Daily Current Affairs 11 May 2024 – IAS Current Affairs

IAS Current Affairs

7 months ago

Daily Current Affairs 11 May 2024 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 11 May 2024 focuses on the Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

Indigenous of Defence Supply by 2025

Source: PIB
GS III: National Security and Challenges

Overview

News in Brief
Indian Army Self-Reliance
What is the current scenario?
Need for Defence Indigenisation
Challenges to India’s Self-Reliance
How India is achieving Indigenous of Defence Supply by 2025?

Why in the News?

Army Chief General Manoj Pande has highlighted the importance of self-reliance in defence production, emphasizing that the security of the nation cannot be outsourced or dependent on others.

News in Brief

Army Chief General reiterated this stance at a conclave, outlining the Army’s efforts towards self-reliance and transformation to meet operational and functional requirements.
the strategic imperative of self-reliance in defence production and the importance of preparing for future challenges.
By emphasizing Atmanirbharta and outlining a vision for a modern, technology-enabled force, the Army aims to ensure India’s security in a complex and evolving global scenario.

Indian Army Self-Reliance

The army is aiming to stop all imports of ammunition from FY 2025.
The Self-Reliance Index (SRI), which measures the amount of locally produced materials used in defence purchases compared to total defence spending for a year, is very low at just 0.3.
Self-Reliance Review Committee was constituted in 1992 to formulate a 10-year long-term plan to transit from a minimum SRI of 0.3 to 0.7 by 2005.
- This aims to reduce the amount of defence purchases from abroad, like weapons and platforms bought by the military and services obtained from foreign suppliers by defence government agencies, to 30% or less.
With a record allocation of over Rs 6.21 lakh crore for the Financial Year 2024-25 constituting 13.04% of the total Union Budget.

What is the current scenario?

Russia supplied 65% of India’s weapons purchases of more than $60 billion during the last two decades.
Source: SIRPI
- Russia remained India’s main arms supplier (accounting for 36 per cent of its arms imports).
India expects to spend nearly $100 billion on defence orders over the next decade.
India continues to hold the precarious title of being the world’s biggest arms buyer, making up 9.8% of all global arms purchases from 2019 to 2023.
- Other major importers are Saudi Arabia (8.4%), Qatar (7.6%), Ukraine (4.9%), Pakistan (4.3%), Japan (4.1%), Egypt (4%), Australia (3.7%), South Korea (3.1%), and China (2.9%).
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reveals a 4.7% increase in India’s arms imports between 2014-18 and 2019-23.
France and the United States are emerging as key suppliers to India, collectively accounting for 46% of its arms imports.

Among the top arms exporters, the United States leads with a 42% share, followed by France (11%) and Russia (11%), China (5.8%), Germany (5.6%), Italy (4.3%), UK (3.7%), Spain (2.7%), Israel (2.4%), and South Korea (2%).

Challenges to India’s Self-Reliance

Increasing the Production

The foremost challenge is increasing production, at least to a level that meets India’s procurement requirements.
India has an ambitious production target of US$26 billion by 2025.
In reality, production has not grown significantly enough to meet the annual procurement requirements of the armed forces.
For the FY 2023-24, funds have been earmarked in the ratio 67.75:32.25 between Domestic and Foreign procurement in the Capital Acquisition Budget of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Lacks of Technological

India lacks the technological depths to design/manufacture major systems and critical parts, components, and raw materials, which are eventually imported.
This is the reason why the Indian government still prefers to license manufacture many major systems which indicates the extent of India’s external dependency.
This is due to weak linkages among academia, R&D establishments, industry, and the armed forces for a robust ecosystem.

Implementation Delay

While numerous reforms aimed at boosting local production have been proposed, many of them have yet to be fully implemented as intended.
This situation has led to a delay between the announcement of reforms and their actual execution, including the signing of contracts, production, and delivery.

