Daily Current Affairs UPSC 23 and 24 June 2024

Srikakulam

• Many academics are dedicated to reviving the lost heritage of Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh.

History of Srikakulam:

• Formerly known as Chicacole during British colonial rule.
• Part of Kalinga Dynasty, Gajapati Kingdom, Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi, Kakatiya, and Vijayanagara Empires.

Cultural Sites in Srikakulam:

• Buddhist sites like Salihundam and Danthapuri.
• Jainism sites in Tangamayyakonda and Rottavalasa villages.
• Hindu temples such as Srimukhalingam, Srikurmam, and Arasavilli.
• Neolithic era caves in Nandi Hills.

Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council

• The 53rd GST Council meeting recently took place.
• The GST Council was established as a Constitutional Body under Article 279(A) of the Constitution through the 101st Constitutional Amendment Act of 2016.
• The Council is constituted by the President and chaired by the Union Finance Minister.
• Other members include the Union Minister of State in charge of Revenue of finance and a Minister nominated by each State Government.
• The Council's mandate is to make recommendations to the Union and the States on important issues related to GST.
• Decision making in the Council is done through voting.

‘Twin Test’ under PMLA

• Enforcement Directorate challenged a bail order, claiming that the 'twin test' required by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002 was not properly applied.
• The 'twin test' is outlined in Section 45 of the PMLA and requires the court to consider two conditions when the Public Prosecutor opposes a bail application.
• The first condition is that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the accused is not guilty of the offense.
• The second condition is that the accused is not likely to commit any offense while on bail.
• The Supreme Court upheld the 'twin test' in the Vijay Madanlal Choudhary case in 2022.

Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS)

• Russia approves Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) with India.
• RELOS allows access to logistics and support facilities at each other's bases and ports.
• Facilitates replenishment of fuel, rations, spare parts, and berthing for troops, warships, and aircraft during war and peacetime missions.
• India has similar agreements with other countries like the US, Japan, Australia, France, Singapore, and South Korea.

Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP)

• Inauguration of FTI-TTP at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
• Launch at 21 major airports in India.
• Faster, smoother, and safer immigration clearance for international travelers.
• Use of e-gates to minimize human intervention.
• First phase covers Indian citizens and OCI cardholders, second phase will cover foreign travelers.

Kamakhya temple

Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya Temple in Assam

• Festival celebrates yearly menstruation of Goddess Kamakhya.

Kamakhya Temple

• Located on Nilachal hills (Kamagiri).
• Reconstructed in mid 16th century by Koch dynasty.
• One of 52 Shakti shrines.
• Centre of Tantrik worship.
• Convergence of beliefs and practices of Aryan and non-Aryan. communities.

Skin Bank

• Establishment of a unique skin bank by Army Hospital in New Delhi.
• Functions of the skin bank include harvesting, processing, preservation, and supply of human skin allografts for burn treatment centers and polytrauma.
• Aim of the initiative is to transform the treatment of severe burn injuries and skin-related conditions for armed forces service members and their families.
• Centralised hub for collection, processing, storage, and distribution of skin grafts.

Cloudburst

Cloudburst in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh

• Intense, localized rainfall event.
• Triggers landslips and flood-like situation.
• India Meteorological Department defines cloudburst as rainfall over 100 mm per hour in a small area.

Occurrence of Cloudbursts in India

• Common during monsoon season.
• Often seen in orographically dominant regions like Himalayan region, northeastern states, and Western Ghats.
• Mountainous regions more prone due to orography, but can also occur on plains.

Sant Kabir Das (1398–1518)

• Prime Minister honors Sant Kabir Das on his birth anniversary.
• Early life of Sant Kabir Das
  
  • Born a Hindu but raised by a poor Muslim weaver family.
  • Initiated into the Bhakti movement, possibly by Ramananda.
  • Advocated the Nirguna path (God as formless).
• Literary work of Sant Kabir Das
  
  • Verses compiled in Bijak (Kabirpanth), Granthavali (Dadupanth), and Adi Granth Sahib.
  • Languages used: Sant bhasha and Ulatbansi.
• Values preached by Sant Kabir Das
  
  • Opposed idol worship.
  • Emphasized the unity of God and equality of all human beings.

