Current Affairs Reverse Engineering – CARE (03-05-2024)
| News at a Glance |
| Environment: Conservation of Red Colobus |
| Polity and Governance: May 1 observed as Labour Day |
| Position of CBI and Law and Order Issue |
| Science and Technology: Evidence of Water Ice in Polar Craters of Moon |
| International Relations: Chinese Infra Development in Shaksgam valley |
Conservation of Red Colobus
Source: Down to Earth
UPSC Syllabus Relevance: GS 3 (Environment)
Context: Conservation of Red Colobus
Why in News
- To conserve African tropical forests, invest in the protection of its most endangered group of monkeys, red colobus was published in Conservation Letters on April 30, 2024.
About Colobus Species
- Red colobus monkeys are one of two major simian groups globally.
- Colobines are primarily leaf-eaters, as compared to the cercopithecines, which are omnivores and thus include animals in their diet as well.
- Colobine species are leaf-eaters, compared to the omnivore cercopithecines; Africa has 17 red colobus, from Senegal to Zanzibar.
- Colobines also include the langurs of south and southeast Asia besides Africa’s colobus (olive and black-and-white besides red) monkeys.
- In Africa, the 17 red colobus species range widely from Senegal in the west to the Zanzibar Archipelago in the east.
- Cercopithecine species, including the macaques of south and southeast Asia, and the mangabeys, mandrills, drills and baboons of Africa, on the other hand are socially more complex. That is because they are largely generalists in terms of their omnivorous diets.
- According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, every form of red colobus monkey is threatened with extinction, and 14 of the 18 taxa (>75%) are listed as Critically Endangered or Endangered.
Significance of Red Colobus
- The Red colobus is a rare group of imperilled monkeys spread across Africa.
- They are primary indicators of biodiversity decline in the continent’s tropical forests.
- Investing in and conserving the red colobus species could have cascading net positive impacts on African tropical forest health in the face of a growing biodiversity crisis.
- They called for all red colobus to be provided legal protections and their inclusion as priority conservation species in national laws and international treaties.
Recommendations of Scientists
- The scientists have urged peers, civil society, local communities, funding agencies and other stakeholders
- to invest in red colobus conservation efforts to help protect Africa’s tropical forests and biodiversity,
- To mitigate the impacts of climate change, and improve food security and public health.
- Other recommendations made included greater investment in the creation and management of protected areas for red colobus monkeys, providing support to and engaging with communities that live in close proximity to these primates, carrying out surveys to estimate the exact populations of these monkeys and creating awareness about their conservation value.
Decline of Red Colobus
- Red colobus are among the first mammal species to vanish from African forests, because they are large-bodied and because they tend to look with interest at the hunter, rather than fleeing sensibly like most other monkeys.
- They (Red colobus) often form large, noisy groups that are easy for a hunter to find compared with many of the smaller monkey species.
- The result can be that a perfectly good forest can swiftly be rendered red-colobus free within just a few years of hunting starting within it.
- Declining populations of red colobus forewarn the fate of other large-bodied terrestrial vertebrates across African tropical forests and portend a bleak future for Africa’s biodiversity if a business-as-usual approach is followed.
Red Colobus Conservation Initiatives
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- Red Colobus Conservation Action Plan , launched by IUCN, aims to make red colobus a priority conservation target, which will help to secure Africa’s tropical forests and reduce unsustainable hunting for wild meat.
- Red Colobus Conservation Network (RCCN) is a collaborative effort under the IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group working to stop the extinction of red colobus monkeys.
| CARE MCQ | UPSC PYQ |
Q1. Which of the following statements is/are incorrect?
Select correct code
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Q. With reference to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which of the following statements is/are correct? (UPSC Prelims 2015)
1. IUCN is an organ of the United Nations and CITES is an international agreement between governments
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer: B |
| Answer 1- C
Explanation
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May 1 is observed as Labour Day
Source: Indian Express
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/may-labour-day-9301436/
UPSC Relevance: GS2- Polity and Governance
Context: May 1 referred to as “International Workers’ Day, became associated with the Labour Movement in the late 19th century.
Why in News
- Politicians, celebrities and members of civil society came together to celebrate Labour Day and recognise the contributions of workers.
About May Day
- May 1 is observed as “May Day”, also referred to as “International Workers’ Day” and “Labour Day” in different countries across the world.
- The day commemorates the contributions of workers, and the labour movement.
Haymarket Affair
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- The origins of May Day can be traced back to the late 19th century, specifically to the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago.
- The decision was taken in memory of Chicago’s Haymarket Affair, which took place on May 4, 1886, when a violent clash broke out between the police and labour protesters.