Need for Defence Indigenisation

Global Market Share

India’s contribution to the international arms market is very small, representing only 0.2 per cent, which negatively impacts India’s balance of payments.
India ranked 23rd during the period 2017-21.

Reducing Import

Largest importer of arms in the world making up 9.8% of all global arms purchases.
A huge country like India cannot remain dependent on imports in any important sector.
It will make us dependent on other countries during critical situations fatal for our strategic autonomy.

Boost Export

7-8 years ago, defence exports barely touched Rs 1,000 crore now stood at Rs.16000 crore.
2028-29, annual defence production will reach Rs 300,000 crore, with defence exports hitting Rs 50,000 crore.
According to the SIRPI Report largest exporters of major arms and their main recipients, 2019–23, India was not in the top 20.

Impacts Global Geo-political Dynamics

The fact that its power in regional and global affairs increases with the strength of its armed forces.
most crucial geopolitical concerns for the Indian armed forces have been their ability to project power and exert influence into the Indian Ocean.
Terrorism and piracy are security concerns that impact numerous states and can only be resolved through multilateral collaboration.
Indian Navy has a qualitative and quantitative edge in the region if militarily equipped.

Employment Generation

Industries that in turn will pave the way for a generation of employment opportunities.
a reduction in 20-25% in defence related imports could directly create an additional 100,000 to 120,000 highly skilled jobs

How India is achieving Indigenous of Defence Supply by 2025?

Budgetary Allocation

Budgetary allocation for capital expenditure in Defence for FY 24-25 reaches Rs 1.72 lakh crore, emphasizing ‘Aatmanirbharta.’
For DRDO: Rs 23,855 crore allocated.
A notable Rs one lakh crore corpus is dedicated to Deep Tech for long-term loans, promoting innovation in the defence sector.

Aatmanirbharta in Defence

Positive Indigenisation Lists
- Fifth Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) comprising 98 items was released during the plenary session of ‘Swavlamban 2.0’.
- The list includes Highly complex systems, sensors, weapons and ammunition have been included in the list.
- All these items will be procured from indigenous sources as per provisions given in Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 in the staggered timeline.
- The fourth PIL of 928 items was released by DDP this year.
Record Defence Production
- Value of defence production in Financial Year (FY) 2022-23 crossed the figure of Rs one lakh crore and was Rs 95,000 crore in FY 2021-22.
- almost a 200% increase in the number of defence licenses issued to the industries in the last 7-8 years by the Government.
HAL Helicopter Factory
- The factory is India’s largest helicopter manufacturing facility.
- Initially produce Light Utility Helicopters (LUHs). The LUH is an indigenously designed and developed three-ton class, single-engine multipurpose utility helicopter.

Defence Acquisition Council Proposals

Approved in its meetings proposals worth a total of over Rs 3.50 lakh crore to enhance the operational preparedness of the Armed Forces in 2023.
Approval in respect of Acceptance of Necessity (AoNs) for various Capital Acquisition Proposals amounting to Rs 2.23 lakh crore.
DAC accorded AoN for capital acquisition amounting to over Rs 70,500 crore under Buy (Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)).

Department of Defence Production

To give fillip to the ongoing indigenisation portal was launched in August 2020.
MoD has successfully indigenised 10,451 items during the period of 3 years since the launch of the Srijan Portal.
Start-up promotion was a focus area at Aero India-2023 with Indian Start-ups being showcased at an exclusive iDEX pavilion.
A concerted effort was made towards forging B2B partnerships at the ‘Bandhan’ ceremony and more than 250 such partnerships with a total value of more than Rs 75,000.

Boosting Defence Exports

Export leads received from various stakeholders are being disseminated to the registered Indian Defence Exporters through an online portal.
This facility helps the Indian defence exporters to quickly respond to export opportunities arising in other countries.
iDEX in partnership with US DoD conducted the India-U.S. Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUX-X).
Provisions of Government funding have been introduced for Make-I, Technology Development Fund (TDF) and Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) projects.

