Current Affairs 13/4/24

1. Indian Heritage

• Culture

• Modern Indian history

• The Freedom Struggle

• Post-independence

• Indian Society

A. population and associated issues

B. poverty and developmental issues

C.urbanization

 7. Geographical features

8.Indian Constitution

9. Polity

10. Governance

A. institutions

B. regulatory

C. Government policies

D. role of NGOs

E. measures

11. Social Justice

A. Welfare schemes

The journey of Baba Saheb Ambedkar – Life, History & Works

• Baba Saheb Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891, he was the 14^th and last child of his parents.
• Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was the son of Subedar Ramji Maloji Sakpal. He was Subedar in British Army. Babasaheb’s father was a follower of Sant Kabir and was also a well-read person.
• Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was hardly two years old when his father retired from service. His mother died when he was only about six. Babasaheb got his early education in Bombay. Since his school days he realized with intense shock what it was to be an untouchable in India.
• Dr. Ambedkar was taking his school education in Satara. Unfortunately, Dr. Ambedkar lost his mother. His aunt looked after him. Afterwards, they shifted to Bombay. Throughout his school education, he suffered from the curse of untouchability. His marriage took place after his matriculation in 1907 in an open shed of a market.
• Dr. Ambedkar completed his graduation at Elphinston College, Bombay, for which he was getting a scholarship from His Highness Sayajirao Gaikwad of Baroda. After his graduation, he had to join Baroda Sansthan according to the bond. He lost his father when he was in Baroda, 1913 is the year when Dr. Ambedkar was selected as a scholar to go to U.S.A, for the higher studies. This was the turning point of his educational career.
• He got his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University in 1915 and 1916 respectively. He then left for London for further studies. He was admitted there to the Gray’s Inn for Law and also allowed to prepare for the D.Sc. at the London School of Economics and Political Science. But he was called back to India by the Dewan of Baroda. Later, he got his Bar-at-Law and D.Sc. degree also. He studied for some time at Bonn University in Germany.
• In 1916 he read an essay on ‘Castes in India — their Mechanism, Genesis, and Development’. In 1916, he wrote his thesis ‘National dividend for India — A Historic and Analytical Study’ and got his Ph.D. Degree. This was published after eight years under the title — “Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India.” Then after getting this highest degree, he returned to India and was appointed a Military Secretary to the Maharaja of Baroda with a view to groom him as the finance minister in the long run.
• Babasaheb returned to the city in September, 1917 as his scholarship tenure ended and joined the service. But after a brief stay in the city till November, 1917, he left for Mumbai. The maltreatment he faced on grounds of untouchability had forced him to leave the service.
• Dr. Ambedkar returned to Bombay and joined Sydenham College as a Professor of Political Economy. As he was well read, he was very popular among the students. But he resigned his post, to resume his studies in Law and Economics in London. Maharaja of Kolhapur gave him the financial help. In 1921, he wrote his thesis. “Provincial Decentralization of Imperial Finance in British India,’ and got his M.Sc. Degree from the London University. Then he spent some period in Bonn University in Germany. In 1923, he submitted his thesis — “Problem of Rupee its Origin and Solution”, for the D.Sc. Degree. He was called to Bar in 1923.
• After coming back from England in 1924 he started an Association for the welfare of the depressed classes, with Sir Chimanlal Setalvad as the President and Dr. Ambedkar as the Chairman. To spread education, improve economic conditions and represent the grievances of depressed classes were the immediate objects of the Association.
• The Bahiskrit Bharat, newspaper was started in April 3, 1927 to address the cause of the depressed classes in view of the new reform.
• In 1928, he became a Professor in Government Law College, Bombay and on June 1, 1935 he became the Principal of the same college and remained in that position till his resignation in 1938.
• On October 13, 1935, a provincial conference of the depressed classes was held a Yeola in Nasik District. In this conference, he gave the shock to the Hindus by announcing. “I was born in Hinduism but I will not die as a Hindu” Thousands of his followers supported his decision. In 1936 he addressed the Bombay Presidency Mahar Conference and advocated the renunciation of Hinduism.
• On August 15, 1936, he formed Independent Labour Party to safeguard the interest of the depressed classes, which mostly formed the labour population.
• In 1938, Congress introduced a bill making change in the name of untouchables. Dr. Ambedkar criticized it. In his point of view changing the name is not the solution of the problem.
• In 1942, he was appointed to the Executive Council of the Governor General of India as a Labour member, in 1946, he was elected to the Constituent Assembly from Bengal. At the same time he published his book, Who were Shudras?
• After Independence, in 1947, he was appointed as a Minister of Law and Justice in Nehru’s first cabinet. But in 1951, he resigned his ministership, expressing his differences on the Kashmir issue, India’s Foreign Policy and Nehru’s Policy towards the Hindu Code Bill.
• In 1952, Columbia University conferred upon him the degree of LL.D. in recognition of the work done by him in connection with the drafting of India’s Constitution. In 1955, he published his book titled Thoughts on Linguistic States.
• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was awarded a Doctorate on January 12, 1953, from Osmania University. Ultimately after 21 years, he proved true, what he had announced in Yeola in 1935, that “I will not die as a Hindu”. On 14th October 1956, he embraced Buddhism in a historic ceremony in Nagpur and died on 6th December 1956.
• Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was conferred with the title of “Bodhisattva” by the Buddhist monks at “Jagatik Buddhism Council” in 1954 in Kathmandu, Nepal. The special thing is that Dr Ambedkar was conferred with the title of Bodhisattva while he was alive.
• He also contributed to India’s Independence struggle and in its reforms post-independence. Apart from this, Babasaheb played a significant role in the formation of the Reserve Bank of India. The Central bank was formed on the concept presented by Babasaheb to the Hilton Young Commission.
• This sparkling life history of Dr. Ambedkar shows that he was a man of study and action. Firstly, he acquired sound knowledge of Economics Politics, Law, Philosophy and Sociology, in pursuing his studies; he had to face many social odds. But he did not spend all his life in reading and studying and in the libraries. He refused the higher posts with attractive salaries because he never forgot his brothers in the depressed class. He dedicated the rest of his life for equality, brotherhood and humanity. He tried his best for the upliftment of the depressed classes.
• After having gone through his life history it is necessary and proper to study and analyze his main contribution and their relevance. According to one opinion there are three points which are more important even today. Today also Indian Economy and Indian Society are facing many economic and social problems. Dr. Ambedkar’s thoughts and actions may guide us for the solution of these problems.
• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s death anniversary is observed as Mahaparinirvan Diwas across the country.

