Current Affairs Reverse Engineering – CARE (03-06-2024)
| News at a Glance |
| Science and Technology: World’s first wooden satellite built by Japan researchers |
| James Webb Space Telescope spots earliest-known galaxy |
| Economy: India receives highest FDI from Singapore in 2023-24 |
| Art and Culture: Archaeologists, Sanskrit scholars tie up to decipher Rigveda text |
| International Relations: UN votes to end Iraq political mission |
| Environment: New ant species discovered from Siang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh |
World’s First Wooden Satellite Built By Japan Researchers
Source: The Hindu
UPSC Syllabus Relevance: GS 3 (Space, Technology, Science and Technology)
Context: The creators expect the wooden material will burn up completely when the device re-enters the atmosphere
Why in News
The world’s first wooden satellite has been built by Japanese researchers who said their tiny cuboid craft will be blasted off on a SpaceX rocket in September.
Key Highlights
- Each side of the experimental satellite developed by scientists at Kyoto University and logging company Sumitomo Forestry measures just 10 centimetres (four inches).
- The developers plan to hand the satellite, made from magnolia wood and named LignoSat, to space agency JAXA.
- It will be sent into space on a SpaceX rocket from the Kennedy Sp
ace Center in September, bound for the International Space Station (ISS), they said.- From there, the satellite will be released from the Japanese ISS experiment module to test its strength and durability.
Significance of the Wooden Satellite
- The creators expect the wooden material will burn up completely when the device re-enters the atmosphere — potentially providing a way to avoid the generation of metal particles when a retired satellite returns to Earth.
- These metal particles could have a negative impact on the environment and telecommunications, the developers said as they announced the satellite’s completion.
- Data will be sent from the satellite to researchers who can check for signs of strain and whether the satellite can withstand huge changes in temperature
Response of Climate Activists
- All the G7 industrialised nations apart from Japan had already committed to phasing out coal power domestically.
- Countries that wished to demonstrate the ambition needed to limit warming to not more than 1.5C, a key threshold in the 2015 Paris climate agreement, should take a tougher stance.
- The non-governmental organisation had called for the G7 to set an earlier 2030 phaseout date for power generation by coal, and a 2035 deadline for gas-fired supplies.
What Is a Satellite?
- A satellite is an object that moves around a larger object. Earth is a satellite because it moves around the sun.
- The moon is a satellite because it moves around Earth. Earth and the moon are called “natural” satellites.
- Earth and the Moon are examples of natural satellites. Thousands of artificial, or man-made, satellites orbit Earth.
Why are satellites important?
- The view that satellites like GPS have allows them to see large areas of Earth at one time.
- This means satellites can collect more data, more quickly, than instruments on the ground.
- Satellites also can see into space better than telescopes at Earth’s surface!
- That’s because satellites fly above the clouds, dust, and molecules in the atmosphere that can block the view from the ground.
How do satellites orbit Earth?
- Most satellites are launched into space on rockets. A satellite orbits Earth when its speed is balanced by the pull of Earth’s gravity. Without this balance, the satellite would fly in a straight line off into space or fall back to Earth.
- Satellites orbit Earth at different heights, different speeds and along different paths. The two most common types of orbits are “geostationary” and “polar.”
- A geostationary satellite travels from west to east over the equator. It moves in the same direction and at the same rate Earth is spinning.
- From Earth, a geostationary satellite looks like it is standing still since it is always above the same location.
| CARE MCQ | UPSC PYQ |
Q1. Which statements are correct about geostationary satellites?
Select correct code: a) 1 and 2 b) 2 and 3 c) 1, 2, and 3 d) 1, 3, and 4 |
Q. With reference to India’s satellite launch vehicles, consider the following statements: (2018)
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3(c) 1 and 2 (d) 3 only Ans: (a) |
| Answer 1 – A
Explanation
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James Webb Space Telescope spots earliest-known galaxy
Source: Indian Express
UPSC Syllabus Relevance: GS3- Science and Technology
Context: JADES-GS-z14-0 galaxy measures about 1,700-light years across. A light year is the distance light travels in a year, which is 9.5 trillion km.
Why in news
- NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has spotted the earliest-known galaxy, one that is surprisingly bright and big considering it formed during the universe’s infancy — at only 2% its current age.