Indigenous Manufacturing

The government has implemented substantial measures to simplify the industrial landscape.
These actions involve making industrial licensing processes more straightforward, extending validity periods, and loosening restrictions on foreign direct investment (FDI), now allowing up to 74% FDI through the automatic route.
Additionally, there has been a notable increase in the share of domestic procurement, rising from 54% in 2018-19 to 68% in the current year, with 25% specifically allocated for private industry.
Over the past four years (2018-19 to 2021-22), there has been a significant decrease in defence procurement from foreign sources, dropping from 46% to 36%.

Defence Industrial Corridors

Two Defence Industrial Corridors have been established in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to boost the Defence Manufacturing ecosystem in the country with the intent to attract investment of Rs. 10,000 Crore.
Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC), Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), the nodal agency, has signed 138 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with industries etc.
An actual investment of Rs. 2656 Crore has been made in UPDIC. In Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor (TNDIC), Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), the nodal agency, has made arrangements through 57 MoUs etc.
An actual investment of Rs. 4085 Crore has been made in TNDIC.

Way Forward

Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan has begun to positively impact the Indian defence industry, as seen in its growing production and exports.
We also need to speed up the defence procurement process to help the industry make and deliver weapons as quickly as possible.

Future of Freshwater

Source: The Hindu
GS II: Environment

Overview

Legal Framework and Jurisdiction
About Freshwater

Why in the News?

Freshwater quest, the likely new gold hunt.

News in Brief

Never imagine that huge volumes of freshwater exist under the saline ocean.
In the 1960s, according to a media report, the U.S. Geological Survey drilled boreholes on the New Jersey coast and unexpectedly struck freshwater.
Similarly, with time, a team of scientists from Vietnam and even in other countries have discovered underwater sources of fresh water.
For example, a river under the sea was discovered at the bottom of the Black Sea.

Legal Framework and Jurisdiction

Given the diminishing availability of freshwater, nations are likely to venture into extracting freshwater resources located above or beneath the ocean floor within their maritime territories.
Over time, this exploration may extend beyond their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) into what is commonly referred to as the Area as outlined in Part XI of the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention, 1982 (UNCLOS).
According to UNCLOS, the “Area” encompasses the seabed, ocean floor, and subsoil beyond national jurisdiction and is considered the shared heritage of humanity.
This designation implies that it is open for the utilization and advantage of all, with consideration for the welfare of future generations.

How does India intervene in the Water Sector?

Per the Drop More Crop initiative
- To Improve water use efficiency in irrigated agriculture by promoting micro-irrigation systems such as drip and sprinkler technologies through the Per Drop More Crop initiative.
- Scale up water-saving technologies through targeted subsidies for small and marginal farmers.
Jal Jeevan Mission
- It has expanded access to tap connections in rural households, yet there remains a necessity to guarantee the dependability and excellence of water provision by investing in source sustainability and conducting water quality monitoring.
- These measures are essential for enhancing social, economic, and public health benefits.
Atal Bhujal Mission
- Mission seeks to involve local communities in water management efforts, aiming to enhance groundwater management in areas facing water scarcity.
- This initiative engages communities in developing water security plans to ensure resilience to climate challenges.

About Freshwater

Freshwater is a precious resource vital for various aspects of life, from drinking water to agriculture, industry, and ecosystems. Statistics show that the total volume of water on earth is estimated at 1.386 billion km3, where 97.5% is salt water and 2.5% fresh water. Out of this freshwater, only 0.3% is in liquid form on the surface, which means that the rest of the freshwater is underground, including on or under the ocean bed.

