Current Affairs Reverse Engineering – CARE (31-05-2024)
| News at a Glance |
| Science and Technology: Space startup Agnikul Cosmos flies world’s first 3D-printed rocket engine |
| Economy: RBI annual report 2023-24: Central bank sees real GDP growth at 7% in FY25 |
| International Relations: India assumes chair of Colombo Process for 2024-26 |
| Ecology and Environment: AZA Summit underway in Zambia |
| Awards: Major Radhika Sen receive UN gender advocate award |
Space startup Agnikul Cosmos fly’s world’s first 3D-printed rocket engine in fifth attempt
Source: Indian Express
UPSC Syllabus Relevance: GS 3 (Space Technology, Science and Technology)
Context: Agnikul achieves “a major milestone, as the first-ever controlled flight of a semi-cryogenic liquid engine realized through additive manufacturing”.
Why in News
- Indian space startup Agnikul Cosmos successfully launched its first sub-orbital test vehicle powered by the world’s first single-piece 3D-printed rocket engine, after calling off its launch at least four times previously.
About Agnibaan SOrTeD
- Agnibaan SOrTeD is a suborbital technological demonstrator of the Agnibaan launch vehicle, manufactured by Indian space startup Agnikul Cosmos.
- Agnibaan SOrTeD (Sub-Orbital Technology Demonstrator) lifted off in a mission of many firsts.
- While it is the second launch by a private startup in India, it is the first to use a private launchpad that the company has set up at the country’s only operational spaceport at Sriharikota.
Agnilet Engine and launch Vehicle
- The SOrTeD mission is a single-stage launch vehicle demonstration that is powered by a semi-cryogenic engine called the Agnilet.
- The 6.2-meter-tall vehicle has an elliptical nose cone at the top to protect the package from harsh conditions during the flight.
- The launch vehicle, developed by the IIT Madras-incubated startup, also demonstrated India’s first semi-cryogenic engine.
- The launch vehicle has been designed to launch from its mobile launchpad, called Dhanush, from any location.
- The engine—called Agnilet—uses sub-cooled oxygen as fuel. Cryogenic engines, such as the one used in the upper stages of India’s heaviest launch vehicle, LVM3, use gases liquified at extremely low temperatures as fuel.
Significance of the Mission
- The mission was designed to reach a height of about 8 kilometres before splashing into the sea.
- The company hopes to conduct its first orbital launch, which will be able to carry satellites to an orbit around the Earth by the end of the financial.
- They hope to provide regular launched in the next calendar year.
- The other private launch provider Skyroot, which achieved its first sub-orbital launch in 2022, is also likely to undertake its first orbital launch this year.
What is 3D Printing?
- 3D printing is also known as additive manufacturing which uses materials such as plastics and metals
- to convert products envisaged on computer-aided design to real three-dimensional items.
- It is the opposite of subtractive manufacturing which is cutting out/hollowing out a piece of metal or plastic with, for instance, a milling machine.
- 3D printing traditionally has been used for prototyping and has a lot of scope in making artificial limbs, stents, dental crowns, parts of automobiles and consumer goods, among others.
| CARE MCQ | UPSC PYQ |
| Q1. Consider the following statements:
1. Agnibaan SOrTeD is developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). 2. It serves as a platform for testing new technologies related to sub-orbital flight. 3. Agnibaan SOrTeD is capable of carrying small payloads for scientific experiments. 4. It is intended to compete with orbital launch vehicles developed by other space agencies. Choose the correct Options: A. 2, and 3 only B. 2, 3, and 4 only C. 3, and 4 only D. All statements are incorrect |
Q. With reference to India’s satellite launch vehicles, consider the following statements: (2018)
1. PSLVs launch the satellites useful for Earth resources monitoring whereas GSLVs are designed mainly to launch communication satellites. 2. Satellites launched by PSLV appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky, as viewed from a particular location on Earth. 3. GSLV Mk III is a four-staged launch vehicle with the first and third stages using solid rocket motors; and the second and fourth stages using liquid rocket engines. 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:
|
RBI annual report 2023-24: Central bank sees real GDP growth at 7% in FY25
Source: The Hindu
UPSC Relevance: GS 3- Banking Sector, Economic growth, Economy
Context: RBI’s annual report 2023-24 adds that geopolitical tensions, geoeconomic fragmentation, global financial market volatility, international commodity price movements and erratic weather developments pose downside risks to the growth outlook
Why in News
- Indian economy is likely to grow at 7% in the current fiscal year starting April, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in its annual report released on May 30.