- The incident happened after a bomb went off at Haymarket Square in Chicago, where the police had arrived to break a peaceful rally.
- Many protesters were demonstrating against workers’ rights violations, long work hours, poor working conditions, low wages and child labour.
- They were arrested and served terms of life imprisonment, death sentences, etc., and those who died were hailed as “Haymarket Martyrs”.
- The Haymarket Affair had a lasting effect on the workers’ movement and helped push forward the demands for better working conditions across the world.
May day in India
- As for India, Labour Day was first celebrated on May 1, 1923, in Chennai (then known as Madras).
- Two meetings were held— one on the Triplicane Beach and another near the Madras High Court. These were organised by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan.
- The party was founded by Malayapuram Singaravelu Chettiar, who was one of the founders of the Communist Party of India (CPI).
- It was at these meetings that a resolution was passed urging the British government to declare May 1 as Labour Day and a government holiday.
- The red flag that is synonymous with the Left movement was used for the first time during the Chennai event.
- The Labour Kisan Party has introduced May Day celebrations in Madras. Comrade Singaravelar presided over the meeting.
- A resolution was passed stating that the government should declare May Day as a holiday. The president of the party explained the non-violent principles of the party.
- There was a request for financial aid. It was emphasised that workers of the world must unite to achieve independence.
- Labour Day was not a holiday in any State or province in India until 1957 when a Communist government scripted history by forming the country’s first democratically elected communist government.
Ancient Roots
- Notably, the popular phrase May Day has ancient roots in several countries.
- The day was celebrated as the Festival of Flora in old Rome, marked by song, dance and theatrical performances.
- A similar festival was also reportedly celebrated during this time in praise of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine-making, orchards, fruit and fertility, and Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty.
Significance of Labour Day
- International Workers’ Day, also known as May Day, is celebrated on May 1 to recognise the contributions of the working class and workers’ rights worldwide.
- Labour Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers, and has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement.
- On the occasion, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) emphasised the importance of renewing commitment to social justice.
- The ILO highlighted the daily challenges that workers face, both existing and emerging, and called for action to ensure that economic growth translates into better living standards and working conditions for all.
Constitutional Provisions Related to Labour
Indian constitution provides numerous safeguards for the protection of labour rights. These safeguards are in the form of fundamental rights and the Directive principle of State policy.
- Article 14 commands the State to treat any person equally before the law.
- Article (19) (1) (c) grants citizens the right to form associations or unions.
- Article 21 promises protection of life and personal liberty.
- Article 23 prohibits forced labour.
- Article 24 prohibits employment of children below the age of fourteen years.
- Article 39(a) provides that the State shall secure to its citizens equal right to an adequate means of livelihood.
- Article 41 provides that within the limits of its economic capacity the State shall secure for the Right to work and education.
- Article 42 instructs the State to make provisions for securing just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief.
- Article 43 orders the State to secure a living wage, decent conditions of work and social and cultural opportunities to all workers through legislation or economic organisation.
- Article 43A provides for the participation of workers in Management of Industries through legislation.
| CARE MCQ | UPSC PYQ | |||||||||||||||
Q2. Consider the following pairs:
Which of the above pairs is correctly matched?
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Q. A legislation which confers on the executive or administrative authority an unguided and uncontrolled discretionary power in the matter of the application of law violates which one of the following Articles of the Constitution of India? (UPSC Prelims 2021)
Answer – (A) |
| Answer 2– D
Explanation –
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Position of CBI and Law and Order Issue
Source: The Hindu
UPSC Syllabus Relevance: GS2- Polity and Governance, Law and Order administration
Context: Suit was filed by West Bengal under Article 131 of the Constitution against the Union government.
Why in news
- The Supreme Court categorically said law and order is a State subject after the State of West Bengal complained that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) claims “unilateral right” to investigate offences committed by Central employees within State jurisdiction.
Key Highlights
- Justice Sandeep Mehta, member of the two-judge Bench, said when Army personnel commit offences even within their camp, officers hand over the culprits to the local police.
- Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, for West Bengal said their intent is to get in through the CBI, then use the Directorate of Enforcement [ED] and then do whatever is to be done.
- Another Bench of the Supreme Court is tackling a similar question of law related to the State of Tamil Nadu in the case of Ankit Tiwari, an ED officer against whom the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption had launched a criminal prosecution for bribery.
- ED had approached the apex court claiming the case be transferred to it as Mr. Tiwari was a Central government employee.
Article 131 and CBI Issue
- The hearing was based on an original suit filed by West Bengal under Article 131 of the Constitution against the Union government.
