minister and the minister for war and foreign affairs.
  • Captain Lakshmi headed the women’s organisation while S A Ayer headed the publicity and propaganda wing.
  • Revolutionary leader Rash Behari Bose was designated as the supreme advisor.

Key Points related to Subhash Chandra Bose:

  1. Subhash Chandra Bose was twice elected President of the Indian National Congress, (1938-Haripur and 1939-Tripuri).
  2. He resigned from the Congress Presidentship in 1939 and organised the All India Forward Bloc a faction within the Congress in Bengal.

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

  1. Bose and INA.
  2. Bose and the Indian National Congress.
  3. Formation of Azad Hind Government.
  4. Distribution of various portfolios.

Mains Link:

Write a note on Azad Hind Government.

Sources: PIB.

 

Topics Covered: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.

Why lightning still kills so many Indians?


Context:

Lightning strikes have caused 1,771 deaths between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020.

How can deaths be minimised?

Every lightning strikes around a fixed period and almost similar geographical locations in similar patterns.

  • As per CROPC (Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council), early lightning warning to farmers, cattle grazers, children and people in open areas is the key.
  • Then a local lightning safety action plan, like installing Lightning Protection Devices, is also need to prevent deaths.

What is the impact of lightning?

The Centre had increased compensation for victims of natural disaster to Rs 4 lakh in 2015.

  • In the last five years there were 13,994 fatalities, which bring the total compensation to around Rs 359 crore.
  • There have been phenomenal losses of animal life also from lightning strike.

What is lightning?

  • It is a very rapid — and massive — discharge of electricity in the atmosphere, some of which is directed towards the Earth’s surface.
  • These discharges are generated in giant moisture-bearing clouds that are 10-12 km tall.

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

  1. How lightning strikes?
  2. What are megaflashes?
  3. Is earth a good conductor of electricity?
  4. Types of clouds.
  5. Lightning strikes in India.

Mains Link:

Write a note on how lightning phenomenon.

Sources: PIB.

 


GS Paper  : 2


 

Topics Covered: Issues related to Health.

What is anaemia?


Context:

Indian women and children are overwhelmingly anaemic, according to the National Family Health Survey 2019-20.

What is anaemia?

  • The condition of having lower than normal number of red blood cells or quantity of haemoglobin.
  • It can make one feel tired, cold, dizzy, and irritable and short of breath, among other symptoms.
  • A diet which does not contain enough iron, folic acid or vitamin B12 is a common cause of anaemia.

Why is anaemia so high in the country?

  • Iron-deficiency and vitamin B12-deficiency anaemia are the two common types of anaemia in India.
  • Among women, iron deficiency prevalence is higher than men due to menstrual iron losses and the high iron demands of a growing foetus during pregnancies.
  • Lack of millets in the diet due to overdependence on rice and wheat, insufficient consumption of green and leafy vegetables, and dominance of packaged and processed foods which are low in nutrition could be the reasons behind the high prevalence of anaemia in India.

Sources: Indian Express.

 


GS Paper  : 3


 

Topics Covered: Infrastructure.

Global Housing Technology Challenge:


Context:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of Light House Projects (LHPs) under Global Housing Technology Challenge-India (GHTC-India) at six sites across six states.

What are Light house projects?

The LHPs are being constructed at Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Rajkot (Gujarat), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Agartala (Tripura) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).

  • They comprise about 1000 houses at each location along with allied infrastructure facilities.
  • These projects will demonstrate and deliver ready to live houses at an expedited pace within twelve months, as compared to conventional brick and mortar construction, and will be more economical, sustainable, of high quality and durability.
  • These LHPs demonstrate a variety of technologies, including Prefabricated Sandwich Panel System in LHP at Indore, Monolithic Concrete Construction using Tunnel Formwork etc.

Key features of the Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC) are:

Launched in 2019, the challenge is undertaken under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban (PMAY-U).

  • GHTC aims to fast-track the construction of affordable housing and meet the target of constructing 2 crore houses by 2022.
  • GHTC focuses on identifying and mainstreaming proven demonstrable technologies for lighthouse projects and spotting potential future technologies for incubation and acceleration support through ASHA (Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators) — India.

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

  1. What is GHTC?
  2. What is ASHA – India?
  3. About PMAY- Urban.

Mains Link:

In your opinion, what needs to be done in order to make the ‘Housing for All by 2022’ programme successful?  Discuss.

Sources: PIB.

 

Topics Covered: Infrastructure.

Industrial Corridor nodes at Krishnapatnam and Tumakuru:


Context:

Cabinet approves Industrial Corridor nodes at Krishnapatnam and Tumakuru.

What is an industrial corridor?

An industrial corridor is basically a corridor comprising of multi-modal transport services that would pass through the states as main artery.

  • Industrial corridors offer effective integration between industry and infrastructure, leading to overall economic and social development.

Industrial corridors constitute world-class infrastructure, such as:

  1. High-speed transportation network – rail and road.
  2. Ports with state-of-the-art cargo handling equipment.
  3. Modern airports.
  4. Special economic regions/industrial areas.
  5. Logistic parks/transhipment hubs.
  6. Knowledge parks focused on catering to industrial needs.
  7. Complementary infrastructure such as townships/real estate.

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

  1. Greenfield vs Brownfield projects.
  2. What are Industrial Corridors?
  3. Features.

Sources: PIB.

 


Facts for Prelims:


SAHAYAK-NG:

  • SAHAYAK-NG is India’s first indigenously designed and developed Air Droppable Container.
  • It is a GPS aided air dropped container with the capacity to carry a payload of up to 50 kg and can be dropped from a heavy aircraft.
  • The successful maiden test was conducted by the DRDO along with the Indian Navy.

Argentina’s legalisation of abortion:

Argentina’s has legalised abortions up to the 14th week of pregnancy.

  • Prior to this, women were forced to turn to illegal and unsafe procedures because abortion was against the law in Argentina.
  • For women from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the scope of access to safe medical procedures for abortion was even narrower.

Core Sector:

  • The eight core sector industries include coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity
  • The eight core industries comprise nearly 40% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
  • The eight Core Industries in decreasing order of their weightage: Refinery Products> Electricity> Steel> Coal> Crude Oil> Natural Gas> Cement> Fertilizers.

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