[Mission 2022] INSIGHTS DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS + PIB SUMMARY 23 MARCH 2022

GS Paper 1:

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

Context:

Section 144 has been imposed in Bodhan town in Telangana after protests turned violent over the installation of a statue of Chhatrapati.

About Shivaji:

Born at Shivner in 1627.

Father: Shahji Bhonsle.

Mother: Jija Bai.

Inherited the jagir of Poona from his father in 1637.

Achievements of Chhatrapati Shivaji:

Initial phase:

• He first conquered Raigarh, Kondana and Torna from the ruler of Bijapur.
• After the death of his guardian, Dadaji Kondadev in 1647, Shivaji assumed full charge of his jagir.
• He captured Javli from a Maratha chief, Chanda Rao More. This made him the master of Mavala region.
• In 1657, he attacked the Bijapur kingdom and captured a number of hill forts in the Konkan region.
• The Sultan of Bijapur sent Afzal Khan against Shivaji. But Afzal Khan was murdered by Shivaji in 1659 in a daring manner.

Military Conquests of Shivaji:

• Shivaji’s military conquests made him a legendary figure in the Maratha region. The Mughal emperor Aurangazeb was anxiously watching the rise of Maratha power under Shivaji.
• Aurangzeb sent the Mughal governor of the Deccan, Shaista Khan, against Shivaji. Shivaji suffered a defeat at the hands of the Mughal forces and lost Poona.
• But Shivaji once again made a bold attack on Shaista Khan’s military camp at Poona in 1663, killed his son and wounded Khan.
• In 1664, Shivaji attacked Surat, the chief port of the Mughals and plundered it.
• A second attempt was made by Aurangzeb to defeat Shivaji by sending Raja Jai Singh of Amber. He succeeded in besieging the fort of Purander.

Treaty of Purander 1665:

• According to the treaty, Shivaji had to surrender 23 forts to the Mughals out of 35 forts held by him.
• The remaining 12 forts were to be left to Shivaji on condition of service and loyalty to Mughal empire.
• On the other hand, the Mughals recognized the right of Shivaji to hold certain parts of the Bijapur kingdom.

Renewed war against Mughals:

• Surat was plundered by him for the second time in 1670.
• He also captured all his lost territories by his conquests.
• In 1674 Shivaji crowned himself at Raigarh and assumed the title Chatrapathi.

Administrative Policies:

He laid the foundations of a sound system of administration. The king was the pivot of the government. He was assisted by a council of ministers called Ashtapradhan.

• Peshwa – Finance and general administration. Later he became the prime minister.
• Sar-i-Naubat or Senapati – Military commander, an honorary post.
• Amatya – Accountant General.
• Waqenavis – Intelligence, posts and household affairs.
• Sachiv – Correspondence.
• Sumanta – Master of ceremonies.
• Nyayadish – Justice.
• Panditarao – Charities and religious administration.

Revenue Policies:

• Lands were measured by using the measuring rod called kathi. Lands were also classified into three categories – paddy fields, garden lands and hilly tracks.
• Taxes: Chauth and sardeshmukhi were the taxes collected not in the Maratha kingdom but in the neighbouring territories of the Mughal empire or Deccan sultanates.
  • Chauth was one fourth of the land revenue paid to the Marathas in order to avoid the Maratha raids.
  • Sardeshmukhi was an additional levy of ten percent on those lands which the Marathas claimed hereditary rights.

Shivaji was a man of military genius and his army was well organized:

There were two divisions in the Maratha cavalry:

• Bargirs, equipped and paid by the state;
• Silahdars, maintained by the nobles.

In the infantry, the Mavli foot soldiers played an important role.

Insta Curious:

Do you know about Taanaji Malusare and the Battle of Singhagad? Reference: read this.

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

1. About Shivaji.
2. His policies.
3. His military conquests.
4. Battles and wars associated with him.
5. Bargirs.
6. Silahdars.

Mains Link:

Discuss about Shivaji’s military policies and comment on their significance.

Sources: Indian Express.

GS Paper 2:

Topics Covered: mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Context:

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has been dysfunctional for the last four years and has not delivered a single report to Parliament, a parliamentary committee has said in a recent report.

The pending reports include:

• A study by the Commission of the impact of the Indira Sagar Polavaram Project in Andhra Pradesh on the tribal population.
• A special report on rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced tribals because of the Rourkela Steel Plant.