B Health

C. Education

D. Human Resources

E. poverty and hunger

12. International relations

A. India and its neighbourhood

Third of land conflicts in constituencies where forest rights key issue for election

Nearly a third of landrelated conflicts are in Lok Sabha constituencies where the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) is an “important” election issue, says an analysis by Land Conflict Watch, a comprehensive database of landrelated conflicts in India.

Out of the 781 conflicts in the database, 264 conflicts were mapped to constituencies where FRA is a key issue. Notably, 117 land conflicts were found to directly affect forest dwelling communities and involve nearly 2.1 lakh hectares of land as well as 6.1 lakh people, the analysis released on Friday noted.

Nearly 44% of the 117 conflicts were triggered due to conservation and forestry projects, such as plantations, and involved forest administration. “This suggests that the main adversarial party in such conflicts is the Forest department,” said Anmol Gupta, one of the authors of the report.

About 88% of the conflicts involve nonimplementation or violation of key provisions of the FRA. Other major points of conflict are the lack of legal protection over land rights, forced evictions, dispossession of land. About 110 conflicts are in constituencies reserved for Scheduled Tribes and 77 in constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes.

Maharashtra, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh have the highest number of “core” FRA constituencies, defined as where more than 20% of the resident electorate are eligible to claim rights available under the FRA.

The States with the maximum number of conflicts involving forest rights issues in FRAcritical constituencies are Odisha, Chhattisgarh and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The latest estimates from the Centre say that as of February 2024, 2.45 million titles have been accorded to tribal and forest dwellers. Until the same period, five million claims to title have been received, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs noted, with about 34% of claims having been rejected.

B. groupings and agreements

C.Indian diaspora

13. Economic Development

A. Government Budgeting

Inflation slowed, yet no relief on food bills

India’s retail inflation moderated to a 10month low of 4.85% in March from 5.1% in February but food inflation remained sticky at 8.52%, little changed from the 8.66% recorded in the previous month as price rise accelerated in cereals and meat, while vegetables, pulses, spices and eggs remained in doubledigit inflation.