- The State alleged that CBI, a Central agency, was probing several cases and registering FIRs within its jurisdiction without taking prior consent from the West Bengal government.
- The State had withdrawn prior consent under Section 6 of the Delhi Police Special Establishment (DSPE) Act to CBI investigations within its territory on November 16, 2018.
- Solicitor-General for the Union government, said the original suit of the State was not maintainable and should be dismissed by the court.
- He raised the preliminary objection that disputes in original suits filed under Article 131 directly in the apex court exclusively involve the Union and the States.
- He said the Union had not registered any cases in West Bengal.
- Even if the Supreme Court decided this suit in favour of West Bengal, the court decree would not be enforceable as the Union was not the prosecuting agency.
- It is the CBI which has registered the cases in question. But the CBI is not a defendant in this suit.
What is Article 131?
- Article 131 of the Indian Constitution gives the Supreme Court primary jurisdiction over all interstate or center and state disputes.
- Article 131 gives the Supreme Court the power to deal with such cases directly, rather than through lower courts or reviewing lower court decisions.
- Under the provision, the Supreme Court has the power to hear cases at first-hand, as against appellate jurisdiction, where the Supreme Court has to review decisions of lower court.
- According to Article 131 of the Indian Constitution, the laws of Parliament are considered valid unless the court decides otherwise.
- Under Article 131, the dispute may be:
- between the Government of India and one or more States, or
- between the Government of India and any State or States on one side and one or more other States on the other, or
- between two or more States.
About CBI
- CBI is governed by The Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946.
- CBI must mandatorily obtain the consent of the state government concerned before beginning to investigate a crime in a state.
- The CBI is not a ‘state’ under Article 131.
- The CBI is not under the control of the Union of India under the DSPE Act.
- The Union does not supervise the registration of offences or investigation or closure or filing of chargesheet or conviction or acquittal of cases by the CBI.
- The CBI is an independent legal person. It has an existence outside the Union of India.
- The CBI was a child of a statute like the Life Insurance Corporation or the Reserve Bank of India or the State Bank of India. But none of these entities are a ‘state’ under Article 131.
Pending Case under Article 136
- The Solicitor-General further submitted that West Bengal had already filed special leave petitions in the Supreme Court on identical issues of federalism and lack of State consent to CBI investigations.
- He referred to a pending challenge by the State against a Calcutta High Court order directing the CBI to investigate illegal mining and transportation of coal through railways in West Bengal.
- Mr. Sibal countered that the apex court cannot be stopped from hearing a suit under Article 131 merely because special leave petitions under Article 136 of the Constitution were pending.
- The suit was filed to decide a question of jurisdiction while the petitions dealt with the merits of individual cases.
- The senior lawyer said the relief provided by the court under Article 136 was discretionary. However, the relief under Article 131 was mandatory by nature.
What is Article 136?
- Article 136 of the Indian Constitution grants discretionary powers to the Supreme Court of India to allow special leave petitions.
- It grants the Supreme Court the power to grant special leave to appeal in cases where justice demands it.
| CARE MCQ | UPSC PYQ |
Q3. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
Select the correct answer using the code given below A. 2 and 3 only B. 1 and 2 only C. 3 only D. 1, 2 and 3 |
Q. Consider the following organization/bodies in India: (UPSC Prelims 2023)
1. The National Commission for Backward Classes 2. The National Human Rights Commission 3. The National Law Commission 4. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission How many of the above are constitutional bodies?
Answer: (A) |
| Answer 3 A
Explanation
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Evidence of Water Ice in Polar Craters of Moon
Source: The Hindu
UPSC Relevance: GS 2- Science and Technology, Space Technology
Context: Moon’s polar craters hide big water reserves, ISRO study reveals
Why in News
- Findings from a recent study anchored by Indian and international space scientists have revealed an “enhanced possibility” of water ice occurrence in the moon’s polar craters.
About the Study
- A study carried out by Indian space scientists has found evidence of enhanced possibility of water ice occurrence in the polar craters of the Moon.
- The study was carried out by scientists of ISRO’s Space Applications Centre (SAC), in collaboration with researchers of IIT Kanpur, University of Southern California, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad.
- The research team used seven instruments comprising radar, laser, optical, neutron spectrometer, ultra-violet spectrometer, and thermal radiometer on board the NASA robotic spacecraft Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to understand the origin and distribution of water ice on the Moon.
Findings of Study
- The study suggests that the amount of sub-surface ice in the first couple of metres is about five to eight times larger than the one on the surface in both poles.
- The study also suggests that the extent of water ice in the northern polar region is twice that in the southern polar region.