Challenges/issues associated with the functioning of NCST:

• Manpower and budgetary shortage.
• Less number of applicants as the eligibility bar is set too high.
• Its rate of pendency of resolution of complaints and cases that it receives is also close to 50 per cent.

About NCST:

NCST was established by amending Article 338 and inserting a new Article 338A in the Constitution through the Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003.

• By this amendment, the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was replaced by two separate Commissions namely- (i) the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), and (ii) the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST).

Composition: The term of office of Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and each member is three years from the date of assumption of charge.

• The Chairperson has been given the rank of Union Cabinet Minister and the Vice-Chairperson that of a Minister of State and other Members have the ranks of a Secretary to the Government of India.
• They are appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal.
• At least one member should be a woman.
• The Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson and the other Members hold office for a term of 3 years.
• The members are not eligible for appointment for more than two terms.

Powers: NCST is empowered to investigate and monitor matters relating to safeguards provided for STs under the Constitution or under other laws or under Govt. order. The Commission is also authorized to inquire into specific complaints relating to rights and safeguards of STs and to participate and advise in the Planning Process relating to socio-economic development of STs and to evaluate the progress of their development under the Union and States.

Report: The commission submits its report to the President annually on the working of safeguards and measures required for effective implementation of Programmers/ Schemes relating to welfare and socio-economic development of STs.

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

1. About NCST.
2. About NCSC.
3. Constitutional provisions.
4. About Articles 338 and 338A.
5. Functions.

Mains Link:

Discuss the functions of NCSC.

Sources: the Hindu.

GS Paper 2:

Topics Covered: Important International Relations.

Context:

The French President has suggested Finlandization might be a realistic outcome for Ukraine if and when the Russia-Ukraine war ends.

What is Finlandization?

• Finlandization refers to the policy of strict neutrality between Moscow (Russia) and the West that Finland followed during the decades of the Cold War.
• The principle of neutrality was rooted in the Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance (or YYA Treaty) that Finland signed with the USSR in April 1948.

Implications:

Article 1 of the treaty reads: “In the eventuality of Finland, or the Soviet Union through Finnish territory, becoming the object of an armed attack by Germany or any state allied with the latter (meaning, essentially, the United States), Finland will, true to its obligations as an independent state, fight to repel the attack.

• Finland will in such cases use all its available forces for defending its territorial integrity by land, sea, and air, and will do so within the frontiers of Finland in accordance with obligations defined in the present agreement and, if necessary, with the assistance of or jointly with, the Soviet Union.
• In such cases, the Soviet Union will give Finland the help that it requires, subject to mutual agreement between the contracting parties.

Ukraine and Finlandization:

Ukraine, formerly a part of the Soviet Union, has increasingly tilted toward the West, economically and politically, while resisting Russian influence.

• In 2008, NATO said it planned eventually for Ukraine to join the alliance, a popular idea within the country, though it has never actually applied for membership and NATO officials say it would not happen any time soon.
• “Finlandization” would allow Moscow a heavy hand in Ukrainian affairs. It goes against what Ukraine has been striving for, that is joining NATO and the E.U.

Sources: Indian Express.

GS Paper 2:

Topics Covered: Important International Institutions.

Context:

The fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC-4) was held in New York to conclude a draft of the instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine Biological diversity in areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).

• The IGC-4 is convened under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

About BBNJ Treaty:

• The “BBNJ Treaty”, also known as the “Treaty of the High Seas”, is an international agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, currently under negotiation at the United Nations.
• This new instrument is being developed within the framework of the UNCLOS, the main international agreement governing human activities at sea.
• It will achieve a more holistic management of high seas activities, which should better balance the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.
• BBNJ encompasses the high seas, beyond the exclusive economic zones or national waters of countries.

Significance:

• According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), these areas account for “almost half of the Earth’s surface”.
• These areas are hardly regulated and also least understood or explored for its biodiversity – only 1% of these areas are under protection.

The negotiated agreement has five aspects:

1. Environmental impact assessments for activities taken up on high seas.
2. Conservation of marine genetic resources.
3. Capacity building.
4. Technology transfer.
5. Cross-cutting issues such as institutional structure and financial support.

Insta Curious:

Do you know about the Convention on the High Seas? Reference: read this.

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

1. About Continental Shelf.
2. About International Seabed Authority.
3. About UNCLOS.
4. About EEZ.
5. What is PCA?
6. Treaty of the High Seas.

Mains Link:

Discuss the significance the Treaty of the High Seas.

Sources: Indian Express.

GS Paper 3:

Topics Covered: Conservation and pollution related issues.