While inflation for urban consumers cooled significantly from 4.8% in February to 4.14% in March, rural consumers had it harder as they experienced a slightly higher inflation of 5.45% in March compared with 5.34% in the previous month.

This trend was visible in the extent of food price rise as well, as it accelerated from 8.3% in February to 8.6% in March for rural India, while the food inflation for urban consumers dropped from 9.2% in February to 8.35% last month.

On a monthonmonth basis, there was no change in the Consumer Price Index but the food price index inched up about 0.2% and economists reckoned that the ongoing heatwave could spike food inflation in coming months. Even as crude oil prices are firming up and an inflation spike in the U.S. may delay hopes of interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve, sticky food inflation at home could further dampen prospects of rate cuts from India’s central bank.

While March’s inflation rate is still aloof from the bank’s stated 4% target, average retail price rise in the last quarter of 202324 has been 5.01%, in line with the 5% average projected by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The RBI, which last week called inflation the elephant in the room that needs to return to the forest for good, expects retail inflation to ease to an average 4.5% this year from the 5.4% clocked in 202324.

The ongoing April to June quarter is, however, expected to see an average inflation of 4.9%, as per the RBI. Vegetables’ inflationWithin the food basket, vegetables inflation cooled marginally from the sevenmonth high of 30.25% in February to 28.3% last month. A similar easing was recorded in pulses (up 17.7% in March from 18.5% in February), eggs (up 10.33% from 10.7%), and sugar (up 7.25% compared with 7.5% in February).

However, the price rise in cereals spiked to 8.4% in March from 7.6% in the previous month, and rose to 6.4% for meat and fish, from 5.2% a month earlier. Spices inflation remained over double digits at 11.4%, moderating from 13.5% in February. “Food prices continue to be under pressure with cereals, vegetables, spices and pulses seeing high inflation and the present heatwave poses an upside risk,” said Bank of Baroda chief economist Madan Sabnavis.

B. industrial

Government takes measures to operationalize Gas-based Power Plants to help meet Summer Electricity Demand

In order to help meet the high electricity demand in the country during the summer season, the Government of India has decided to operationalize gas-based power plants. To ensure maximum power generation from Gas-Based Generating Stations, the Government has issued directions to all Gas-Based Generating Stations under Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003 (under which the appropriate government may specify that a generating company shall, in extraordinary circumstances operate and maintain any generating station in accordance with the directions of that Government).

A significant portion of the Gas-Based Generating Stations (GBSs) is currently unutilized, primarily due to commercial considerations. The order under Section 11, which is on similar lines as done for imported-coal-based power plants, aims to optimise the availability of power from Gas-Based Generating Stations during the ensuing high demand period. The order shall remain valid for generation and supply of power from May 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024. The order can be accessed here.

GRID-INDIA to inform Gas-based Generating Stations of Power Requirement

As per the arrangement, GRID-INDIA will inform the Gas-based Generating Stations in advance, of the number of days for which Gas-based power is required. Gas-Based Generating Stations holding Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with Distribution Licensees shall first offer their power to PPA holders. If the power offered is not utilised by any PPA holder, then it shall be offered in the power market. Gas-Based Generating Stations not tied to PPAs must offer their generation in the power market. A high-level committee headed by Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority has been constituted to facilitate the implementation of this direction.

The decision to operationalize gas-based generating stations is part of a series of measures taken by the Government of India, to ensure that the electricity demand in the summer season is met. The Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy Shri R. K. Singh held a series of meetings on this, emphasizing the need for ensuring adequate availability of power to meet the load during the hot-weather season.

Other Measures to Meet Summer Electricity Demand

The government has taken the following measures to meet the summer demand, apart from the decision on gas-based generating stations:

• Planned Maintenance of Power Plants to be shifted to Monsoon Season
• New Capacity Additions to be Speeded up
• Partial Outages of Thermal Power Plants being brought down
• Surplus Power with Captive Generating Stations to be Utilized
• Surplus Power to be offered for sale in Energy Exchange
• Section 11 Directions for Imported-Coal-Based Power Plants, to make full capacity available for generation
• Shifting of hydro power generation to peak hours
• Advance planning by all stakeholders to ensure coal availability

India’s electricity demand has been rising rapidly, driven by economic growth, particularly during hot-weather and high-demand periods. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted above-normal maximum temperatures over most parts of the country during the 2024 hot weather season. The above measures are being taken in this context, in anticipation of the high electricity demand during the season.