- As for the origin of this ice, the study confirms the hypothesis that the primary source of sub-surface water ice in the lunar poles is out-gassing during volcanism in the Imbrian period.
- The results also conclude that the distribution of water ice is likely governed by mare volcanism and preferential impact cratering.
- This result also supports a previous study of SAC-ISRO pointing out the possibility of the presence of water ice in some of the polar craters, utilising polarimetric radar data from Chandrayaan-2 Dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar instrument.
- This study is also crucial for supporting ISRO’s future in-situ volatile exploration plans on the Moon.
- The study suggests that the amount of sub-surface ice in the first couple of metres is about five to eight times larger than the one on the surface in both poles.
About Polar Crater
- A crater is a bowl-shaped depression produced by the impact of a meteorite, volcanic activity, or an explosion.
- Polar craters are located near the lunar poles, specifically within regions that experience permanent shadow.
- These regions are of particular interest due to the presence of permanently shadowed areas (PSAs), where temperatures remain extremely low, and volatile compounds, such as water ice, may be preserved.
How are Moon Craters Formed?
- Moon craters are bowl-shaped landforms created by two processes: volcanism and cratering.
- There are hundreds of thousands of moon craters ranging from less than a mile across to giant basins called mare, which were once thought to be seas.
- Throughout its existence, the Moon has been bombarded by comets and asteroid chunks, and those created the many impact craters.
- The largest crater on the Moon is called South Pole-Aitkin Basin. It’s about 1,600 miles across (2,500 kilometers). It’s also among the oldest of the Moon’s impact basins and formed just a few hundred million years or so after the Moon itself was formed.
| CARE MCQ | |
Q4. Consider the following statements:
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
|
Q. With reference to India’s satellite launch vehicles, consider the following statements: (UPSC Prelims 2018)
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Ans: (A) |
| Answer 4 A
Explanation
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Chinese Infra Development in Shaksgam Valley
Source: The Print
UPSC Syllabus Relevance: GS2- International Relations
Context: India has objected to Chinese construction activities in Shaksgam Valley.
Why in News
- India has lodged a strong protest with China for carrying out construction activities in the Shaksgam valley.
Key Highlights
- China is building a road in Shaksgam Valley, a part of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) ceded to Beijing in 1963.
- It connects Muzaffarabad through the Mustagh Pass to Yarkahnd in Xinjiang.
- India said that it had registered a protest with China over this road construction.
Indian Response
- India stated that the Shaksgam Valley is a part of the territory of India.
- India never accepted the so-called China Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963 through which Pakistan unlawfully attempted to cede the area to China.
- India has registered our protest with the Chinese side against illegal attempts to alter facts on the ground.
- New Delhi has in the past objected to Chinese construction activity in the Shaksgam Valley, the pace of which gathered steam after the 2017 stand-off in Bhutan’s Doklam.
Concerns for India
- The new road construction in Shaksgam Valley is unlikely to cause much impact to India’s positions on the Siachen Glacier.
- It should be seen in the context of greater ties between Pakistan and China.
- In 2021, the South China Morning Post had reported that Pakistan was looking to develop new overland border crossings with China that would potentially boost their military interoperability against Indian forces in Ladakh and the rest of Kashmir.
- It had said that the route of a proposed new border road from Yarkand — on Gilgit Baltistan’s border with the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
- This suggests strong strategic motivations because it would open a new supply line from China to Pakistani forces deployed along the Line of Control.
- There were also inputs to suggest that the roads in Shaksgam Valley could be for transporting minerals like Uranium mined from Gilgit Baltistan to Xinjiang.
Shaksgam Valley
- The Shaksgam Valley or the Trans Karakoram Tract is part of Hunza-Gilgit region of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), and is a disputed territory claimed by India but controlled by Pakistan.
- It borders Xinjiang Province of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the north, the Northern Areas of POK to the south and west, and the Siachen Glacier region to the east.
- The Shaksgam Valley was ceded to China by Pakistan in 1963 when both countries signed a boundary agreement to settle their border differences.
- Shaksgam Valley is a strategically located region that is now part of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir
| CARE MCQ | UPSC PYQ |
| Q5. Consider the following pairs:
Region Conflict Countries
Which of the above pairs is correctly matched?
|
Q. Consider the following pairs: (UPSC Prelims 2023)
Regions often mentioned in news : Reason for being in news : 1. North Kivu and Ituri. : War between Armenia and Azerbaijan. 2. Nagorno-Karabakh. : Insurgency in Mozambique. 3. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. : Dispute between Israel and Lebanon. How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Answer: (D) |
| Answer 5 A
Explanation
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