Key Highlights
- The Indian economy expanded at a robust pace in 2023-24 (April 2023 to March 2024 financial year), with real GDP growth accelerating to 7.6% from 7.0% in the previous year – the third successive year of 7% or above growth.
- The real GDP growth for 2024-25 is projected at 7.0% with risks evenly balanced.
- India’s GDP growth is robust on the back of solid investment demand which is supported by healthy balance sheets of banks and corporates, the government’s focus on capital expenditure and prudent monetary, regulatory and fiscal policies.
- The Reserve Bank’s Annual Report for 2023-24 said that the Indian economy is navigating the drag from an adverse global macroeconomic and financial environment.
Significance of the Contribution
- Indian economy is well-placed to step up growth trajectory over the next decade in an environment of macroeconomic and financial stability.
- As headline inflation eases towards the target, it will spur consumption demand especially in rural areas.
- It further said the external sector’s strength and buffers in the form of foreign exchange reserves will insulate domestic economic activity from global spillovers.
- The report, however, added that geopolitical tensions, geoeconomic fragmentation, global financial market volatility, international commodity price movements and erratic weather developments pose downside risks to the growth outlook and upside risks to the inflation outlook.
Challenges in front of Indian Economy
- The RBI emphasised that the Indian economy would have to navigate challenges posed by rapid adoption of AI/ML (artificial intelligence/machine learning) technologies as well as recurrent climate shocks.
- The annual report is a statutory report of RBI’s central board of directors.
- The report covers the working and functions of the Reserve Bank of India for the April 2023-March 2024 period.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
- Gross domestic product (GDP) is the total monetary or market value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a specific time period.
- As a broad measure of overall domestic production, it functions as a comprehensive scorecard of a given country’s economic health.
- Gross domestic product (GDP) is the most common measure for the size of an economy, and it measures the value of total final output of goods and services produced by that economy in a certain period of time.
Headline and Core Inflation
- Headline inflation refers to the change in value of all goods in the basket.
- Core inflation excludes food and fuel items from headline inflation.
- Since the prices of fuel and food items tend to fluctuate and create ‘noise’ in inflation computation, core inflation is less volatile than headline inflation.
| CARE MCQ | UPSC PYQ |
Q2. Consider the following statements with regards to Core inflation:
Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 |
Q. With reference to Indian economy, demand-pull inflation can be caused/increased by which of the following? (2021)
Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1, 2 and 4 only (b) 3, 4 and 5 only (c) 1, 2, 3 and 5 only (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Ans: (a) |
| Answer 2– B
Explanation:
|
India assumes chair of Colombo Process for 2024-26
Source: Indian Express
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-assumes-chair-of-colombo-process-for-2024-26-9359983/
UPSC Relevance: GS 2- Multilateral organisations, International Relations
Context: India has become chair of regional grouping Colombo Process for the first time since its inception in 2003.
Why in News
- The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), in its World Migration Report 2024 said that in 2022, India, Mexico, China, the Philippines and France were the top five remittance recipient countries.
Colombo Process
- The Colombo Process is a regional consultative forum comprising 12 member states of Asia.
- It includes 12 member states of Asia (countries of origin of migrant workers): Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
- Promoting safe, orderly and legal migration. India assumed the Chair of Colombo Process for 2024-26, for the first time since its inception.
- Colombo Process is a Regional Consultative Process of migrant worker origin countries from South and SE Asia.
- It serves as a forum for exchange of best practices on overseas employment.
Working of Colombo Process
- The Colombo Process – also known as the Regional Consultative Process on the Management of Overseas Employment and Contractual Labour for Countries of Origin in Asia – was established in 2003.
- It was launched during a ministerial consultation held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, hence the name.
- It brings together South and Southeast Asian labour-sending countries in a member state-driven, non-binding regional consultative process on migration to facilitate dialogue and cooperation on issues of common interest and concerns relating to labour mobility.
- It provides an important platform for consultations on the management of overseas employment and contractual labour.
- The Process is non-binding and decision-making is by consensus.
- The Process is coordinated through permanent missions of member states at the United Nations in Geneva. India has been member of Colombo Process since its inception in 2003.
Significance of Colombo Process
The Colombo Process aims to provide a forum for Asian labour-sending countries to meet the following objectives:
- share experiences,
- lessons learned and best practices on overseas employment and contractual labour;
- consult on issues faced by overseas workers, and labour sending and receiving states, and offers practical solutions for the well-being of overseas workers, particularly the vulnerable overseas workers;
- optimise development benefits from organised overseas employment, and enhance dialogue with countries of destination;
- review and monitor the implementation of the ministerial recommendations and identify further steps for action.
