25 January 2024

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – Millet Queen: GS III – Indian Agriculture:

• From the Koraput district of Odisha, Raimati Ghiuria, a tribal farmer, has trained hundreds of women to cultivate rare millets and conserved thirty different types of the grain.
• She received an invitation to the G20 Summit, which was organised to mark the “International Year of Millets.”
• In addition to at least thirty types of millets, such as Kundra bati mandia, jasra, juana, and jamkoli, she has conserved 72 indigenous paddy kinds.
• She was referred to as the “Queen of Millet” at the G20 Summit. She is acknowledged as a trailblazer in the preservation of native seeds.
• Millets may thrive in arid soil, use less water, and are resistant to drought.
• Millets are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, fibre, and protein.
• Since millets are inherently gluten-free, those who have celiac disease or gluten intolerance can use them.

Source The Hindu

2 – Operation of Touchscreens: GS III – Science and Technology:

• A touchscreen is a surface that can be used to show output (opening the programme) and receive inputs for a computer, such as touching on an application.
• The two most popular varieties of touchscreens are resistive and capacitive.
• Most smartphones and tablets use capacitive touchscreens, which detect when a finger contacts the screen by detecting the electrical characteristics of the human body.
• A touchscreen like this has a surface covered with a grid of capacitors. Electric charges are stored in a capacitor, and when a finger touches the screen, sensors sense the distortion and transmit the data to identify the contact spot.
• Pressure is sensed by resistive touchscreens, which function by detecting the pressure applied to the screen.
• Resistive touchscreens are less expensive to produce and use less energy.
• Resistance is used in resistive touchscreens. In other words, there is a tiny gap separating the two sheets, which are both conductors. A current can flow through a sheet when a finger touches it because it moves the sheet to touch the one underneath.

Source The Hindu

3 – India-US Ties: GS II – International Relations:

Context:

• The Indian Prime Minister (PM) recently said that although there have been sporadic problems, relations between India and the US have been going well.
• Motivated by shared national interests, the PM highlighted the two countries’ growing friendship, understanding, and involvement with one another.

What is the state of India-US relations?

About:

• Shared values, such as a dedication to democracy and maintaining the rules-based international system, form the basis of the strategic alliance between the United States and India.

Financial Relations:

• In 2022–2023, the United States became India’s largest trading partner due to growing economic relations between the two nations.
• While imports increased by around 16% to USD 50.24 billion, exports to the United States increased by 2.81% to USD 78.31 billion in 2022–2023 as opposed to USD 76.18 billion in 2021–2022.

International Partnerships:

• In global institutions such as the United Nations, World Trade Organisation, World Bank, ASEAN Regional Forum, International Monetary Fund, and G-20, India and the United States collaborate closely.
• The United States supports a reformed UN Security Council that includes India as a permanent member and welcomed India’s two-year tenure as a member in 2021.
• The United States is a conversation partner of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), of which India is a member.

Defence Collaboration:

• India and the US have now signed each of the four basic accords.
• The Memorandum of Agreement on Logistics Exchange (LEMOA) dated 2016,
• the Communications Security and Compatibility Agreement (COMCASA) in 2018.
• 2020 saw the adoption of the Basic Exchange and collaboration Agreement (BECA) for geospatial collaboration.
• Although the Industrial Security Annex (ISA) was signed in 2019, the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) was signed much earlier.
• Over the past 20 years, India, which was denied access to US armaments during the Cold War, has purchased weapons valued at USD 20 billion.
• But the US has an incentive to assist India in lessening its historical reliance on Russia for military supplies.
• The Indian and US armed forces participate in large-scale bilateral military drills (Yuddha Abyas, Vajra Prahar) as well as minilateral ones with the other four Quad Forum participants (Malabar).
• The term “new quad” refers to another alliance in the Middle East, known as I2U2, which includes the US, Israel, the UAE, and India.

Science, Technology, and Space:

• NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), a microwave remote sensing satellite for Earth observation, is being developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
• The Artemis Accords, which commit ISRO and NASA to peaceful and sustainable space exploration, were signed in June 2023.
• The goal of the collaborative project, known as iCET, is to promote collaboration and innovation in critical technology areas, including biotechnology, semiconductors, AI, quantum, telecom, space, and defence. It was launched by the National Security Advisors of the United States and India. In January 2023, it was introduced.