Key points about freshwater

Global Distribution: Freshwater is found in various forms such as rivers, lakes, groundwater, and glaciers. However, only about 2.5% of the Earth’s water is freshwater, with the majority of it locked in ice caps and glaciers or stored underground.
Water Cycle: Freshwater is constantly moving through the water cycle, which includes processes like evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff. This cycle replenishes freshwater sources and distributes water around the globe.
Usage: Freshwater is used for drinking, sanitation, agriculture, industry, and energy production. Agriculture is the largest consumer, using about 70% of global freshwater withdrawals.
Challenges: Despite its importance, freshwater resources face various challenges, including pollution, over-extraction, climate change, and habitat destruction. These factors can lead to water scarcity, reduced water quality, and ecosystem degradation.
Water Scarcity: Many regions around the world are facing water scarcity, where demand for freshwater exceeds available supply. This can lead to conflicts over water resources and have significant impacts on communities, ecosystems, and economies.
Conservation and Management: Effective management and conservation efforts are essential to sustainably manage freshwater resources. This includes measures like improving water efficiency, protecting watersheds, implementing water recycling and reuse, and promoting policies for equitable access to water.
Global Initiatives: Various international initiatives, such as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) – Ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, aim to address water-related challenges and ensure access to safe and clean water for everyone.
Local Solutions: In addition to global efforts, local communities, governments, and organizations play a crucial role in managing and protecting freshwater resources. Community-based approaches, sustainable agriculture practices, and ecosystem restoration efforts can contribute to freshwater conservation at the local level.

Overall, freshwater is a finite resource that requires careful management and conservation to meet the needs of current and future generations while preserving the health of ecosystems.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Source: PIB
GS III: Indian History

Overview

About Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Why in the News?

Gopal Krishna Gokhale was born on May 9th, 1866.

About Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Gopal Krishna Gokhale (1866-1915) stands as one of the towering figures in India’s struggle for independence, renowned for his steadfast commitment to constitutional means and social reform.
Born in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, Gokhale’s early life was marked by poverty, yet he overcame these challenges through education and perseverance.
His journey from humble beginnings to becoming a leading political figure and social reformer is a testament to his vision and dedication to the upliftment of Indian society.

Political

Gokhale’s political awakening began during his time at Elphinstone College in Bombay, where he was exposed to the ideas of British liberalism and Indian nationalism.
Inspired by the teachings of Ranade and Tilak, he joined the Indian National Congress and emerged as a prominent leader within the organization.
However, unlike some of his contemporaries who advocated for radical methods, Gokhale believed in the power of peaceful agitation and constitutional reforms to achieve India’s freedom.
Gokhale’s approach to politics was characterized by his pragmatism and moderation.
He believed in building alliances with sympathetic British officials and utilizing parliamentary procedures to advocate for Indian interests.
His famous quote, “Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it,” encapsulates his determination to achieve self-rule for India through peaceful and lawful means.

Ideology

Central to Gokhale’s ideology was his emphasis on education as the key to social progress.
He believed that an educated populace would be better equipped to participate in the political process and demand their rights from the British government.
As such, he worked tirelessly to promote education, founding the Servants of India Society in 1905 to train young men for leadership roles in various fields.

Contribution

One of Gokhale’s most significant contributions was his role in shaping the political careers of future leaders like Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
Gokhale mentored Gandhi during his formative years in South Africa, instilling in him the principles of nonviolence, Satyagraha, and selfless service to the nation.
Gandhi later acknowledged Gokhale as his political guru and followed his teachings throughout his own activism.
His emphasis on education, moderation, and social reform laid the groundwork for the nonviolent resistance that ultimately led to India’s independence in 1947.

Social Reform

Gokhale’s commitment to social reform was evident in his advocacy for issues such as caste discrimination, women’s rights, and economic empowerment.
He believed that social reform was essential for the overall development of Indian society and worked towards eradicating social evils through education and legislative measures.

Challenges in Life

Despite his efforts, Gokhale faced numerous challenges in his quest for Indian self-rule.
The British government’s reluctance to grant meaningful reforms, coupled with divisions within the Indian National Congress, posed significant obstacles to his agenda.
However, Gokhale remained undeterred, continuing his advocacy for constitutional reforms and tirelessly lobbying for Indian representation in the British Parliament.

