12 July 2023

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – India’s first Vedic-themed park: GS I – Indian Culture

Context:

• A park with a Vedic theme has been made available to the public in Noida.

Important details:

• The region known as the Ved Van Park is home to more than 50,000 plants, including banyan, kalpavriksha, and coconut that have been mentioned in Vedic literature.

It offers a variety of attractions, such as sculptures and wall paintings with lines from the four great works of Vedic literature, laser shows, and more:

• the Rig Veda.
• Yajur Veda
• Sama Veda and
• Asura Veda.
• The park strives to fulfil a dual goal by entertaining and educating its visitors.

The park’s seven zones are each given the name of a well-known Vedic sage:

• Kashyap,
• Agastya,
• Vishvamitra,
• Vasishtha,
• Atri,
• Georgia and
• The park also features a Vedic Knowledge Centre that serves as a hub for examining the depths of Vedic literature.

Source The Hindu

2 – UGC’s new rule to hire entry-level professors: GS II – Education-related issues

Context:

• According to new University Grant Commission guidelines, a PhD is no longer required to apply for the position of assistant professor in colleges and universities.

Important details:

• The National Eligibility Test (NET), the State Eligibility Test (SET), or the State Level Eligibility Test (SLET) must be passed in order to be eligible for an appointment.
• The University Grants Commission (UGC) made a decision to mandate a PhD in 2018.

In the earlier framework:

• Candidates for assistant professorships must be eligible for the SLET, NET, or SET.
• However, PhD candidates were exempt from this requirement.]
• In other words, if a candidate had a doctoral degree, she might still apply for an appointment even if she had failed the NET, SET, or SLET.

Guidelines for 2018:

• The PhD will be a condition for direct employment to the rank of Assistant Professor in universities starting on 1.07.2021.

Source The Hindu

3 – Threads app: GS II – Social Issues

Context:

• Instagram just launched the threads app.

About:

• Threads, an offshoot of Instagram, places an emphasis on interactions over visual content.
• Thread posts cannot be modified.
• In contrast to Twitter, Threads lacks a trending section and doesn’t seem to use hashtags.
• The ground-breaking Fediverse feature will be supported via threads.
• Users of Mastodon and alternative microblogging platforms like Threads would then be able to converse with one another

Source The Hindu

4 – Standing up for National Anthem: GS I – Indian Culture

Context:

• Some men were arrested after reportedly refusing to stand for the National Anthem during a gathering, and an executive magistrate in Srinagar sentenced them to jail.

Important details:

• The guidelines for alleged disrespect of the National Anthem were established by the Supreme Court’s 1986 decision in the Bijoe Emmanuel case.
• The court ruled that forcing citizens to sing the national anthem is prohibited by Article 25’s basic right to freedom of religion.
• Because neither it nor its disruption of a singing assembly stops the singing of the song, the court determined that showing respect by standing when the national anthem is sung but abstaining from singing oneself does not violate the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act of 1971.
• According to the Act, causing a disturbance at a gathering when the National Anthem is being sung or willfully preventing the singing of the National Anthem is punished by up to three years in prison and/or a fine.
• The National Anthem is not needed to be played before feature film screenings in theatres, according to a Supreme Court decision from 2016.

Origin and Evolution:

• The anthem was first performed aloud by Rabindra Nath Tagore on December 27, 1911, during a Congress meeting in Calcutta.
• Every Indian citizen has a responsibility to uphold the values and institutions of the Constitution, as well as the National Flag and the National Anthem, as stated in Article 51A(a) of the Indian Constitution.
• “Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata,” the first national anthem, was written by Tagore in Bengali. Following revision, the phrase was rendered as “Jana Gana Mana.”
• It was declared the national anthem by then-president Dr. Rajendra Prasad on January 24, 1950.

Major Translations:

• Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was the first to transcribe the national hymn from Bengali to Hindi after it had been Sanskritized.
• Captain Ram Singh wrote the music, and Captain Abid Ali gave the Hindi translation.
• Later, Margaret, the dean of Besant Theosophical College, translated it into English.
• After that, the national anthem was translated into each of the 22 recognised languages and a large number of local dialects.
• Guidelines & Rules
• Respecting the national song and hymn is a fundamental obligation, as stated in Article 51A, Section (a).
• According to the National Honour Act of 1971, which was first passed in 1971, disrespecting the national anthem will result in harsh punishments.

Source The Hindu

5 – Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: GS II – International Relations

Context:

• The recent leaders’ summit was held in India, which was serving as the host nation for the first time.

Important details:

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was founded in 2001 by the presidents of China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
• India joined Pakistan as a full member in 2017, having first participated at the leadership level in 2009.
• Iran has joined, and Belarus’ SCO membership application is currently being processed.
• Several key takeaways from the most recent summit:

Targeting terror:

• India targeted both Pakistan and China because to worries about terrorism and territorial integrity.
• The SCO, according to India, shouldn’t be reluctant to denounce those who use cross-border terrorism as a political tool.
• India has frequently voiced its worry about Islamabad’s use of terrorist groups as “state policy” instruments.
• Beijing has come under fire from India for opposing the UN Security Council’s efforts to designate terrorists who have bases in Pakistan.
• India also chastised Beijing and Islamabad over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), asserting that when carrying out connectivity projects, it is essential to preserve the territorial integrity and sovereignty of SCO members.

