[Mission 2024] INSIGHTS DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS + PIB SUMMARY 26 October 2023

GS1/GS3 Paper

Syllabus: Geography/ Disaster Management

Source: TH

 Context: A recent study led by the World Bank highlights the rapid and continuous expansion of cities into flood-prone areas.

What does the World Bank Study show?

 The study shows that urban areas in India are expanding into flood-prone zones at an alarming rate, doubling since 1985. This poses a significant risk due to increased instances of flooding, leading to life and livelihood losses.

Examples:

• Libya, which suffered from devastating flooding in September 2023, had an 83% increase in settlement extent in the worst flood zones.
• Pakistan, experiencing catastrophic flooding both in 2022 and 2023, witnessed an 89% increase in settlements in prone areas.

Middle-income countries, including India, have more urban settlements in flood-prone areas. The study underscores the urgency of considering flood-related risks in urban planning and making low-income housing more flood-resilient while implementing improved storm-water management.

Factors Behind Increasing Human Settlements in Flood Zones:

What needs to be done:

Notable initiatives:

• Stormwater disposal system: The Brihanmumbai Storm Water Disposal System or BRIMSTOWAD, the project to overhaul Mumbai city’s old stormwater drainage system was started after the 2005 deluge.
• Water-sensitive urban design (WSUD in Australia):regards urban stormwater runoff, and wastewater as a resource rather than a nuisance or liability.
• Bioswales or ‘Rain Garden’ (New York):are landscape features that collect polluted stormwater runoff, soak it into the ground, and filter out pollution.

Conclusion:

Therefore, there is a need to include public open spaces within the urban fabric in the form of storm management infrastructure, which could help our cities transform into water-sensitive cities.

Insta Links

Urban Flooding

Mains Link

The frequency of urban floods due to high-intensity rainfall is increasing over the years. Discussing the reasons for urban floods, highlight the mechanisms for preparedness to reduce the risk during such events. ( UPSC 2016)

Major cities of India are becoming vulnerable to flood conditions. Discuss. (UPSC 2016)

Account for the huge flooding of a million cities in India including the smart ones like Hyderabad and Pune. Suggest lasting remedial measures. (UPSC 2020)

GS Paper 2

 Syllabus: International Relations

Context: This article is a continuation of Yesterday’s article on the Gaza conflict and its impact on India’s Foreign Policy

 Diplomatic Relations: India recognized Israel in 1950. Full diplomatic relations were established in 1992. India is among 164 UN member states with diplomatic ties with Israel

Why the shift in India’s policy towards Israel in 1992?

1991 Oslo peace accord provided the foundation for two-state solutions (also backed by India). India’s shift in Israeli policy reflects a reevaluation of its stance in the Middle East. The change is prompted by a lack of reciprocal support from Arab nations in addressing regional issues, especially regarding Kashmir. India’s approach mirrors countries like Jordan, which maintains ties with both Palestine and Israel, providing greater diplomatic flexibility.

Additionally, India’s decision to de-hyphenate its relationship with Israel from its Palestinian ties allows for independent engagement. This shift offers India more autonomy in addressing its national interests and navigating regional geopolitics.

Various aspects of India-Israel Relations:

India and Israel have notable differences in various aspects:

Conclusion:

Balancing the differences between India and Israel is a complex task. India must prioritize its national interests and remain flexible in its dealings with Israel. Maintaining apolitical ties with Arab countries and Israel is a positive step. Also, India must adopt a proactive Middle Eastern policy to capitalize on geopolitical shifts driven by the Abraham Accords.

Prelims Links:

Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)

Source: TH

 Context: Dr P Manohar Upadhya, a veterinary doctor in Mangaluru, has undertaken a remarkable initiative to conserve local mango varieties of the coastal belt in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Kasaragod districts.

His initiatives:

He purchased 5.4 acres of land in Kukkila to plant grafted saplings, focusing on “naada mavu” or local mango varieties. This conservation effort, named “Maavu Mantapa,” is not driven by commercial interests but aims to preserve local mango diversity threatened by various factors.

Benefits of Conserving Local Species/Varieties:

Usage: The example can be used in Environment Qn to showcase the benefits of conserving local species of flora and fauna

Facts for Prelims (FFP)  

Source: TOI, IEA

Context: According to the International Energy Agency, India is expected to have the highest growth in energy demand over the next three decades, however, India’s industrial sector will emit 30% less CO2 by 2030, and passenger cars will emit 25% less CO2 per kilometre driven.

Reasons for such assessment:

These changes are attributed to government policies that have lifted people out of poverty and improved their quality of life while addressing climate commitments through increased efficiency and new technologies.

Other assessments about India: Over the past five years in India, solar PV has accounted for nearly 60% of new generation capacity.