E.issues

14. Technology

India Celebrates World Quantum Day 2024 – Aspires to lead in Quantum Science and Technology

India celebrates World Quantum Day 2024 on April 14, 2024, with aspirations to become a global leader in various fields of Quantum Science and Technology.

Quantum Mechanics, the study of atoms and sub-atomic particles, has now advanced to such an extent that it has now moved to the engineering domain and is leading to novel and varied applications. Researchers worldwide have utilized its principles to develop technologies such as LEDs, lasers, and ultra-precise atomic clocks used in the Global Positioning System. Considerable attention is now being paid to controlling and manipulating quantum systems for Quantum Computing, Quantum Communications, and Quantum Sensing applications. To advance the awareness and appreciation of quantum science and technology among the public worldwide, an international initiative was taken in 2022, commemorated annually as the World Quantum Day on April 14th.

Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India emphasized the global impact of quantum technology: “Quantum Technology is the new technology frontier, reached after decades of fundamental research leading to our ability to exploit the principles of superposition, entanglement, and measurement. It promises to lead to applications with immense potential for the global economy in areas ranging from medicine to the discovery of advanced materials, and from safe communication to extremely sensitive sensors.”

Discussing quantum technology’s global reach and the need to eliminate potential threats by quantum computers, Prof. Sood said,  “Governments and private players in almost all scientifically advanced nations are investing heavily in its development and exploitation to tap its immense potential for enhancing computing, communication, and sensing capabilities with significant implications for national prosperity and security. The threat emerging from quantum computers that breaches the encryption algorithms used by conventional computing systems needs to be addressed by PQC and QKD to make the world quantum-safe. Ensuring ethical development and deployment of quantum technology will also become important as newer applications get developed, and for this, engagement with a wide range of stakeholders ─scientists, policymakers, industry leaders, civil society organizations, and the public ─ must continue.”

Regarding India’s plans to excel in quantum technology on the global stage, Prof. Sood expressed optimism and confidence and mentioned that India’s National Quantum Mission (NQM) will bolster India’s competitiveness by leveraging the national strengths built through previous R&D initiatives and strengthening them further in a focused and directed manner.

The National Quantum Mission (NQM), conceptualized by the Prime Minister Science Technology Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) received Cabinet approval on April 19, 2023 with a total outlay of Rs 6003.65 Crore for a period of eight years. The Mission aims to seed, nurture, and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant & innovative ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT). This will accelerate QT-led economic growth, nurture the ecosystem in the country, and make India one of the leading nations in the development of QT and applications.

Being implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), NQM envisages well-orchestrated and synergistic efforts through a hub-spoke-spike model, involving Centres of Excellence (CoEs), consortia projects, individual scientist-centric projects, etc. This mission is guided by a Mission Governing Board (MGB) chaired by Dr. Ajai Chowdhry and assisted by the Mission Technology Research Council (MTRC) chaired by the PSA to the Government of India.

The Mission aims to establish four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) in domains such as (i) Quantum Computing, (ii) Quantum Communication, (iii) Quantum Sensing & Metrology, and (iv) Quantum Materials & Devices. A Call for Pre-Proposals to establish T-Hubs was given on January 20, 2024, inviting contributions from academic institutions and R&D labs.

Underscoring DST’s pivotal role in taking India’s quantum mission forward, Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, DST, said, “India is one of the few countries making concerted efforts to leapfrog in quantum technologies and has reasons to be optimistic to become a leader in the area as it is still evolving. DST has taken up the challenge to build a world-class R&D capability in quantum technologies. Central to its efforts is the setting up of four hubs in Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication, Quantum Sensing & Metrology, and Quantum Materials & Devices.”

Prof. Karandikar also underlined that NQM will be a consortium of academia and R&D labs in collaboration with startups and industry. This will help bring talents in the relevant areas across the country to work together for the development of the technology and its translation in myriad areas.

