Daily NEWS 17 February 2024

Cartosat-2 De-orbiting

ISRO successfully de-orbited and re-entered Cartosat-2 at the end of its life.
Launched in 2007, advanced remote sensing satellite.
Lowered perigee using leftover fuel to comply with space debris guidelines.
Signifies ISRO's commitment to long-term sustainability in outer space.

Pandaram Lands in Lakshadweep

Lakshadweep administration continues to number trees on Pandaram lands.
Laccadive Minicoy and Amini Islands Land Revenue and Tenancy Regulation, 1965 defines Pandaram lands as land in which the Government has a proprietary right.
Jenmam land is defined as land other than Pandaram land over which a person has proprietary rights under customary law of the Islands.

Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan

6th regional dialogue of security officials held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Key participants include India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Important mechanism for assessing the situation in Afghanistan post-Taliban takeover.

Indian Skimmer

India and Bangladesh propose listing Indian skimmers under Convention on Migratory Species.
Found in coastal estuaries of western and eastern India, primarily on larger sandy rivers, lakes, marshes, estuaries, and coasts.
Breeds colonially on large sandbars and feeds on fish, crustaceans, and insect larvae.
Endangered on IUCN Red List, not listed on CITES.

Nohar irrigation project

Project in Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan to receive boost with repairing of Ferozepur feeder in Punjab.
Utilizes Rajasthan's share in Ravi and Beas waters based on 1981 agreement.
Aims to bring desert land under irrigation in northern Rajasthan and combat environmental degradation due to wind erosion.

Amphipods

A new species of marine amphipod called 'Parhyale odian' has been discovered in Chilika Lake in Odisha.
Amphipods are crustaceans, which are a large group of Arthropods including crabs, lobsters, shrimp, etc.
They have a hard exoskeleton and a segmented body that is bilaterally symmetrical.
They are mostly found in freshwater or marine environments, but some are terrestrial like woodlice.

Char Areas

Chief Minister of Assam announces survey of land within char areas under Mission Basundhara 4.0.
Mission Basundhara is a land management initiative of the Assam government.
Char areas, also known as Chapori, are riverine areas of the river Brahmaputra that are subjected to erosion and deposition, causing migration downstream.
Constant threat from flood and erosion in char areas creates developmental issues.

Sora

Sora is a new Generative AI model developed by OpenAI that can convert text prompts into videos.
It can generate videos up to a minute long while maintaining visual quality and adhering to the user's prompt.
Sora is significant because it can analyze moving objects in 3D space, adding complexity to its capabilities.
Gen-AI refers to AI algorithms that generate new outputs based on their training data, using generative adversarial networks.

U Tirot Sing (18021835)

Khasi freedom fighter U Tirot Sing’s statue unveiled in Dhaka.
U Tirot Sing, also known as U Tirot Sing Syiem, was a Khasi chief in the early 19th century.
He declared war and fought against the British for attempting to take control of the Khasi Hills.
Used guerilla tactics in the Anglo-Khasi war (1829-33) against the militarily superior British forces.
Captured by the British in January 1833 and deported to Dhaka.
Values: Patriotism, Courage, Determination, Leadership.

Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) Operationalizes Central Processing Centre to facilitate Ease of Doing Business (EoDB)

Centralized Processing Centre (CPC) for Regulatory Compliance Forms:

Established for processing regulatory compliance forms under Companies Act and Limited Liability Partnership Act.
It processes applications in a time-bound and faceless manner, similar to CRC and C-PACE.
CRC provides services for speedy incorporation of companies, while C-PACE processes applications for voluntary closure of companies.
EoDB aims to simplify, make more efficient, and cost-effective the process of setting up, operating, and closing businesses in a specific territory.

EoDB Reforms Focus Areas:

EoDB reforms focus on simplifying procedures related to applications, renewals, inspections, filing records, etc.
Rationalization involves repealing, amending, or subsuming redundant laws to streamline processes.
Digitization aims to create online interfaces to eliminate manual forms and records.
Decriminalization focuses on minor technical or procedural defaults not being treated as criminal offenses.

Significance of EoDB Reforms:

Economic growth: Improved resource allocation, enhanced competitiveness, and innovation
Foreign investment: Reduced bureaucratic hurdles, increased transparency for investors.
Social development: Promoting inclusivity, providing opportunities for marginalized communities to participate in economic activities.

Initiatives for Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Reforms:

Labour Law reforms: Consolidation of 29 Central Labour Laws into 4 codes.
Foreign investment reforms: Establishment of Foreign Investment Facilitation Portal (FIF Portal).
Business Reform Action Plan 2022: Business-centric reforms (National Single Window System) and Citizen-centric reforms (Online Single Window, Certificates).

Global Pulses Conference (GPC) urges India to augment Production of Pulses to meet Nutritional requirements

Global Pulse Confederation (GPC) is an annual global meet representing all segments of the pulse industry value chain.
India is represented by India Pulses and Grains Association in GPC.
Pulses are leguminous crops harvested for dry seeds, such as Chickpeas and Pigeon peas.
Pulses have high protein content (20-25% by weight), double that of wheat.
India is the largest producer (25%), consumer (27%), and importer (14%) of pulses globally.
Chickpea and Pigeon pea make up around 60% of all pulses produced in India.
Major pulses producing states in India include MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and UP.
Pulses play a significant role in improving soil health through nitrogen fixation and addressing malnutrition.
Issues with pulses production in India include limited nutrient management and price volatility.
Initiatives for promoting pulses production include considering them as a residual crop and growing them under rain-fed conditions.
Market challenges for pulses include inadequate warehousing facilities and price volatility due to the 'Cobweb' phenomenon.
Policy issues include limited focus on R&D for pulses and not being beneficiaries of the Green Revolution.