Necessity to form such a platform
- According to the IOM, some three million Asian workers (men and women) leave their countries each year to work overseas.
- A large proportion of these workers (from South and Southeast Asia) head for the Gulf countries while some others move to North America, Europe and other Asian countries.
- India, it needs to be noted here, is a key labour-sending country to countries particularly in the Gulf.
- As Asian overseas worker populations grow in numbers and diversify in terms of destination and source countries, their impact is increasingly felt regionally and internationally.
- Overall numbers of Asian overseas workers are likely to increase due to declining working populations in many industrialised economies, combined with continued need for skilled/low-skilled workers.
- The IOM further states that countries of origin are increasingly engaged in protecting their overseas workers from exploitative practices in recruitment and employment, in providing them with appropriate services before departure and during their stay overseas, as well as in assisting them in their return and reintegration back home.
What are the priority areas of the Colombo Process?
- The Colombo Process addresses five thematic priority areas and while also incorporating four crosscutting themes into these priority areas.
- The thematic priority areas are skills and qualification recognition processes, fostering ethical recruitment practices, pre-departure orientation and empowerment, promoting cheaper, faster and safer transfer of remittances, and labour market analysis.
- The crosscutting themes are migrant health, operationalisation of the migration-related elements of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promotion of equality for women migrant workers and consular support for migrant workers.
Objectives
- Share experiences, lessons learned and best practices in labour migration management
- Consult on issues faced by migrants, countries of origin and countries of destination, and propose practical solutions for the well-being of overseas workers
- Optimize development benefits from organized overseas employment and enhance dialogues with countries of destination
- Review and monitor the implementation of the recommendations and identify further steps of action.
| CARE MCQ | |
Q3. Consider the following statements
Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) Only 2, 3, 4 (c) Only 1, 3 and 4 (d) Only 1 and 2 |
Q. With reference to the “United Nations Credentials Committee”, consider the following statements: (2022)
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 3 only (b) 1 and 3 (c) 2 and 3 (d) 1 and 2 Ans: (a) |
| Answer 3 D
Explanation
|
KAZA Summit underway in Zambia
Source: Down To Earth
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/africa/kaza-summit-underway-in-zambia-96405
UPSC Syllabus Relevance: GS 2- Ecology and Environment, International Relations
Context: Members states of the world’s largest transnational conservation initiative meet to review progress and strategise way forward
Why in News
- More than 400 delegates are gathered in Livingstone, Zambia, for the inaugural Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (TFCA) summit where countries are reviewing its progress and charting its future.
Key Highlights
- Delegates from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the five countries that make up the KAZA-TFCA conservation region, joined wildlife, conservation and tourism experts for the five-day event that started with the technical teams detailing the health of this vast rangeland most populated by wildlife in the world.
- The summit is running under the theme: “Leveraging KAZA’s natural capital and cultural heritage resources as catalysts for inclusive socio-economic development of the eco-region.”
About KAZA Region
- The KAZA region, a 520,000-square kilometre wetland paradise straddling these five southern African nations that have common international borders along the Okavango and Zambezi river basins, is home to a high concentration of wildlife species, including the largest elephant population.
- The KAZA states signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2006 resulting in the KAZA Treaty of 2011 followed by its immediate implementation.
- The KAZA-FTCA area is a partnership centred around “a common vision to conserve biodiversity at scale through promoting integrated transboundary management and to market the landscape biodiversity using nature-based tourism as the engine for rural economic growth and development.
- The meeting of the technical teams will be followed by ministerial meetings culminating in the meeting of the presidents of the five countries who are expected to re-affirm their commitment to the initiative.
Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (TFCA) summit
- The summit is running under the theme: “Leveraging KAZA’s natural capital and cultural heritage resources as catalysts for inclusive socio-economic development of the eco-region.”
- The KAZA TFCA is enormous, larger than Germany and Austria combined and nearly twice as large as the United Kingdom.
- It lies in the Kavango and Zambezi river basins where Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe converge.
- Jewels in the crown of this spectacular array of protected areas are the 15,000 km2 Okavango Delta, an explosion of green and blue in parched landscape – the world’s largest inland delta, and the awe inspiring tumbling cataracts of the Victoria Falls, a World Heritage Site and one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
Significance of the Summit
- The summit’s primary objective is to assess the progress made in establishing and developing the KAZA-TFCA since its inception.