Key Highlights
- JWST, which by peering across vast cosmic distances is looking way back in time, observed the galaxy as it existed about 290 million years after the Big Bang event that initiated the universe roughly 13.8 billion years ago, the researchers said. This period spanning the universe’s first few hundred million years is called cosmic dawn.
- The discovery was made by an international team of astronomers, who used JWST to observe galaxies as part of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) program.
- The study was published online last week ahead of formal peer review.
About the Galaxy
- The galaxy, called JADES-GS-z14-0, measures about 1,700-light years across. A light year is the distance light travels in a year, which is 9.5 trillion km.
- The galaxy has a mass equivalent to 500 million stars the size of our Sun and is rapidly forming new stars — about 20 every year.
- The early universe has surprise after surprise for us.
- The earliest-known galaxy dated to about 320 million years after the Big Bang, as announced by the JADES team last year.
- It makes sense to call the galaxy big, because it’s significantly larger than other galaxies that the JADES team has measured at these distances, and it’s going to be challenging to understand just how something this large could form in only a few hundred million years.
- The JADES team in the same study disclosed the discovery of the second oldest-known galaxy, from about 303 million years post-Big Bang.
- That one, JADES-GS-z14-1, is smaller — with a mass equal to about 100 million sun-sized stars, measuring roughly 1,000 light years across and forming about two new stars per year.
About James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
- The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has recently
- uncovered fascinating insights into the universe’s history by capturing the oldest-known dead galaxy, which ceased star formation approximately 13 billion years ago, 700 million years after the Big Bang event that gave rise to the universe.
- The telescope is the result of an international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency which was launched in December 2021.
- It is currently at a point in space known as the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, approximately 1.5 million km beyond Earth’s orbit around the Sun.
- Its mass is comparable to that of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), a dwarf galaxy near the Milky Way.
- It is currently at a point in space known as the Sun-
- Earth L2 Lagrange point, approximately 1.5 million km beyond Earth’s orbit around the Sun.
- It’s the largest, most powerful infrared space telescope ever built and is successor to the Hubble Telescope.
| CARE MCQ | UPSC PYQ |
Q2. Consider the following statements:
Which among the following statement is/are correct?
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Q. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched? (2014)
Spacecraft Purpose
Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans: (b) |
| Answer 2 C
Explanation
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India receives highest FDI from Singapore in 2023-24
Source: Deccan Herald
https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/india-receives-highest-fdi-from-singapore-in-2023-24-mauritius-second-biggest-investor-government-data/article68242434.ece
UPSC Relevance: GS 3- Foreign Direct Investment, Economy
Context: Though FDI from Singapore has dipped by 31.55% to $11.77 billion in 2023-24, India has attracted the maximum inflows from that country
Why in News
- India received the highest foreign direct investment (FDI) from Singapore in 2023-24 even as overseas capital inflows into the country contracted by about 3.5% due to global economic uncertainties, according to the latest government data.
Key Highlights
- During the last fiscal, FDI equity inflows d
ecreased from major countries, including Mauritius, Singapore, the U.S., the U.K., UAE, Cayman Islands, Germany, and Cyprus. - However, investments increased from the Netherlands and Japan.
- Since 2018-19, Singapore has been the largest source of such investments for India. In 2017-18, India attracted the maximum FDI from Mauritius.
- According to experts, after the India-Mauritius tax treaty amendment, Singapore has emerged as the preferred jurisdiction for investment in India.
India and Singapore
- While there are many geo-economic and political factors why Singapore has gained more prominence in the recent past, the primary reason for it topping the FDI charts for India is tax.
- Historically, the double tax avoidance agreement between India and Singapore provided for many beneficial provisions including capital gains exemption in India for investments made from Singapore and even though this provision has been amended, Singapore still is a credible place to create operations with substance to invest further in South-East Asia (including India).
- in 2016, India amended its tax treaty with Mauritius to introduce a source-based taxation regime for capital gains, eliminating the tax advantage and reducing the attractiveness of Mauritius as an investment hub for India.
- After the India-Mauritius tax treaty amendment, Singapore has emerged as the preferred jurisdiction for foreign investment in India due to various factors.