Legacy

Gokhale’s untimely death in 1915 was a great loss to the Indian nationalist movement.
However, his legacy endured, inspiring future generations of leaders to carry forward his vision of a free and prosperous India.

Inter-Services Organisations (ISOs) (Command Control and Discipline) Act

Source: Indian Express
GS III: Internal Security

Overview

News in Brief
Salient Features of the Inter-Services Organisations (ISOs) (Command Control and Discipline) Act

Why in the News?

Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Act has been notified in a gazette and has been enforced with effect from May 10, the Defence Ministry

News in Brief

The move comes amid the theaterisation plan envisioned by the government.
Under the theaterisation model, the government seeks to integrate the capabilities of the Army, the Air Force and the Navy, and optimally utilise their resources for wars and operations.
Act empowers Commanders-in-Chief and Officers-in-Command of ISOs to exercise control over service personnel, serving under them, for effective maintenance of discipline and administration, without disturbing the unique service conditions of each individual service.

Salient Features of the Inter-Services Organisations (ISOs) (Command Control and Discipline) Act

The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 15, 2023.
Purpose: It seeks to empower the Commander-in-Chief or Officer-in-Command of Inter-services Organisations to exercise disciplinary or administrative control over the service personnel under their command, irrespective of their service.

Key features

Inter-services Organisation
- Existing Inter-services Organisations will be deemed to have been constituted under the Bill.
- These include the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the Defence Space Agency, and the National Defence Academy.
- The central government may constitute an Inter-services Organisation which has personnel belonging to at least two of the three services: the army, the navy, and the air force.
- These may be placed under the command of an Officer-in-Command.
- These organisations may also include a Joint Services Command, which may be placed under the command of a Commander-in-Chief.
Control of Organisations
- Bill empowers the Commander-in-Chief or the Officer-in-Command of an Inter-services Organisation to exercise command and control over the personnel serving in or attached to it.
- He would be responsible for maintaining discipline and ensuring proper discharge of duties by the service personnel.
Superintendence of an Inter-services Organisation
- Will be vested in the central government.
- The government may also issue directions to such organisations on grounds of national security, general administration, or public interest.
- The central government may notify any force raised and maintained in India to which the Bill will apply.
- This would be in addition to army, navy, and air force personnel.
Eligibility of Commander in Chief
1. General Officer of the regular Army (above the rank of Brigadier) or
2. Flag Officer of the Navy (rank of Admiral of the Fleet, Admiral, Vice-Admiral, or Rear-Admiral) or
3. n Air Officer of the Air Force (above the rank of group captain)
Power
- All disciplinary and administrative powers vested in
  - General Officer Commanding the Army
  - Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of a Naval Command
  - Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of an Air Command
  - Any other officer/authority specified in the service Acts
  - Any other officer/authority notified by the government
Commanding Officer
- Command of a unit, ship, or establishment.
- Also, perform duties assigned by the Commander-in-Chief or Officer-in-Command of the Inter-services Organisation.
- The Commanding Officer will be empowered to initiate all disciplinary or administrative actions over the personnel appointed, deputed, posted, or attached to that Inter-services Organisation.

Mother Tongue in Early Stages of Education

Source: The Hindu
GS II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources

Overview

News in Brief
Provisions Related to Education Mother Tongue

Why in the News?

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has instructed all its schools to make use of educational material that will focus on learning in one’s mother tongue and encourage multilingual education.

News in Brief

The CBSE circular dated May 7 is in line with the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework 2022, which emphasise teaching and learning in the child’s mother tongue, or regional and local language.
This decision aligns closely with the goals of the National Education Policy 2020, which aims for a balanced and inclusive education approach.
One of the main ideas of NEP 2020 is to encourage the use of multiple languages and to start teaching children in their mother tongue or local language during their early years of schooling. N
EP 2020 recognises that children learn better when they are taught in a language they already know and understand well.