Dr. Ajai Chowdhry, Chairman, MGB and Founder HCL Technologies highlighted the importance of quantum technology in the digital economy and geopolitics for India: “On this World Quantum Day, the nation’s decision to embark on the National Quantum Mission and seize the opportunities presented by the quantum revolution is a source of immeasurable hope and delight. The imminent economic potential and consequential effects of quantum computing on worldwide digital economies are critical considerations for geopolitical strategies. The substantial financial investment of ₹6,000 crore in the National Quantum Mission will undoubtedly facilitate the advancement of research and innovation across numerous sectors, benefiting scientists, researchers, and startups throughout the country.”

Dr. Chowdhry also stressed the importance of quantum cryptography and encryption as an indispensable component of protecting critical institutions such as Banks and Electrical grids which will be required to implement quantum cryptography to improve security. He reiterated his confidence that the country will endeavour to achieve predetermined standards in the realm of QT by NQM.

Prof. Urbasi Sinha, Quantum Information and Computing Lab, Raman Research Institute and India Representative on the World Quantum Day Network shared her remarks on NQM: “As a country representative for the World Quantum Day network, I am very excited with the boom in quantum technologies that the country is currently witnessing with the impetus that has been received through the National Quantum Mission and look forward to contributing majorly to all the above efforts as a part of the Mission.”

Asserting the importance of research and development on Quantum Communications, Prof. Sinha said, “India has made significant advances in the domain of secure quantum communications, both in fibre as well as free space domain with several ground-based milestones achieved over the last few years. Through the National Quantum Mission and beyond, we are looking forward to further leaps in long-distance quantum communications. We are aiming to have a country-wide free space quantum key distribution  (QKD) network by using a satellite as a trusted node as well as a fibre-based QKD network. We will also make advances towards multi-node quantum repeater networks for entanglement distribution-based quantum communication. Going forward, India envisages being a lead player in the quest towards the global quantum internet, which would involve connecting India with other countries through quantum communication links.”

15. Environment

The blurry lines between wildlife ‘capture’ and ‘rescue’

The subject nuanced challenge in India given the escalating frequency of human-wildlife interactions

is a

Rescue is defined as an act of saving or being saved from danger or difficulty. On a fundamental level, when it comes to wildlife, the term ‘rescue’ conjures up a sense of hope for the survival of the animal, the drama of the operation, admiration for the skills of human responders, and an acknowledgment of the struggles of coexistence.

Here, in India, the escalating frequency of humanwildlife interactions is undeniable. Given the inevitability of conflict with wildlife, we should look for better solutions than those which focus solely on reactive capture and relocation, which have frequently proven unsustainable, or, worse, fatal to the animals involved. Navigating the blurry lines between what constitutes a true “wildlife rescue” and “capture” can be a nuanced challenge in India.

The successful capture of animals frequently involved in conflict, such as elephants, snakes, and large carnivores, takes many complex forms, requiring chemical and physical immobilisation, alongside a balanced team of experts, each with their specific roles. Common scenarios necessitating actual ‘rescue’ include instances such as leopards trapped in open wells, elephants stranded in irrigation tanks, snakes trapped in homes, or even elephant calves separated from their herds. However, the mere presence or sighting of wildlife in areas outside our perceived notion of their ‘habitat’ does not always necessitate a “rescue”. Leopards killing livestock or elephants damaging crops do impact communities but may not always warrant a capture in the guise of rescue. The litmus test of an effective response and proactive conflict management systems is when a tense situation is mitigated without the need to capture or relocate an animal.

Advice on ‘capture’ that is ignored

Guidelines issued by the central government for management of humanleopard conflict, based on advice from experts, specifically discourage the capture of leopards on mere sight. They recommend the same for elephants. Instead, they advocate the adoption of preventative measures, and for capture of an animal to be the absolute last resort. Unfortunately, in reality, this advice is often ignored in the field. A recent case in south India highlights the blurred lines between “rescuing” and “capturing” elephants. An elephant captured from a coffee plantation in what was ostensibly a ‘rescue’, was radiocollared and released 200 km away in a landscape unknown to the animalhim. This resulted in it straying into the neighbouring State days later. There was yet another attempt to ‘rescue’ him which led to its death.

16. Security

17. Disaster Management