Call us @ 08069405205
InstaLinks : help you think beyond the issue but relevant to the issue from UPSC prelims and Mains exam point of view. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background. This helps you study a topic holistically and add new dimensions to every current event to help you think analytically
Table of Contents:
GS Paper 2:
1. Inclusion of Dalit Christians, Dalit Muslims in SC list
2. India’s counter-terror diplomacy and challenges ahead
GS Paper 3:
1. Loss and damage funding officially included in the COP27 agenda
GS Paper 4:
1. Death in US gene therapy study – Ethical issues
Content for Mains Enrichment
1. Blue Therapy
2. Nushu: The secret language men don’t know
Facts for Prelims:
1. Bailey K. Ashford Medal
2. G20 Logo: Significance of Lotus
3. Fodder-centric FPOs
4. Nicobar project
5. Greenwashing
6. Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC)
7. International Drought Resilience Alliance
8. Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure
9. Mapping
Syllabus: Polity
Source: The Hindu
Context: Case for the inclusion of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims on the list of Scheduled Castes is being heard in the Supreme court.
In 2019 rejected the possibility of including Dalit Christians as members of SCs.
Central Government justification for the exclusion of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims from the Scheduled Castes list are:
Article 14 forbids class legislation but does not forbid classification.
Who is included in the Constitution Order of 1950?
Why are Dalit Christians excluded?
Case for inclusion:
Registrar General of India:
Insta Links:
Scheduled Caste
National Commission for Scheduled Castes
Mains Links:
Q. Whether the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) can enforce the implementation of constitutional reservation for the Scheduled Castes in religious minority institutions. Examine. (UPSC 2018)
Prelims Links:
With reference to National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), consider the following statements;
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Ans: (b)
Justification:
Syllabus: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
Source: The Hindu
Context: The decision to host the United Nations Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee (UNSC-CTC) is one of several events planned by the Government of India to strengthen its counter-terror diplomacy.
How India is strengthening its counter-terror diplomacy?
Challenges ahead for India:
Way ahead:
Conclusion: As the host of these counter-terrorism meetings, India must set the global narrative of not only fighting the “last war” on terrorism but also preparing for the next.
Insta Links:
Terrorism Measures- Institutional and Legal Framework
Syllabus: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
Source: DTE
Context: At the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, countries have agreed to discuss providing financial support to address loss and damage caused by climate change.
Background:
About Loss and damage:
Evolution of the concept:
Significance of including loss and damage in the main agenda of COP27:
Challenges:
Way ahead:
Insta Links:
We need a forest-led COP27
Syllabus: Application of Ethics
Source: Associated Press
Context: The lone volunteer in a unique study involving a gene-editing technique has died – this has raised concerns regarding the cause behind and ethical issues behind gene editing technology.
Terry Horgan, a 27-year-old died last month. He was under trial with a gene-editing tool called CRISPR to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the rare, genetic muscle-wasting disease which is caused by a mutation in the gene needed to produce a protein called dystrophin. Most people with Duchenne die from lung or heart issues caused by it.
About Gene Editing:
It is a type of genetic engineering in which DNA is inserted, deleted or replaced in the genome of an organism using artificially engineered nucleases, or “molecular scissors.
Ethics of Gene Editing:
Insta Links:
Q. What are the ethical concerns involved in gene editing technology? Discuss. (10M)
Context: Ten years after researchers first found that “blue spaces” could be good for us, the concept is proving to be a powerful, practical tool for mental health.
Importance of Nature for Humans:
The loss of human-nature interaction has been linked to a rising tide of mental health disorders. A growing body of evidence indicates that human health, both mental and physical, is intrinsically linked to nature.
Just looking at natural scenery has been found to cause rapid beneficial psychological and physiological changes in salivary cortisol, blood flow, blood pressure and brain activity. Meanwhile, contact with microbes in the environment can “train” our immune systems, reinforcing the good microbial communities on our skin and in our airways and guts.
Direction: This example can be used in – the preservation of culture.
Context: Nushu – a 400-year-old script invented to allow women to communicate with each other without men’s understanding – has taken on new significance today.
Initially scrawled on the ground with wok ashes using tree branches, the script was later written on folding fans or embroidered on handkerchiefs, and evolved into poetry.
Nushu – a secret language invented in China’s Hunan province, to help peasants in secluded villages deal with conditions in which their feet were bound and they were confined to their chamber rooms.
While Nushu is being preserved as a cultural artefact, it meant much more to its practitioners – and its role is still important today.
Source: Live Mint
Context: For his outstanding research and contributions to tropical medicine, prominent Indian physician and scientist Dr Subhash Babu have received the prestigious Bailey K. Ashford Medal for 2022. In its 82-year history, the award has never been given to an Indian scientist or an Indian institution for work.
