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Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 22 May 2023

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC 2023

Q) Recently seen in news, the Krishna river water dispute is between which of the following Indian states?

  1. Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh
  2. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
  3. Maharashtra and Telangana
  4. Odisha and Andhra Pradesh

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 20 May April 2023

Explanation:

  • Option (1) is correct: The Krishna river water dispute between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana has undergone several stages and developments over the years. Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal (KWDT) was established in 1969, under the Inter-State River Water Dispute Act, 1956. The KWDT Headed by Justice R.S. Bachawat, it was tasked with adjudicating the inter-state water dispute over the sharing of Krishna river waters. The tribunal presented its report in 1973, which was published in 1976. It allocated the 2060 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of Krishna water at 75% dependability into three parts: 560 TMC for Maharashtra, 700 TMC for Karnataka, and 800 TMC for Andhra Pradesh. The KWDT order stated that it could be reviewed or revised by a competent authority or tribunal after May 31, 2000.

Q) Consider the following statements about radiometric dating:

  1. It is used to determine the age of geologic materials by measuring the presence of radioactive element.
  2. Potassium-14 is the element used in the process of radiometric dating.
  3. In colder regions, glaciers allow the rocks to accumulate calcium-41 for more accurate radiometric dating.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

  • Statements 1 and 2 are correct: Radiometric dating is a methodology to calculate age of geologic materials by measuring the presence of a short-life radioactive element. Example: C-14, potassium-14/argon-40 etc. Scientists have suggested using calcium-41 for radiometric dating to overcome the drawbacks of carbon dating. Calcium-41 is produced when cosmic rays from space interact with calcium atoms in the earth’s crust. Calcium-41 has a half-life of 99,400 years. Using calcium-41 for radiometric dating is challenging because it is rarer, occurring once in around 1,015 calcium atoms.
  • Statement 3 is incorrect: Researchers have proposed atom-trap trace analysis (ATTA) as a solution for the problem. ATTA is sensitive enough to spot calcium-41 atoms; specific enough to not confuse them for other similar atoms and fits easily on a tabletop. The ATTA technique can be used to study how long some rock has been covered by ice, by measuring the Calcium-41 abundance in some rock samples. In warmer climates, glaciers retreat and allow rock below to accumulate calcium-41. In colder climate, glaciers advance and prevent the calcium-41 from reaching the rock.

Q) With reference to Review Petition, consider the following statements:

  1. The Supreme Court has the power to review any judgment made by it.
  2. Only parties to a case can seek a review of the judgment on it.
  3. The same panel of judges that rendered the ruling cannot hear review petition on it.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is correct: The review petition is a petition in which it is prayed before the Court of law to review its order or judgment which it has already pronounced. The Court may accept a review petition when a glaring omission or patent mistake or like grave error has crept in earlier by judicial fallibility. Under Article 137 of the Constitution, subject to the provisions of any law and rules made under Article 145, the Supreme Court has the power to review any judgment pronounced or order made by it.
  • Statement 2 is incorrect: It is not necessary that only parties to a case can seek a review of the judgment on it. As per the Civil Procedure Code and the Supreme Court Rules, any person aggrieved by a ruling can seek a review. However, the court does not entertain every review petition filed. It exercises its discretion to allow a review petition only when it shows the grounds for seeking the review.
  • Statement 3 is incorrect: Recently, Central government files review petition against SC order on Delhi services. Review petitions are heard by the same combination of judges who delivered the order or judgment that is sought to be reviewed. If a judge has retired or is unavailable, a replacement is made keeping in mind the seniority of judges.

Q) Consider the following statements about ‘UDISE report on teachers in primary school’:

  1. According to the report, single-teacher schools are still in use in India.
  2. Bihar has the majority of single-teacher schools with a large number of children.
  3. In India, single-teacher schools account for up to 30 percent of all educational institutions.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

  • Statements 1 and 2 are correct: According to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) Report published by Ministry of Education, Indian children are still studying in single-teacher schools which are a violation of the Right to Education Act. State of Bihar has the highest single-teacher schools with a large number of children. The Right to Education Act, 2009 stated that every child of the age six to 14 years shall have a right to free and compulsory education in a neighbourhood school till completion of elementary education. The Act states that every school must have at least two teachers.  It also requires the presence of a primary school within one kilometre of every habitation.
  • Statement 3 is incorrect: The proportion of single-teacher schools in India high at 14.7%. In 9 of India’s 21 major States, the share of children studying in single-teacher schools was well above 10%. In Jharkhand, there have been no teacher appointments since 2016. Teacher resistance to remote postings is also a major problem.

Q) With reference to Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), consider the following statements:

  1. It is incorporated as a non-profit organization under the Companies Act 2013.
  2. Under the ONDC, a customer registered on one e-commerce site is allowed to buy items from a seller on another e-commerce site.

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:

  • Statements 1 and 2 are correct: The Union government is looking to formally launch the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) this year to “democratize e-commerce” and “to provide alternatives to proprietary e-commerce sites”. ONDC is an initiative by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to create an open-source platform that can enable a unified digital commerce ecosystem in the country. It was incorporated as a Section 8 (Non- Profit Organisation under Companies Act 2013) company in December 2021. The Quality Council of India and Protean eGov Technologies Limited are its initial promoters. Under ONDC, it is envisaged that a buyer registered on one participating e-commerce site (for example, Amazon) may purchase goods from a seller on another participating e-commerce site (for example, Flipkart). Implementation of ONDC, which is expected to be on the lines of Unified Payments Interface (UPI), could bring various operational aspects put in place by e-commerce platforms to the same level. The ONDC platform will support a range of logistics and supply chain management services, including real-time tracking and tracing of shipments, inventory management, and order fulfillment.

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