"Boosting Green Ammonia Bidding in SIGHT Programme"

• The capacity available for bidding under Mode 2A of the SIGHT programme has been increased from 5,50,000 MT per annum to 7,50,000 tonnes per annum.
• Mode 2A of the SIGHT programme provides selected bidders with financial incentives for 3 years for the production and supply of Green Ammonia.
• This increase in allocation was made in response to the growing demand for Green Ammonia from the fertilizer sector.

About Green Ammonia

• Production of green ammonia relies on renewable energy sources to obtain hydrogen from water and nitrogen from air, while conventional ammonia is produced using fossil fuels like natural gas, earning it the term "brown ammonia".

Significance of green ammonia includes:

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the approximately 2 tonnes of CO2 emitted per tonne of ammonia in conventional production.
• Serving as a sustainable fuel for producing clean hydrogen and enabling efficient transport and storage of hydrogen.
• Providing energy generation capabilities by being used as a fuel in boilers, turbines, or engines for heat and electricity generation, with a high energy density compared to other renewable chemicals.
• Challenges in adopting green ammonia include the need for new infrastructure, innovation, and investment, making it a more expensive option compared to conventional ammonia production.

About Ammonia (NH3)

• Ammonia is produced using the Haber-Bosch process, which combines hydrogen and nitrogen.
• Approximately 70% of ammonia is used for fertilizers, with the remaining portion used in industrial applications like plastics, explosives, and synthetic fibers.
• China is the largest producer of ammonia, accounting for 30% of global production, followed by the US, the European Union, India, Russia, and the Middle East.

"ISA Celebrates 30 Years"

• ISA was created in 1994 with the entry into force of UNCLOS.
• It is a unique international organization dedicated to managing global ocean resources for the benefit of all humanity with a focus on equitable resource allocation.

About ISA

• ISA is tasked with managing mineral resources in the seabed beyond national jurisdiction for the shared benefit of humankind.
• It covers approximately 54% of the world's oceans.
• Its mandate includes regulating exploration and exploitation activities, protecting the marine environment, and promoting marine scientific research.
• ISA is headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica and has 168 Member States, including India and the European Union.

Major Initiatives of ISA

• ISA has launched initiatives such as the Marine Scientific Research Action Plan and the Sustainable Seabed Knowledge Initiative.
• It is developing Regional Environmental Management Plans for various ocean regions to protect the marine environment.

India's and ISA

• India is one of 38 countries with permanent missions to ISA.
• India has submitted applications for seabed exploration in the Indian Ocean regions and currently holds contracts for exploration in the Central Indian Ocean Basin and Indian Ocean Ridge.

"INDUS-X Initiative Celebrates One-Year Milestone"

• The India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) was established in June 2023 to create a bridge for defence innovation between the two countries as part of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).
• INDUS-X aims to facilitate partnerships among U.S. and Indian defense companies, incubators and accelerators, investors, and universities.

Achievements of INDUS-X

• INDUS-X has led to commercial collaborations between defence companies from both countries in areas such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and semiconductors.
• The initiative has also explored ways to jointly fund innovation projects between the two countries.
• INDUS-X Gurukul, a hybrid information series, has been created for U.S. and Indian defense start-ups.
• Industry-Academia linkage has been established to exchange best practices on technology transfer, licensing, and advancing research in emerging defence technology domains.

India-US Defence Technology Cooperation

• In 2016, the U.S. designated India as a "Major Defence Partner" and various defence agreements have been signed since then, including Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016, Communications
• Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) in 2018, Industrial Security Agreement in 2019, and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) in 2020.
• The iCET framework covers both commercial and defence technologies, while the US-India Roadmap for Defence Industrial Cooperation aims to accelerate technology cooperation and coproduction in areas of mutual interest.

