DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS
1 – Rwanda agreement: GS II – International Issues
Context:
- The United Kingdom’s government strategy of establishing a system for the transfer of asylum seekers is not taken into consideration by the U.K. to Rwanda, has been declared illegal by the United Kingdom. High Court of Justice.
What’s the deal with Rwanda?
- The United Kingdom (UK) announced the Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP) in 2022.
- The agreement aims to establish a system for the repatriation of asylum seekers to Rwanda who are not granted status by the United Kingdom.
- One of the main tools used by the UK asylum system to classify new arrivals is the inadmissibility clause. along erratic routes like the English Channel.
- In line with the two countries’ Memorandum of Understanding:
- The UK. will evaluate petitions for asylum and make plans for a secure transfer to Rwanda.
- Rwanda is required to house all refugees upon their arrival and safeguard them from mistreatment and deportation.
- The only country with the power to acknowledge or deny someone’s refugee status is Rwanda.
- An individual will be sent to their country of origin if they are not identified.
- Rwanda provides three alternatives to the ones the United Kingdom sent.
- It makes it easier for them to return to their own nation;
- aids in their relocation to a third nation; or
- provides them with adequate accommodation, access to national health insurance, and the ability to work in Rwanda.
- The UK. will cover the cost of lodging and transportation.
Why was it declared illegal?
The decision rested on two main points:
- First, the Court of Appeal’s right to appeal the decision made by the High Court:
- The High Court’s ruling was deemed to have “erred” by the Supreme Court because it neglected to take the risk of refoulement into account.
- As a removal state, the UK is required by the European Court to guarantee asylum and safeguard the refugee from being refouled.
- Rather, the High Court acknowledged Rwanda’s potential and experience.
- Second, if the Court of Appeal had investigated the actual risk that asylum seekers might face upon relocation to Rwanda.
- The Supreme Court discovered proof that there is a genuine danger of mistreatment by refoulement for asylum seekers.
- The serious risk of refoulement was taken into consideration in light of Rwanda’s human rights record and its failure to abide by commitments.
- Although Rwanda has grown to be a significant ally of the United Kingdom, the court emphasised the violent episodes that have occurred there since 1994 and how its human rights record was seen as essential to the decision.
Source The Hindu
2 – Angkor Wat: GS I – Culture-related issues
Context:
- Angkor Wat in Cambodia has emerged as the eighth Wonder of the World, surpassing Pompeii in Italy.
An eighth wonder of the world is what?
- The unofficial moniker “Eighth Wonder of the World” is applied to recently constructed structures, initiatives, or concepts that are thought to be on par with the seven Wonders of the World.
About Angkor Wat:
- A vast complex of temples, Angkor Wat is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Every year, thousands of tourists from all over the world come to this location, which is the biggest religious monument in the entire globe.
Past:
- Originally constructed by King Suryavarman II in the 12th century, Angkor Wat was devoted to the Hindu god Vishnu.
- But over time, it changed to become a Buddhist temple.
Architectural projects:
- Angkor Wat is a singular fusion of the temple mountain, which served as the model for the state temples of the empire, and the subsequent layout of concentric galleries, the majority of which were based on Hindu religious doctrine.
- The way Angkor Wat was built implies that certain of the temple’s elements had heavenly significance.
- A wonder of symmetry and accuracy, the central temple complex has five lotus-shaped towers that symbolise Mount Meru, the mythical home of the gods in Buddhist and Hindu mythology.
- Angkor Wat’s elaborate bas-reliefs, which show scenes from Hindu epics, historical events, and the everyday lives of the Khmer people, are like an old visual encyclopaedia.
Source The Hindu
3 – Surya Kiran Exercise: GS III – Internal Security
Context:
- The location of Exercise Surya Kiran 2023 is Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
Important information:
- India and Nepal are participating in a combined military drill.
- The goal of the exercise is to improve compatibility in:
- combat in the bush,
- actions against terrorism in hilly areas and
- Disaster relief and humanitarian aid initiatives.
- Every year, Surya Kiran is exercised.
Source The Hindu
4 – International Space Station: GS II – Science and Technology related issues
Context:
- Twenty-five years have passed since the International Space Station (ISS) was launched.
About ISS:
- The largest modular space station in low Earth orbit is called the International Space Station (ISS).
Five space agencies are involved in the project:
- NASA in the United States,
- The Russian space agency Roscosmos,
- Japan’s JAXA,
- Europe’s ESA, as well as
- The CSA in Canada.
- As a microgravity and space environment research laboratory, the station is used for conducting scientific research in a variety of fields, including physics, meteorology, astronomy, and astrobiology.
- The equipment and systems of the spacecraft needed for potential long-term lunar and Mars trips can be tested aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
- There are two portions to the station:
- Russia runs the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS).
- The United States and other nations manage the United States Orbital Segment (USOS).
- The International Space Station was launched when?
The Module for Zarya Control:
- Russians launched the Zarya Control Module, the first section of the International Space Station, on November 20, 1998.
- In addition to providing battery power and fuel storage, Zarya acted as a docking area for other spacecraft making their way into the ISS.
Module for Unity Node 1:
- December 4, 1998, the US launched the Unity Node 1 module, one month later.
- The pair of modules served as the foundation for an operational space laboratory.
- There are different living and working areas on the ISS.
- At a speed of eight kilometres per second (every ninety minutes), the International Space Station (ISS) completes multiple daily orbits of Earth.
Findings in science that have improved Earthly life:
- Numerous scientific discoveries have resulted from the hundreds of scientific experiments that astronauts have carried out aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
- Everything has been researched in space, including cancer, asthma, heart illness, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s.
Findings have been made regarding:
- aid in the development of drugs,
- fresh methods for purifying water,
- techniques to prevent bone and muscle atrophy and
- those who have spearheaded food production advances.
- Why are space experiments important?
- Because microgravity mimics the conditions within the human body more closely than Earth does, scientists believe that certain medical investigations are best conducted in space.
The ISS’s future:
Russia’s departure:
- When Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, plans for the ISS’s continued operation were cast into doubt.
- After 2024, Russia said that it would quitting the ISS to construct its own space station.
Offer to do autonomous space manoeuvres:
- Both new and old spacefaring nations aspire to leave their own unique imprint in space.
- Among them are the United Arab Emirates, China, Japan, and India.
- NASA’s plans to inhabit the moon and its Artemis programme are its primary priorities.
- Additionally, ESA is developing Starlab, a new space station.
Europe and the US:
- According to statements made, the US and Europe will continue to support the International Space Station until 2030.
Source The Hindu