Context:

Commission for Air Quality Management recently reviewed the progress of Biomass Co-firing.

• Though some progress has been made towards co-firing, the CAQM finds the progress not up to the desired levels.

Background:

In May 2021, to address the issue of air pollution due to farm stubble burning and to reduce carbon footprints of thermal power generation, Ministry of Power decided to set up a National Mission on use of Biomass in coal based thermal power plants.

Objectives of the mission:

(a) To increase the level of co-firing from present 5% to higher levels to have a larger share of carbon neutral power generation from the thermal power plants.

(b) To take up R&D activity in boiler design to handle the higher amount of silica, alkalis in the biomass pellets.

(c) To facilitate overcoming the constraints in supply chain of bio mass pellets and agro- residue and its transport upto to the power plants.

(d) To consider regulatory issues in biomass co-firing.

Implementation:

1. The Mission would have a Steering Committee headed by Secretary (Power) comprising of all stakeholders including representatives from Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG), Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) etc.
2. The Executive Committee would be headed by Member (Thermal), CEA. NTPC will play a larger role in providing logistic and infrastructure support in the proposed National Mission.

What is Biomass Cofiring?

It refers to the concurrent blending and combustion of biomass materials with other fuels such as natural gas and coal within a boiler, which reduce the use of fossil fuels for energy generation and emissions without significantly increasing costs and infrastructure investments.

Benefits of Cofiring: 

1. Biomass cofiring is a promising technology to decrease the use of fossil fuels for energy generation and hence mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Coal and biomass cofiring accounts for the relevant advantages of a relative ease of implementation and an effective reduction of CO2 and other pollutant (SOx, NOx) emissions to the atmosphere.
3. Cofiring biomass with coal may record no loss in total boiler efficiency after adjusting combustion output for the new fuel mixture.

Insta Curious:

Are there any purely natural gas based thermal plants in India? Read Here.

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

1. What is Biomass Cofiring?
2. Benefits.
3. Issues.
4. Gases released from stubble burning.

Mains Link:

Write a note on biomass Cofiring.

Sources: PIB.

GS Paper 3:

Topics Covered: Pollution related issues.

Context:

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued directives to form a committee for surveillance of pollution problems caused by Koradi and Khaparkheda coal-fired power plants in Nagpur. Both the plants have also been directed to ensure 100% utilization of fly-ash.

What is Fly Ash?

Popularly known as Flue ash or pulverised fuel ash, it is a coal combustion product.

Composition:

Composed of the particulates that are driven out of coal-fired boilers together with the flue gases.

• Depending upon the source and composition of the coal being burned, the components of fly ash vary considerably, but all fly ash includes substantial amounts of silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminium oxide (Al2O3) and calcium oxide (CaO), the main mineral compounds in coal-bearing rock strata.
• Minor constituents include: arsenic, beryllium, boron, cadmium, chromium, hexavalent chromium, cobalt, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, selenium, strontium, thallium, and vanadium, along with very small concentrations of dioxins and PAH compounds. It also has unburnt carbon.

Health and environmental hazards:

Toxic heavy metals present: All the heavy metals found in fly ash nickel, cadmium, arsenic, chromium, lead, etc—are toxic in nature. They are minute, poisonous particles accumulate in the respiratory tract, and cause gradual poisoning.

Radiation: For an equal amount of electricity generated, fly ash contains a hundred times more radiation than nuclear waste secured via dry cask or water storage.

Water pollution: The breaching of ash dykes and consequent ash spills occur frequently in India, polluting a large number of water bodies.

Effects on environment: The destruction of mangroves, drastic reduction in crop yields, and the pollution of groundwater in the Rann of Kutch from the ash sludge of adjoining Coal power plants has been well documented.

However, fly ash can be used in the following ways:

1. Concrete production, as a substitute material for Portland cement, sand.
2. Fly-ash pellets which can replace normal aggregate in concrete mixture.
3. Embankments and other structural fills.
4. Cement clinker production – (as a substitute material for clay).
5. Stabilization of soft soils.
6. Road subbase construction.
7. As aggregate substitute material (e.g. for brick production).
8. Agricultural uses: soil amendment, fertilizer, cattle feeders, soil stabilization in stock feed yards, and agricultural stakes.
9. Loose application on rivers to melt ice.
10. Loose application on roads and parking lots for ice control.

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

1. What is fly ash?
2. Sources.
3. Pollutants.
4. Potential applications.

Mains Link:

What is fly ash? What are its effects on human health and environment?

Sources: PIB.