Provisions Related to Education Mother Tongue

Right to Education Act, 2009

Section 29(f) of Chapter V.
It states that the medium of instruction shall, as far as practicable, be in the child’s mother tongue.

Constitutional Provisions

Article 350A of the Constitution, the government must try to ensure that children from linguistic minority groups are educated in their mother tongue.
Article 29(1) states Any section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same.

Global Institutions

According to UNICEF Evidence suggests teaching and learning in the mother tongue builds strong foundations for a child’s cognitive development, improves communication skills, and helps a child to create an emotional connection between the child and their learning environment.
- Jharkhand government and UNICEF initiated a pilot programme for multilingual education in 259 schools.
- Odisha’s government, with UNICEF, created ‘Nua Arunima,’ (New Horizons) a mother tongue-based early childhood education curriculum.

Aravalli Range and Ecosystem

Source: Business Standard
GS III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Overview

News in Brief
Aravalli Range
Aravalli Range Ecosystem

Why in the News?

The Supreme Court has prohibited Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi from granting new mining leases in the Aravalli Range.

News in Brief

It includes Gujarat, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Haryana.
A standard buffer zone of 100 meters is enforced around hills by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which was constituted by the Supreme Court to supervise environmental orders in the T.N. Godavarman Thirumalpad case.
In a 2018 decision, the court called attention to the loss of 31 hills as a result of unlawful mining in Rajasthan and ordered the state to cease within 48 hours.

Aravalli Range

The Aravalli Range, also spelled as Aravali, is a magnificent mountain range in Northern-Western India. Here are some fascinating facts about it:

Geography and Extent:

The Aravalli Range stretches approximately 670 kilometers (420 miles) in a southwest direction.
It starts near Delhi, passes through southern Haryana, Rajasthan, and ends in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
The highest peak in this range is Guru Shikhar, located on Mount Abu, standing at an impressive 1,722 meters (5,650 feet) above sea level¹.

Ancient Origins:

The Aravalli Range is arguably the oldest geological feature on Earth.
Its origin dates back to the Proterozoic era, making it incredibly ancient.
These mountains have witnessed immense geological changes over billions of years.

Natural History:

The Aravalli Range is an eroded stub of ancient mountains.
It is believed to be the oldest range of fold mountains in India.
During ancient times, the Aravalli Range was much taller, but millions of years of weathering have worn it down significantly.
Unlike the Himalayas, which are still rising, the Aravalli Range has stopped growing higher due to tectonic plate movements

Etymology:

The name “Aravalli” is a composite Sanskrit word derived from the roots “ara” and “vali,” which mean the “line of peaks“.

Aravalli Range Ecosystem

Rich Biodiversity:

The Aravalli Range hosts diverse flora and fauna. It is home to endangered species such as the Indian wolf, Bengal fox, caracal, striped hyena, and the golden jackal.
Various reptiles also thrive in this region, contributing to its rich biodiversity.

Water Supply:

The Aravalli hills serve as a vital watershed. They supply water to a large part of western India, including the Thar Desert in the northwest.
Rivers like the Banas, Luni, Sakhi, and Sabarmati originate from the Aravalli Range, ensuring water availability for both human and wildlife populations.

Forest Resources:

Despite being an eroded stub of ancient mountains, the Aravalli Range still harbors reserved forests.
These forests act as a buffer for urban areas, absorbing the shock of rising anthropogenic actions and pollution.

Livelihood and Farming:

The Aravalli hills support livelihoods and farming in the constituent states.
Local communities rely on these ecosystems for sustenance and economic activities.

Multpile Chice Questions

Which national park is located in the Aravalli Range?

a) Ranthambore National Park

b) Jim Corbett National Park

c) Gir National Park

d) Sariska Tiger Reserve

Ans: d) Sariska Tiger Reserve

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