The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), the largest scientific organization in tropical medicine in the world, present the medal annually to one or more mid-career researchers for distinguished work in tropical medicine.
He is the Scientific Director of the ICER (International Centre for Excellence in Research)-India Programme. He is a pioneer in research on helminth infections and tuberculosis.
Source: Indian Express
Context: India is set to assume the presidency of G20. In this context, it unveiled the logo, theme and website of India’s G20.
G20 (formed in 1999 (in view of the Asian Financial Crisis)) aims to secure global economic security. The presidency rotates every year. The work is coordinated by representatives of G20 countries, known as ‘Sherpas’- who work together with the finance ministers and central banks of respective countries.
Source: Indian Express
Context: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has decided to promote FPOs, primarily fodder-centric, and animal husbandry activities as a secondary activity (fodder plus model).
This will be under the scheme of formation and promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and implemented by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
Previously, the Wholesale Price Index-based fodder inflation soared to a nine-year high of 25.5 per cent in August 2022.
NDDB is a statutory body, founded by Dr Verghese Kurien, formed with the objective to boost, finance and support producer-owned and controlled organisations in the dairy Industry. NDDB implements National Dairy Plan (NDP) as a central sector scheme.
Source: The Hindu
Context: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has granted an in-principle clearance for the diversion of 130.75 sq km of forest in Great Nicobar Island for the Nicobar project (includes a transhipment port, an airport, a power plant and a greenfield township).
Concern Raised: 8.5 lakh trees will have to be cut in Great Nicobar for this project. The area is nearly 15% of the thickly forested Great Nicobar Island that is spread over 900 sq km.
Great Nicobar: Great Nicobar is the southernmost island of the Nicobar Islands Archipelago. It has the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve. The Mongoloid Shompen Tribe, about 200 in number, live in the forests of the biosphere reserve, particularly along the rivers and streams.
Source: The Hindu
Context: The U.N.’s chief called for an end to a “toxic cover-up” by companies as a sweeping report said they cannot claim to be net zero if they invest in new fossil fuels, cause deforestation or offset emissions instead of reducing them.
E.g. Coca-Cola Company — one of the biggest plastic polluters in the world — is the official provider and supporter of the year’s biggest climate change conference. Activists and commentators have called Coca-Cola’s sponsorship of the world’s biggest climate summit a ‘greenwashing exercise’.
Other examples: Instead of reducing emissions itself, Switzerland is going to other countries — ones that have very low emissions (e.g. Ghana) — to help them reduce carbon emissions and earn carbon credit to fulfil their own obligation of carbon reduction.
Greenwashing is the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound. Greenwashing is considered an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into believing that a company’s products are environmentally friendly.
Source: Business-Standard
Context: Spearheaded by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in partnership with Indonesia, MAC was launched at the COP27 Summit in Egypt to scale up and accelerate the conservation and restoration of the mangrove forests.
Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangrove trees cannot withstand freezing temperatures.
Mangroves in India: Mangrove cover in India is about 0.15% of the total geographical areas. (West Bengal> Gujarat> Andaman and Nicobar Islands). Largest mangrove forest in India is Sundarbans (UNESCO world heritage site) followed by Bhitarkanika (Odisha).
Source: DTE
Context: Spain and Senegal led 30 countries and 20 organisations to launch the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) at COP27, with the aim to help each other to be better prepared for future droughts.
Drought-prone districts in India comprise nearly 1/6th of this country in terms of area. These areas receive an annual rainfall of around 60 cm or less.
Drought represents the most serious hazard to livestock and crops in nearly every part of the world. It ranks among the greatest threats to sustainable development, especially in developing countries, but increasingly so in developed nations too.
The 2022 droughts in Europe, United States, Australia, Chile, the Horn and southern Africa, showed that no country or region is immune to their impacts.
Source: DTE
Context: The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) recently announced a 5-year program – Executive Action Plan of Early Warnings for All – to carry forward the proposal of the India-backed Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
About CRDI:
About WMO:
Join our Official Telegram Channel HERE
Please subscribe to Our podcast channel HERE
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel HERE
Follow our Twitter Account HERE
Follow our Instagram ID HERE
No Related Posts found
InsightsIAS has redefined, revolutionised and simplified the way aspirants prepare for UPSC Civil Services Exam. Today it’s India’s top website and an institution when it comes to imparting quality content, guidance and teaching for IAS Exam.
InsightsIAS Headquarters, Nanda Ashirwad Complex, 3rd Floor, Above Village Hyper Market, Chandralyout Main Road, Attiguppe , Bengaluru – 560040
support@insightsias.com
Now reach all our Branches with ease!!!! Call us @ 08069405205
Want to work at Insights IAS? Write in to us at
careers@insightsias.com
Copyright © Insights Active Learning