FDI Inflows in India
- FDI equity inflows in India declined 3.49% to $44.42 billion in 2023-24 as against $46.03 billion in 2022-23.
- Sectorally, inflows contracted in services, computer software and hardware, trading, telecommunication, automobile, pharma and chemicals.
- In contrast, construction (infrastructure) activities, development and power sectors registered a healthy growth in inflows during the period under review.
- FDI from Mauritius dipped to $7.97 billion in the last fiscal from $6.13 billion in 2022-23.
- The U.S. is the third largest investor in India in 2023-24 with $4.99 billion foreign investments, though it is down from $6 billion in 2022-23.
- It was followed by the Netherlands ($4.93 billion), Japan ($3.17 billion), the UAE ($2.9 billion), U.K. ($1.2 billion), Cyprus ($806 million), Germany ($505 million), and Cayman Islands ($342 million).
- Mauritius accounts for 25% of the total FDI which India has received during April 2000 to March 2024 ($171.84 billion), while Singapore’s share is 24% ($159.94 billion).
- The U.S. accounted for 10% of total overseas investments with $65.19 billion during the period.
Significance of FDI
- Foreign investments are crucial for India to overhaul its infrastructure such as ports, airports and highways to push growth.
- FDI also helps improve the country’s balance of payments situation and strengthen the rupee value against other global currencies, especially the U.S. dollar.
About FDI
- Foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment from a party in one country into a business or corporation in another country with the intention of establishing a lasting interest.
- When an entity from one country has controlling ownership in a business in another country, it is called foreign direct investment.
- For instance, when a foreign company or organisation buys a substantial stake in a listed company in India. FDI brings liquidity to a company, helps the overall sector, and creates many job opportunities.
| CARE MCQ | UPSC PYQ |
| Q3. Which statements correctly describe the factors influencing India’s FDI inflows in 2024-25?
1. Global economic conditions 2. Geopolitical tensions 3. Domestic policy developments 4 The performance of the stock market Select correct code: a) 1 and 2 b) 2 and 3 c) 1, 2, and 3 d) 1, 3, and 4 |
Q. Consider the following: (2021)
Which of the above can be included in Foreign Direct Investments? (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 3 only (c) 2 and 4 (d) 1 and 4 Ans: (a)
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| Answer 3– D
Explanation –
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Archaeologists, Sanskrit scholars tie up to decipher Rigveda text
Source: The Hindu
UPSC Relevance: GS 1 Proto-History, History, Art and Culture
Context: The Rigveda’s description of life along the Saraswati River co-relates to the archaeological evidence of Harappan settlements.
Why in News
- To potentially establish a relationship between the Harappan civilisation and the people of the Vedic age, a group of archeologists are now collaborating with Sanskrit scholars to decipher the text of the Rigveda.
Need for Study of Rigveda
- A clear understanding of what is mentioned in the Rigveda text is important in order to co-relate archaeological evidence unearthed by his team in excavations of Harappan settlements at Haryana’s Rakhigarhi and Banawali, at Kalibanga on the Haryana-Rajasthan border, and at Dholavira in Gujarat.
Evidence from NCERT
- The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) recently made a major addition to the Class 12 History textbook, Themes in Indian History Part 1, under a chapter titled, ‘Bricks, Beads and Bones – The Harappan Civilisation’, based on DNA evidence from the 4,600-year-old remains of a woman, indicating that the Harappans were an indigenous people.
- The NCERT has added a disclaimer in the textbook that more research is required to establish this relationship.
Debate over Origi of Vedas
- Currently, there is a debate about the period of origin of the Vedas, with one set of historians holding that the Vedas originated between 1,500 BC and 2,000 BC.
- However, another set of historians believe that the Vedas date farther back to 2,500 BC — or 4,500 years ago.
- This would coincide with the age of the genetic evidence from the erstwhile Harappan woman’s bone samples tested at the Rakhigarhi site.
Saraswati: A common thread
- If you see description in Rigvedic text of the area where people lived, there is frequent description of the river Saraswati. The mention of the river is recorded at least 71 times in the Rigvedic text.
- During archaeological excavations, we discovered a majority of Harappan settlements along the banks of river Saraswati.
- Of the nearly 2,000 known Harappan settlements spread over the Indus basin, Saraswati, and in Gujarat, of which almost two-thirds, at least 1,200 are located along the basin of the river Saraswati.