 Other assessments about the World: Fossil fuel share in the global energy supply is projected to reduce from around 80% to 73% by 2030. Global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will peak by 2025.

Other Reports:

World Energy Investment Report 2023

Facts for Prelims (FFP)  

Source: TH

 Context: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recommended the use of QR codes on food products to make information accessible to visually impaired individuals.

What are QR Codes?

QR codes, or Quick Response codes, are two-dimensional barcodes that store information. They can be scanned with a smartphone or QR code reader, providing quick access to the encoded data, such as website links, text, or contact information.

Aim of the move by FSSAI:

This move aims to ensure that everyone, including those with special needs, can access safe food. Food labelling should enable all consumers to make informed choices.

Benefits of using QR code:

The use of QR codes is suggested to provide comprehensive product details, including ingredients, nutritional information, allergens, manufacturing dates, and more. This approach complements the existing mandatory labelling requirements and aligns with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

What are Food Safety and Standards (Labeling and Display) Regulations 2020?

It is a set of regulations by FSSAI that addresses gaps in previous regulations. It introduces new requirements like allergen information, nutrient contributions, expiry dates, logos, and symbols. Even e-commerce platforms must label food products for sale, and large restaurant chains are included in these regulations.

Facts for Prelims (FFP)  

Source: PIB

 Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation inaugurated India’s 1^st IFFCO’s Nano DAP (Liquid) plant in Kalol (Gandhinagar), Gujarat.

What are Nano DAP and Nano Urea?

Nano DAP and Nano Urea are advanced agricultural fertilizers designed to improve nutrient efficiency and reduce environmental impact. DAP liquid is an efficient source of Nitrogen and Phosphorus. They are developed using nanotechnology to enhance nutrient delivery to plants, leading to higher crop yields with less fertilizer usage.

Significance:

The introduction of Nano Urea and Nano DAP is seen as a groundbreaking agricultural experiment, aiming to reduce urea use and promote natural farming, with the potential for significant positive impacts if adopted by Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) nationwide.

The benefit of Nano Technology in Fertilizers:

Facts for Prelims (FFP)  

Source: EU

Context: The European Union Tax Observatory’s ‘Global Tax Evasion Report 2024’ discusses tax evasion, the Global Minimum Tax (GMT), and measures to combat tax evasion.

What is Tax Evasion?

Tax evasion is the illegal act of not paying owed taxes to the government by fraudulent means, such as underreporting income, hiding money offshore, or inflating deductions, to reduce tax liability.

Key Highlights of the Report and its Recommendations:

Indian Measures to curb tax evasions:

• E-Invoicing
• Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018
• The Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets)
• Imposition of Income Tax Act, 2015
• Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002
• Treaties such as Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (DTAA)
• Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA)
• The Benami Transactions Informants Reward Scheme
• Reduced base corporate tax for existing companies to 22 per cent and new manufacturing firms to 15 per cent.

International Reforms to Combat Tax Evasion

• Global Minimum Tax (GMT): Applies a standard minimum tax rate globally, discouraging tax competition.
  • OECD proposed a 15% corporate minimum tax on foreign profits of large multinationals.
  • In October 2021, 136 countries, including India, set a 15% minimum global tax rate to prevent tax avoidance.
• Automatic Exchange of Information (2017): Introduced to combat offshore tax evasion by wealthy individuals.

Facts for Prelims (FFP)  

Source: TH

 Context: The Indian government is organizing a Hackathon focused on developing applications and tools that will enable law enforcement agencies to harness the capabilities of 5G technology for more effective policing.

Themes include 360-degree surveillance, predictive policing, develop apps for real-time location tracking of mobile users with internal authentication processes to enhance crime control and victim tracing.

Benefits: 5G will facilitate faster data transfer, improving the ability of the police to make informed decisions at crime scenes.

What is 5G?

5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology for mobile communication, offering faster data transfer speeds, lower latency, and greater connectivity than previous generations.

India is simultaneously trying to develop infrastructure for 6G technology and its adoption.

 About 6G:

Facts for Prelims (FFP)  

Source: TH

 Context: The Indian government is set to implement the “DNA and Face Matching” systems at 1,300 police stations across the country under the Criminal Procedure Identification Act 2022 (CrPI) (the Act replaced the 100-year-old Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920, expanding the scope to capture additional data)

More Information:

Mapping

Source: TH

 Context: Bhutan and China recently conducted their 25th round of boundary talks, marking the first such meeting since 2016.

A significant outcome of the talks was the signing of a “Cooperation Agreement” that established a Joint Technical Team for the delimitation and demarcation of the Bhutan-China boundary.

Notably, Bhutan doesn’t have a formal diplomatic mission in China or with any of the UN Security Council Permanent Members.