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Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 13 February 2023

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC 2023

Q) Which one of the following statements is correct about the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)?

  1. IPEF is India-led initiative to strengthen economic partnership.
  2. IPEF is a free trade agreement.
  3. Both Australia and the United States of America are members of IPEF.
  4. Negotiations on taxation and Clean energy are its only pillars.

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 11 February 2023

Explanation:

  • Option (1) is incorrect: Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) is a US-led initiative that aims to strengthen economic partnerships among participating countries to enhance resilience, sustainability, inclusiveness, economic growth, fairness, and competitiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
  • Option (2) and (4) are incorrect: IPEF was launched in 2021 with a dozen initial partners who together represent 40% of the world GDP. The IPEF allows members to negotiate on trade but it is not a free trade agreement. The negotiations will be along four main “pillars”:
  • Supply-chain resilience
  • decarbonization and infrastructure
  • Taxation and anti-corruption
  • Fair and resilient trade.
  • Option (3) is correct: Currently, Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, United States of America, and Vietnam are members of IPEF. First and foremost, supply chain resilience has come to be the key issue for India’s interlocutors at IPEF deliberations.

Q) Consider the following statements about the Treaty of Alinagar, 1757:

  1. It was signed after the Battle of Plassey between the Nawab of Bengal, Mir Kasim, and the British East India Company.
  2. It restored the privilege of the British to carry out duty-free trade as provided by the 1717 farmaan of the Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar.
  3. The Subsidiary Alliance was imposed on the Nawab of Bengal under the terms of this treaty.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 1 and 3 only
  3. 2 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is incorrect: British colonial expansion in India began with the signing of the Treaty of Alinagar on February 9, 1757, between the Nawab of Bengal and the East India Company. A surprise attack by the Company forces under Robert Clive defeated the Nawab’s forces outside Calcutta in early 1757. The threat of an impending Afghan assault and under advice from his ministers, the Nawab reluctantly decided to sign a treaty with the Company on February 9, 1757. Hence it was signed before the Battle of Plassey which took place on 23 June, 1757. Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar granted a farmaan to the East India Company in the year 1717, which is regarded as Magna Carta. However, some East India Company officials misused the farmaan to gain greater power and influence in Bengal and the surrounding regions.This led to widespread corruption and abuse of power, which strained the relationship between the Bengal Nawabs and the East India Company.
  • Statement 2 is correct but statement 3 is incorrect: Treaty of Alinagar restored all the privileges that Farrukhsiyar’s 1717 farmaan had granted to the East India Company, allowing it to carry out duty-free trade, build further fortifications and operates a mint. Though the treaty maintained the sovereignty of the Nawab of Bengal and Subsidiary Alliance was not imposed on the Nawab of Bengal, but its terms were extremely favourable to the Company. This was not only embarrassing for the Nawab but also empowering for the Company. For most Indians, the history of British colonial rule in India begins in the Battle of Plassey (on 23 June 1757). However, the roots of it were sown long back. While the Treaty of Alinagar itself might be relegated to a minor footnote in history, understanding what led up to it provides much greater perspective of the machinations of early colonial expansion in India

Q) With reference to ‘River Cities Alliance (RCA)’, consider the following statements:

  1. RCA was launched in 2021 as a dedicated platform for developing holistic action plans for urban rivers.
  2. RCA is a joint initiative of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
  3. DHARA 2023 is an annual meeting of the members of the RCA.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is correct: River Cities Alliance (RCA) was launched in 2021 as a dedicated platform for river cities across India to discuss & exchange information for sustainable management of urban rivers. River Cities Alliance started with 30 cities in 2021 and currently has 95 cities as members across India.
  • Statement 2 is incorrect: River Cities Alliance is a first-of-its-kind Alliance in the world, symbolizes the successful partnership of the two Ministries that is, Ministry of Jal Shakti and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The Alliance focuses on three broad themes- Networking, Capacity Building and Technical Support.
  • Statement 3 is correct: Driving Holistic Action for Urban Rivers (DHARA), 2023, is the annual meeting of the members of the River Cities Alliance and is organized by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in association with National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). It is organised for the Municipal Commissioners of the member cities to initiate in-depth discussions and come up with possible learning solutions for urban river management.

Q) Consider the following pairs:

Bridges over Line of Actual Control  Associated Rivers
1. Dhola-Sadiya Bridge -Brahmaputra River
2. Serati Bridge -Siang River
3. Bumla Pass Bridge -Namka Chu River
4. Bogibeel Bridge -Lohit River

How many of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

  1. Only one pair
  2. Only two pairs
  3. Only three pairs
  4. All four pairs

Explanation:

  • Pairs 1 and 3 are correctly matched: About 6,806 km of roads were constructed in the China border areas in the period from 2014 to 2022. Some of the key road projects along the LAC include expansion of the Manali-Leh road in Himachal Pradesh which is a strategic road that connects the border regions along the LAC in Himachal Pradesh; upgrading of the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi (DSDBO) road in Ladakh; construction of the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge over the Brahmaputra River in Assam; construction of the Bumla Pass Bridge over the Namka Chu River in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Pairs 2 and 4 are incorrectly matched: Some of the other initiatives around LAC and border areas are Vibrant Villages Programme, where Border villages with sparse population, limited connectivity and infrastructure often get left out from the development gains. Such villages on the northern border will be covered under the new Vibrant Villages Programme, announced in the Budget 2022-23. Construction of the Bogibeel Bridge over the Brahmaputra River in Assam; construction of the Bailey Bridge over the Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh; construction of the Serati Bridge over the Lohit River in Arunachal Pradesh.

Q) Consider the following statements about the ‘SSLV-D2 Rocket’:

  1. It is used to launch satellites weighing up to 500 kg into geostationary orbit.
  2. It recently launched the ISRO’s Earth Observation Satellite-07 into orbit.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is incorrect but statement 2 is correct: The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)-D2 rocket caters to the launch of up to 500 kg satellites to low earth orbits on ‘launch-on-demand’ basis.  The payloads of recent SSLV-D2 rocket included ISRO’s EOS-07, US-based firm Antaris’ Janus-1 and Chennai-based space start up SpaceKidz’s AzaadiSAT-2. SSLV is configured with three solid propulsion stages and a velocity terminal module. It aims to capture the emerging small and microsatellite commercial market. The benefits of SSLV:
  • Low-cost access to space
  • Low turn-around time
  • Flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites
  • Minimal launch infrastructure needed
  • Launch on demand

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FAQs

Who is the memer of IPEF/

Currently, Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, United States of America, and Vietnam are members of IPEF.

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