- In the middle, there seems to be a decline, where humankind reverted back to rural life. However, the later settlements were not along the banks of river Saraswati.
- The Rigveda talks about river Saraswati, and we only have proof of dense Harappan settlements there, dating back to 4,600 years ago.
- Also, Rigvedic texts do not mention the use of iron, so co-relation with early historic settlements which came much later and are 2,400-year-old ones is not possible.
- In modern times, the Saraswati is called the Ghagghar-Hakra river and flows only during the monsoon season.
- It originates from the Shivaliks, the foothills of the Himalayas, then flows through Punjab, Haryana, and a part of Rajasthan before entering what is now Pakistan.
A debate on animal bones
- Another point of reference which may link the Harappans with Vedic times is a set of animal bones found and studied by two archaeo-zoologists in the Surkotada region of Kutch, Gujarat.
- While a group of researchers from Hungary stated that these bones belonged to a proper domesticated horse, another group from Harvard University headed by Richard Meadow concluded that these were the bones of a wild ass.
- Those who believe that the Harappans and Rigvedic people are the same cite the Hungarian reference of the animal bones being that of a horse, as horses find mention in Rigvedic texts.
- However, those historians who date the Rigveda to after 2,000 BC, believe Richard Meadow’s theory that the animal bones were that of a wild ass as some scholars say domesticated horses only came to India after 1,800 BC from central Asia.
- He further points out that some terracotta figurines of horselike animals have been excavated from the Harappan sites of Lothal and Mohenjadaro.
- Both sites have mentioned evidence of terracotta horse, there is a possibility that the animal existed but this is very slender evidence, we don’t have strong evidence to prove that the domesticated horse was present during Harappan times.
| CARE MCQ | UPSC PYQ |
Q4. What conclusions can be drawn from the correlation between Rigvedic texts and archaeological findings regarding the river Saraswati?
Select correct option a) 1 and 2 b) 1 and 3 c) 2 and 3 d) All of the above |
Q. Regarding the Indus Valley Civilization, consider the following statements: (2011)
1. It was predominantly a secular civilization and the religious element, though present, did not dominate the scene, 2. During this period, cotton was used for manufacturing textiles in India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Ans: C |
| Answer 4- A
Explanation
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UN votes to end Iraq political mission
Source: Indian Express
https://indianexpress.com/article/world/un-votes-end-iraq-political-mission-9364498/
UPSC Syllabus Relevance: GS2- International Relations
Context: The US-sponsored resolution asks Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to prepare ‘a transition and liquidation plan’ in consultation with the Iraqi government by December 31, 2024 so UNAMI can start transferring its tasks and withdrawing staff and assets.
Why in News
- The UN Security Council voted unanimously to end the UN political mission in Iraq established in 2003 following the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein to coordinate post-conflict humanitarian and reconstruction efforts, and to help restore a representative government in the country.
Background
- The US-sponsored resolution asks Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to prepare “a transition and liquidation plan” in consultation with the Iraqi government by December 31, 2024 so UNAMI can start transferring its tasks and withdrawing staff and assets.
- It extends the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq, known as UNAMI, for a final 19 months until December 31, 2025 when all its work will cease.
- The council said it supports Iraq’s continuing stabilization efforts including its ongoing fight against the Islamic State group and al-Qaida extremists and their affiliates.
- In 2014, the Islamic State group declared a caliphate in large parts of Iraq and Syria and attracted tens of thousands of supporters from around the world.
- The extremists were defeated by a US-led military coalition in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, but its sleeper cells remain in both countries.
- The council’s action came as Iraq is also seeking to wind down the military coalition formed to fight the IS.
Significance of the Development in context of UNAMI Mission
- The resolution adopted Friday to close the UNAMI mission expresses support for Iraq’s reform efforts aimed at fighting corruption, respecting and protecting human rights, delivering essential services to its people, creating jobs and diversifying the economy.
- It asks the secretary-general to streamline UNAMI’s tasks ahead of the mission’s closure to focus on providing advice, support and technical assistance to the government to strengthen preparations for free elections, including for the federal Parliament and for the Parliament in the Kurdistan region.