Significance of India-U.S. defence ties

• The defence ties between India and the U.S. align with the strategic objectives of both countries for a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.
• These ties contribute to the development of defence industries and cutting-edge technologies and capabilities.
• The partnership helps address strategic challenges posed by the emergence of China for both countries.
• Collaboration in new defence domains such as Space Force, AI use in defence, and maritime domain awareness is also being developed.

"Kerala Proud: Kozhikode Named India's First UNESCO City of Literature"

Kozhikode Celebrated as 'City of Literature'

• Announced by Kerala to celebrate annually on June 23.
• UNESCO declared Kozhikode as India's first UNESCO 'City of Literature' in October 2023.

About Kozhikode

• Location: Situated on the Malabar coast.
• History: Ruled by the Samoothiris (Zamorins) in the medieval Age.
• City of Spices: Known for trading in spices with various cultures for over 500 years.
• Foreign travellers: Visited by Ibn Battuta, Vasco da Gama, and Abdur Razzaq.
• Contemporary significance: Boasts over 500 libraries, 70 publishers, and high literary education.
• Tag of “City of Sculptures” given in 2012 due to architectural sculptures in the city.

About UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN)

• Genesis: Established in 2004 to promote cooperation among creative cities.
• Cities covered: 350 cities worldwide in seven creative fields.
• Significance: Provides global recognition and boosts tourism.
• Other Indian cities on UCCN: Gwalior, Chennai, Varanasi (Music), Mumbai (Film), Hyderabad (Gastronomy), Jaipur and Srinagar (Crafts and Folk Art).

"Bangladeshi Prime Minister's State Visit to India"

• Both countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding during the visit to collaborate on Digital, Green, and Blue Economy initiatives, as well as the Small Satellite Project.

Importance of Bangladesh for India

Geographic proximity

• India shares longest land border with Bangladesh.
• Crucial for preventing cross-border terrorism, human trafficking, and illicit trade.
• Provides easier access to India's Northeastern states and Indian Ocean: 
  • Example: Akhaura (Bangladesh)-Agartala (Tripura) cross-border rail link.

Regional integration

• Crucial for inter-regional connectivity between South Asia and South East Asia.
• Initiatives like Trans-Asian Railway, BBIN Motor Vehicle Agreement.
• Willing to join India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral project
  
  • Example: Nepal exporting electricity to Bangladesh through India's grid.

India’s vision for regional leadership

• Central to India's ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy, Act East Policy, Vision SAGAR, and Indo-Pacific Vision.
• Helps maintain influence in Bay of Bengal amid China's presence.

Economic

• Bangladesh is India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia.
• India is second biggest trade partner of Bangladesh in Asia
  • Total bilateral trade in FY 2022-23 was US$ 15.9 billion.
• India's largest development partner
  
  • India extends Lines of Credit support.
• Trade in Indian Rupee has started between the two countries.

ISRO Successfully Demonstrates Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology

ISRO's success in RLV LEX-03 mission

• Third consecutive success in RLV Landing Experiment (LEX).
• Part of RLV-Technology Demonstration Programme.
• Aims to develop technologies for a reusable launch vehicle for low-cost space access.

About RLV LEX-03

• Simulated high-speed landing conditions for a vehicle returning from space.
• Winged vehicle named 'Pushpak' performed precise horizontal landing.
• Utilizes wings for horizontal gliding, unlike SpaceX's Falcon 9 which lands vertically.

ISRO's RLV-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) Vehicle

• Acts as a flying test bed for evaluating technologies like hypersonic flight and autonomous landing.
• Features fuselage, nose cap, double delta wings, and twin vertical tails.

Will be scaled up to become first stage of India's reusable two-stage orbital launch vehicle

Previous experiments under RLV-TD Programme

• RLV-TD HEX-01 mission in 2016 validated autonomous navigation, guidance, and control.
• RLV LEX-01 and LEX-02 missions in 2023 and March 2024 validated technologies for high-speed autonomous landing of space-returning vehicle.