Declaration from Delhi:

• After the leaders’ conference, India decided not to approve the part of the New Delhi Declaration that backed Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
• In the Samarkand Declaration of 2022, a similar idea had already been rejected by India.
• India has persistently opposed the BRI because the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a part of the Initiative, threatens its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
• India did not sign the SCO Economic Development Strategy, which was approved by Beijing.
• The New Delhi Declaration used similar wording on terrorism to that of the Samarkand Declaration, eschewing the term “chauvinism” in favour of “ultranationalism” in one case.
• Similar to Samarkand, no mention of the Ukraine war was made.

Strategic neutrality:

• India’s hosting of the SCO summit is seen as a sign of its strategic independence.
• It is considered as a key sign of New Delhi’s diplomatic stance in light of the war in the Ukraine and the escalating polarisation between the US and China.

About SCO:

• The Shanghai Cooperation institution (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international institution.
• The “Shanghai five,” composed of China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan following the signing, served as the framework for its establishment in 2001.
• The main goals of the SCO are:
• fostering a sense of goodwill and mutual trust among the member countries;
• encouraging successful cooperation in fields including politics, trade and economy, research and technology, culture and education, as well as in industries like energy, transportation, tourism, and environmental protection;
• making concerted measures to maintain and preserve regional security, peace, and stability,
• in the direction of establishing a new, democratic, fair, and rational political and economic system on the international scene.

Members:

Currently, the SCO counts eight countries as full members:

• India
• Kazakhstan
• China
• Kyrgyzstan
• Russia
• Pakistan
• Tajikistan
• Uzbekistan

Observer countries:

• Afghanistan
• Belarus
• Iran
• Mongolia

Nations to be dialogue partners:

• Azerbaijan
• Armenia
• Cambodia
• Nepal
• Turkey
• Asia in South

Iran’s interests and SCO membership:

The trade and economy:

• The SCO can considerably improve the economy of the sanctioned Iranian country by being resilient in trade.
• It can promote trade, increase investment inflow, foster the growth of the tourism industry, and give Iran access to a distinct system inside the global financial network.
• Tehran can take part in the SCO energy negotiations thanks to Iran’s substantial deposits of gas and oil.
• Iran, the fifth-largest oil producer in OPEC, produced 24% of West Asia’s oil reserves and 12% of the world’s reserves in 2021.

Connectivity:

• Iran’s location is crucial for the SCO.
• Iran acts as a crucial crossroads connecting the organization’s core members and the participating governments.
• In addition to connecting at least four important regions-
• The International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC), which links Central Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and the Caucasus, passes through Iran.
• Through Chabahar Port, India is connected to both Europe and Central Asia.
• Another top aim for Tehran is the creation of the Iran-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan corridor, which would connect cities like Mazar-i-Sharif and Herat with the Chabahar port.

Counter-Terrorism:

Iran’s formal membership in the SCO can further several key security goals:

• terrorism,
• separation, and
• Iran can play a significant role in tackling Afghanistan’s security concerns with terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, and international crimes.
• Through the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS), Iran can take part in the biennial anti-terrorism exercises while working with other nations to battle the “three evils” of the region.

What is the SCO RATS?

• The SCO-RATS is a permanent organisation of the SCO with the purpose of facilitating coordination and collaboration between the SCO member states in the struggle against terrorism, extremism, and separatism.
• The Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), the SCO RATS’ permanent organisation, is based in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

Duties:

• Maintaining cooperation with organisations from member states and foreign organisations that are qualified to handle matters pertaining to fighting terrorism, separatism, and extremism;
• support in promoting communication between the member countries during the planning and implementation of counterterrorism exercises, when requested by concerned member states;
• developing international legal tools to tackle terrorism, separatism, and extremism in concert;
• collecting, interpreting, and populating the RATS data bank with information that the RATS gets from its members;
• putting in place a system of coordinated responses to the threats and challenges the globe faces;
• Organising and organising scientific seminars and conferences promotes the exchange of knowledge in the struggle against terrorism, separatism, and extremism.

Importance for Iran’s relations with India:

• Iran and India have extensive trading and economic ties.
• India is crucial for Iran’s connectivity and international trade through INSTC and the Chabahar port.
• Iran is dependent on India for the import of items such grains, tea, fruits, medications, sugar, jewellery, and electrical equipment.
• The two nations may concentrate on expanding their payment choices in order to promote trade and commerce.
• In order to broaden its Eurasian reach and provide Tehran the infrastructure boost its economy needs, India has also made major investments in Iran’s Chabahar port.
• Thanks to the SCO, Iran and India have a tonne of room to develop economically.
• Due of its enormous demographic dividend and sizable market share for oil and other commodities in the region, India is an important partner for Iran.

India’s future is as follows:

• India is forced to maintain a dangerous equilibrium as the SCO’s dynamics change.
• Relationships between the US and India have improved to previously unheard-of levels of trust and collaboration.
• India and Iran have a long history of working together.
• Historically, trade relations between India and Iran have been dominated by Indian purchases of Iranian crude oil.
• Iran was one of India’s primary energy suppliers up to May 2019.

Source The Hindu