- The key objective is to review and track the progress of the Memorandum of Understanding done in 2016 and the implementation of the KAZA Treaty done in 2011.
- The summit also seeks to get renewed commitment from the current leaders of the member countries.
- The aim of the meeting is to make KAZA the best managed conservation area in the world.
- About 70 per cent of KAZA land is under conversation made up of 103 wildlife management areas and 85 forest reserves.
- Within it are also three World Heritage sites namely the Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River which makes the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe and the Okavango Delta and the Tsodilo Hills both in Botswana.
- The summit comes in the aftermath of a 2022 first ever combined KAZA elephant census which found that the pachyderms’ populations in the area are stable. The aerial census results, published last year, put the combined elephant population in the conservation area at nearly 230,000. KAZA elephant aerial survey coordinator, Darren Potgieter, is participating at the summit where he is expected to contribute in the panel discussion on technical aspects of wildlife conservation.
Dominant issues
- The summit, which was originally scheduled to take place in 2020, was mooted when the leaders of Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Zambia met in March 2019 for the Kasane Elephant Summit in Botswana to deliberate on their common problem of the growing burden of elephant overpopulation, was however postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- As a result, the topic of elephant numbers is expected to dominate the meeting.
- Particularly emotive are two issues: the move by many Western countries to enact laws that ban the importation of wildlife hunting trophies into their territories as well as the continued refusal by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to allow these southern African countries to trade in elephant products.
- Also expected to take centre-stage at the summit is the effect of climate change on the region’s conservation initiative.
- The region is currently experiencing its most severe drought in three decades following poor rains that scientists have attributed to the El Nino phenomenon.
| CARE MCQ | UPSC PYQ |
| Q4. Which countries are part of the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Trans-Frontier Conservation Area?
a) Zambia, Tanzania, and Angola b) Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe c) Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda d) South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland |
Q. Consider the following statements in respect of Trade Related Analysis of Fauna and Flora in Commerce (TRAFFIC)(2017)
Which of the given statements is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Answer: (b) |
| Answer 4 B
Explanation
|
Major Radhika Sen to receive UN gender advocate award
Source: Indian Express
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/major-radhika-sen-indian-woman-peacekeeper-9358834/
UPSC Syllabus Relevance: GS 2- United Nations, Awards
Context: Major Sen is the second Indian peacekeeper to receive this award, following Major Suman Gawani, who was honored in 2019 for her service with the UN mission in South Sudan.
Why in news
- Major Radhika Sen is set to receive the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award on May 30, coinciding with the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
About Major Radhika Sen
- Major Radhika Sen was born in Himachal Pradesh in 1993.
- She is the second Indian peacekeeper to receive this award, after Major Suman Gawani, who was honoured in 2019 for her service with the UN mission in South Sudan.
- Sen joined the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) from March 2023 to April 2024.
- She served as the commander of MONUSCO’s engagement platoon for the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion (INDRDB), according to a UN press release.
- Gender-sensitive peacekeeping is everyone’s business, not just us women. Peace begins with all of us in our beautiful diversity.
UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award
- UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award was established in 2016.
- It recognises the dedication of individual military peacekeepers in promoting gender equality across peacekeeping missions.
- It aligns with the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security.
- The awardee is chosen from candidates nominated by force commanders and heads of missions from all peace operations, according to UN peacekeeping.
UN Peacekeeping
- UN Peacekeeping is a vital tool employed by the United Nations to help countries navigate the path from conflict to peace.
- It involves the deployment of military, police, and civilian personnel to regions affected by conflicts or political instability.
- The primary objective of UN Peacekeeping is to facilitate peace and security, protect civilians, and support the restoration of stable governance structures.
- It brings together the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council, the Secretariat, troop and police contributors and the host governments in a combined effort to maintain international peace and security.
- The first UN peacekeeping mission was established in May 1948, when the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of UN military observers to the Middle East to form the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) to monitor the Armistice Agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbours.
| CARE MCQ | UPSC PYQ |
Q5. Consider the following statements with regards to UN Peacekeeping Forces:
Which of the statements given above are incorrect? (a) 1, 2 only (b) 1 only (c) 2 only (d) None |
Q. The Security Council of UN consists of 5 permanent members, and the remaining 10 members are elected by the General Assembly for a term of (2009)
(a) 1 year (b) 2 years (c) 3 years (d) 5 years Ans: (b) |
| Answer 5 B
Explanation
|