Initiatives taken for promotion of Pulses:

National Food Security Mission Pulses and Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM AASHA) for remunerative prices.
Rainfed Area Development Programme and Integrated Scheme for Oilseeds, Pulses, Oil Palm & Maize.

NITI Aayog released a Report titled ‘Senior Care Reforms in India Reimagining the Senior Care Paradigm: A Position Paper’

Status of Elderly in India:

Currently, the elderly make up around 10% of the population, with projections to reach 19.5% by 2050.
75% of the elderly population has one or more chronic diseases, according to the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India 2021 report.
70% of the elderly are dependent for everyday maintenance, and 78% do not have any pension cover.

Key Challenges and Recommendations:

Dimensions	Challenges	Recommendations
Health	Challenges include lack of comprehensive services, shortage of trained manpower, and lack of knowledge repository for geriatric diseases.	Recommendations include focusing on preventive interventions, ensuring palliative and long-term healthcare services, and promoting research and development in geriatric care.
Social	Challenges include fragmented social support system, changing family structures, and neglect of care workers.	Recommendations include establishing a comprehensive social security system, promoting community-based support, and strengthening assisted living facilities.
Economic	Challenges include insufficient financial literacy, lack of support in financial planning, and financial abuse.	Recommendations include creating occupational opportunities for the elderly, designing special health insurance products, and providing support in financial planning.
Digital	Challenges include insufficient access to digital goods and lack of digital training modules for the elderly.	Recommendations include enhancing ease and safety of digital operations, and developing enabling digital infrastructure.

US House passes bill titled 'Strengthening the Quad Act'

Key Provisions of the Bill:

Directs the US State Department to create a strategy for engaging with the Quad.
Aims to establish a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group for member cooperation.

About the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad):

Informal forum of like-minded countries: USA, India, Australia, Japan.
Originated from collaboration during the 2004 Tsunami rescue operations.
Held its first Quad Leaders' Summit in 2021.
Focuses on promoting a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

Importance for India:

Counters China's Indo-Pacific presence and Belt and Road Initiative.
Allows India to project influence beyond Indo-Pacific.
Informality of Quad allows flexibility for pursuing foreign policy interests and cooperation.

Key initiatives by QUAD:

Leader level Working Groups: Six working groups have been established to focus on key areas such as climate, critical and emerging technologies, cyber, health security partnership, infrastructure, and space.
Vision Statement: The vision statement for 2023 focuses on being enduring partners for the Indo-Pacific region.
Quad Debt Management Resource Portal: A portal has been launched to address challenges related to unsustainable debt financing.
Quad Investors' Network (QUIN): This private sector-led platform aims to facilitate investments in strategic technologies.
Quad Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Package (Q-CHAMP): Launched in 2022, this package aims to enhance cooperation in climate and clean energy initiatives.

“Law on Matrimonial Issues Relating to Non-Resident Indians (NRI) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI)” report submitted:

Key Issues Highlighted by the Law Commission of India (LCI)

Lack of regulation:

No law governing marriages with NRIs.
No central legislation prescribing compulsory registration of marriages.

Rising trend of fraudulent matrimony:

NRIs marrying Indians leaving Indian spouses vulnerable to domestic violence, abandonment, ex-parte divorce, etc.
Ex-parte divorce initiated in a foreign court without knowledge/consent of Indian spouse.

Difficulty in legal assistance: Inter-country nature of marriages makes it difficult for Indian spouses to seek legal recourse.

Key Recommendations by the LCI:

Enact comprehensive law:

Broaden NRI Bill, 2019 to cover divorce, maintenance, and child support.
Make it applicable to OCIs and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) in addition to NRIs.

Compulsory registration in India:

Registration should include information like social security number, passport particulars, ID card, etc. for proper identification and tracking.
Failure to register should attract fines or imprisonment.
Law will have an overriding effect on all other laws.

About OCIs, PIOs and NRIs:

NRIs are Indian citizens living abroad, while OCIs and PIOs are foreign citizens with Indian origin.
PIO and OCI Card Scheme merged in 2015, leading to discontinuation of new PIO card issuance.

Economic Nationalism is quintessentially fundamental to our economic growth: Vice-President

Economic Nationalism:

Ideology favoring domestic control of economy, labor, and capital formation.
Favors tariffs to restrict free trade, promote indigenous industries, and seek import substitution.
Contrasts with globalization, which promotes interdependence among nations.

Benefits of Economic Nationalism:

Protects domestic market in the early stages of nation-building.
Example: India adopted Import Substitution after independence.
India still reserves certain items for public procurement from MSEs.
Prevents drain of foreign exchange caused by imports.
Facilitates local employment by promoting domestic businesses, including MSMEs.

Concerns associated with economic nationalism:

Protectionist policies stifle innovation by lowering competition from foreign businesses.
Example: Prolonged protectionism led to Economic crisis in India in the 1990s.
May lead to trade wars, imperialism, and conflicts as seen in the 20th century.
Economic isolation can lead to political and cultural isolation.

Economic nationalism in India:

Economic nationalism in pre-independence India was seen in the critique of colonial rule and the swadeshi movement.
Recent initiatives like Vocal for Local, make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, etc. fall under the idea of Economic nationalism but are not against globalization.