- It also authorizes UNAMI to facilitate progress toward finally resolving outstanding issues between Iraq and Kuwait, stemming from Saddam Hussein’s invasion of its smaller neighbor in August 1990.
- In addition, the resolution says UNAMI should help with the return of internally displaced Iraqis and those in Syria, with providing health care and other services and with economic development.
About United Nations
- The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945.
- Currently made up of 193 Member States, the UN and its work are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter.
- The UN has evolved over the years to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.
- The two that are not members are Vatican City (the Holy See), which chooses not to be a member, and Palestine, which has not been admitted for membership.
- The United Nati ons is headquartered in a patch of international territory located in the Manhattan borough of New York City.
- It also operates major offices in Nairobi, Vienna, Geneva, and The Hague.
- The organization is a successor to the less powerful League of Nations, which was chartered around the time of World War I.
Member of the United Nations
- Membership in the Organization, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, is open to all peace-loving States that accept the obligations contained in the United Nations Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization, are able to carry out these obligations.
- States are admitted to membership in the United Nations by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.
- The recognition of a new State or Government is an act that only other States and Governments may grant or withhold.
- It generally implies readiness to assume diplomatic relations.
- The United Nations is neither a State nor a government, and therefore does not possess any authority to recognize either a State or a Government.
- As an organization of independent States, it may admit a new State to its membership or accept the credentials of the representatives of a new Government.
| CARE MCQ | UPSC PYQ |
Q5. Consider the following statements with regards to United Nations:
Which of the statements given above are correct? a) 1 and 2 only b) 2 and 3 only c) 1 and 3 only d) 1, 2 and 3 |
Q. Regarding the United Nations General Assembly, consider the following statements: (2022)
1. The UN General Assembly can grant observer status to the non-member States. 2. Inter-governmental organizations can seek observer status in the UN General Assembly. 3. Permanent Observers in the UN General Assembly can maintain missions at the UN headquarters. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Ans: d |
| Answer 5 D
Explanation
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New ant species discovered from Siang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh
Source: The Hindu
UPSC Syllabus Relevance: GS 3 Environment and Ecology
Context: Paraparatrechina neela has been described as a small ant with a total length of less than 2mm.
Why in news
- Researchers have discovered a new ant species from the Eastern Himalayas. Belonging to the rare genus Paraparatrechina, the blue-coloured insect has been named Paraparatrechina neela.
Key Highlights
- The discovery was made by entomologists Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan and Sahanashree R. from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in Bengaluru and Aswaj Punnath from the University of Florida.
- Their scientific description of the ant has been published in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys.
- According to the researchers, the discovery, made during an expedition to Siang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, marks the first addition to the Paraparatrechina genus from the Indian subcontinent
- With the dim light available, two insects were sucked into an aspirator.
Paraparatrechina Neela
- Paraparatrechina neela has been described as a small ant with a total length of less than 2mm. Its body is predominantly metallic blue, except for the antennae, mandibles, and legs.
- The head is subtriangular with large eyes and has a triangular mouthpart (mandible) featuring five teeth.
- The researchers said that although the blue colouration was commonly observed in some insects like butterflies, beetles, bees, and wasps, it was relatively rare in ants. Out of the 16,724 known species and subspecies of ants worldwide, only a few exhibit at least partial blue colouration or iridescence, they noted.
- The expedition was funded by the National Geographic Society through the wildlife-conservation expedition grant. Entomologists from ATREE have so far discovered a new subfamily, six new genera and more than 40 new insect species, belonging to parasitic wasps, ants and beetles from the region.
| CARE MCQ | UPSC PYQ |
Q6. Which of the following statements about the recent research expedition in the Siang Valley and Paraparatrechina neela is correct?
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Q. “If rainforests and tropical forests are the lungs of the Earth, then surely wetlands function as its kidneys.” Which one of the following functions of wetlands best reflects the above statement?(2022)
(a) The water cycle in wetlands involves surface runoff, subsoil percolation and evaporation. (b) Algae form the nutrient base upon which fish, crustaceans, molluscs, birds, reptiles and mammals thrive. (c) 5815 Wetlands play a vital role in maintaining sedimentation balance and soil stabilization. (d) Aquatic plants absorb heavy metals and excess nutrients. Ans: (d)
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| Answer 6– C
Explanation
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