American Disapproval of India’s Foreign Policy:

• The foundation of US foreign policy since World War II has been alliance connections, even though the Indian elite has long viewed the world through a non-alignment lens.
• India’s nonalignment stance, particularly during the Cold War, has long caused concern for the West, particularly the US.
• The Indian military refused the US request for India to send troops to Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks.
• Even then, India’s former prime minister refused to provide military assistance when the US invaded Iraq in 2003.
• India is still breaking records when it comes to its imports of cheap Russian oil and refuses to follow US leadership in the Russian-Ukrainian war.
• Many times, pro-US voices have been heard calling on India to move “on the right side of history.”

India’s Relations with US Rivals:

• India has taken issue with the US plan to keep Venezuelan and Iranian oil off the open market.
• India has made a concerted effort to get Iran admitted to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

US Criticism of Democracy in India:

• Periodically, a number of US organisations and foundations, with the covert backing of certain senators and congressmen, release publications casting doubt on the current situation of religious freedom, democracy discourse, and the treatment of India’s minorities.
• Among them are the US State Department’s Human Rights Report on India 2021 and the International Religious Freedom Report 2023.

Tensions in the Economy:

• The belief held in the US that India is moving closer to becoming a protectionist closed market economy has been made worse by the Atmanirbhar Bharat Campaign.
• India’s export-oriented industries, including pharmaceuticals, textiles, agricultural products, and automotive parts, may be negatively impacted by the USA’s decision to remove duty-free privileges for Indian exporters under the GSP (Generalised System of Preferences) programme, which went into effect in June 2019.

The Way Ahead:

• The two nations’ cooperation is essential to maintaining an open, free, and rule-bound Indo-Pacific area.

Source The Hindu

4 – Iceland, the Land of Ice and Fire: GS I – World Geography:

Context:

• The Icelandic government has officially said that there is no risk to human life from the volcanic explosion that is occurring close to the capital, Reykjanes.
• Situated on the Atlantic Ocean floor, Iceland is situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which is the world’s longest mountain range.
• On the Reykjanes Peninsula, near the fishing village of Grindavik, the eruption started between Sýlingarfell and Hagafell.

Which are Iceland’s (the Land of Fire and Ice) most important facts?

• Iceland is situated on the Atlantic Ocean’s floor along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which is, in theory, the world’s longest mountain range.
• The ridge is a hotspot for seismic activity because it divides the tectonic plates of North America and Euraasia. Mostly a submarine, it stretches from north to south across the Atlantic.
• On the other hand, it rises over the North Atlantic’s surface as the Icelandic island. This aspect of Iceland’s geology is responsible for the country’s distinctive scenery, which includes lava fields, mountains, glaciers, volcanoes, and geysers (hot springs).
• The largest number of active volcanoes in Europe, 33, are found in Iceland. Because of its distinct topography, Iceland is known as the “Land of Fire and Ice.”
• One of the most well-known volcanoes in Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull, erupted in 2010 and produced a massive cloud of ash.
• Other noteworthy volcanoes in the Fagradalsfjall system are Litli-Hrútur, Hekla, Grímsvötn, and Hóluhraun.

Which other parts in the world are prone to volcanoes?

• While intraplate volcanoes develop from mantle hotspots, volcanoes are found all across the earth, primarily around the margins of tectonic plates.

The Belt Around the Pacific:

• The “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific refers to a chain of active volcanoes and other locations surrounding the Pacific Ocean’s periphery that are situated on most of Earth’s subduction zones.
• Volcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire number 452 in total.
• On its western border, which stretches from the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia to the islands of Japan and Southeast Asia to New Zealand, are the majority of the world’s active volcanoes.

Belt in the Mid-Continent:

• This volcanic belt stretches from the Himalayan Mountain system, which includes Tibet, the Pamir, Tien-Shan, Altai, and the mountains of China, Myanmar, and eastern Siberia, to the Alpine Mountain system of Europe, North America, Asia Minor, Caucasia, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
• The volcanoes of the Alps, the Mediterranean Sea (Etna, Vesuvius, Stromboli, etc.), the Aegean Sea, Mt. Ararat in Turkey, Elburz, Hindu Kush, and the Himalayas are all part of this belt.

Centre of the Atlantic Ridge:

• The Eurasian and African Plates are divided from the North and South American Plates by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
• Like an underwater volcano, magma rises through the fissures and spills out onto the ocean floor. The cooling and solidifying of the magma as it comes into contact with the water thickens the margins of the slipping plates.
• The world’s longest topographic feature, known as mid-oceanic ridges, was produced by this process at the diverging boundary.

Volcanoes within plates:

• Intraplate, or “hot-spot,” volcanoes are the term used to describe the 5% of known volcanoes in the world that are not directly associated with plate borders.
• The emergence of a deep-mantle plume, which is brought on by the extremely sluggish convection of extremely viscous material in the Earth’s mantle, is thought to be connected to a hot spot.
• One oceanic volcano or a chain of volcanoes, like the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chains, can serve as a representation of it.

Source The Hindu

5 – Members of Parliament suspended: GS II – Parliament related issues:

Context:

• During the winter session of Parliament 2023, 146 Members of Parliament (MPs) were suspended recently.
• Because they disrupted Parliamentary proceedings in protest of the recent security breach in Parliament, Members of both Houses risked suspension.

Parliament is disrupted by MPs; why?

Political leaders and presiding officers have determined that there are four primary factors that contribute to disruption:

• There is not enough time for MPs to bring forward important topics.
• Parties purposely create a ruckus for publicity or political purposes.
• the lack of prompt action taken against Members of Parliament who disrupt sessions of Parliament.

A Parliamentary Minister May Be Suspended by Whom?

• The basic rule is that the Presiding Officer, who is the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, has a responsibility to uphold order in order for the House to run efficiently.
• The Speaker or Chairman may compel a Member to leave the House in order to guarantee that business is handled correctly.

Which Rules Does the Presiding Officer Use to Suspend Members of Parliament?

The Lok Sabha’s Rules of Procedure and Business Conduct:

• Rule 373: Rules: If the Speaker determines that a member’s behaviour is disruptive, the Speaker may order the member to leave the House right away.
• Members who are thus instructed to leave the room must do so immediately and will not return for the balance of the day’s session.
• Rule 374: The Speaker may designate a member who willfully and consistently obstructs the House’s business in violation of the rules or the Chair’s authority.
• Additionally, the member in question will be barred from the House for the duration of the current session.
• A member suspended under this rule must immediately leave the House’s premises.
• Rule 374A: In December 2001, Rule 374A was added to the Rule Book.
• When a member is named by the Speaker for a flagrant infraction or serious charges, they are immediately removed from the House for five consecutive sittings or the rest of the session, whichever comes first.

Rajya Sabha Rules of Procedure and Business Conduct:

Rule 255:

• As per Rule 255 of the Rajya Sabha’s Rule Book, the Chairman has the authority to instruct any Member whose behaviour is deemed to be extremely disruptive to leave the House right away.

Rule 256:

• As to the regulation, the Chairperson has the ability to “designate a Member who disobeys the Chair’s authority or violates the Council’s rules by intentionally and persistently impeding” operations.
• If such a circumstance arises, the House may approve a motion suspending the Member from the House for a maximum of the duration of the current session.

What Consequences Come with the MP Suspension?

• To preserve the House’s decorum and order, a severe move like suspending MPs from office is implemented. It does, however, also have a number of drawbacks for how a democracy operates, including:
• It limits the representation and voice of the constituents who choose the MPs who are suspended. They are deprived of their ability to hold the government responsible and bring up matters of public importance.
• It narrows the focus and lowers the standard of discussion and debate on significant laws and policy issues.
• It erodes the opposition’s standing as an accountable and productive partner in the legislative process.
• It fosters mistrust and hostility between the opposition and ruling parties.
• It weakens the cooperative and consensus-building mindset that is necessary for a strong democracy.
• It creates a negative precedent and supports the majority party’s abuse of power.
• It undermines the Parliamentary institution and transgresses the rules and traditions of parliamentary democracy.
• Because the suspensions affect MPs from various areas and parties, they pose a threat to both the variety of the country and the federal framework.

Way Ahead:

• ensuring that the administration refrains from using suspension as a tactic to stifle criticism or dissent and instead reacts to the demands and concerns of the opposition in a timely and courteous manner.
• enhancing the presiding officers’ position and power to uphold discipline and order in the House and toughening up on MPs who disobey the conventions and guidelines of proper parliamentary behaviour.
• encouraging discussion and the development of consensus on important problems amongst various parties and organisations, rather than using conflict and disturbance as a form of protest or coercion.
• raising MPs’ consciousness of and accountability for their constitutional obligations and responsibilities, as well as their adherence to the House’s inviolability and dignity.

Source The Hindu