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Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 23 February 2023

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC 2023

Q) Which one of the following statements is not correct with respect to I2U2 initiative?

  1. Both India and the Ukraine are members.
  2. It was formed in 2021 after the Abraham Accords.
  3. It aims to encourage joint investment in the food security sector.
  4. It promotes the development of critical emerging

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 22 February 2023

Explanation:

  • Option (1) is incorrect: I2U2 initiative is a new grouping of India, Israel, USA and UAE. The I2U2 grouping discussed on building integrated agricultural facilities across India, at its recent meeting in Abu Dhabi. The grouping is of great geopolitical significance and not only revitalize and re-energize the system of alliances and partnerships around the world, but also stitch together partnerships that did not exist previously or were not utilized to their full extent.
  • Option (2) is correct: I2U2 was initially formed in 2021 following the Abraham Accords between Israel and the UAE, to deal with issues concerning maritime security, infrastructure and transport in the region. At that time, the grouping was called the ‘International Forum for Economic Cooperation’.
  • Option (3) and (4) are correct: Six areas of cooperation have been identified by the countries mutually and the aim is to encourage joint investments in these sectors namely Water, Energy, Transportation, Space, Health, Food security. With the help of “private sector capital and expertise”, the countries will look to modernise infrastructure, explore low carbon development avenues for industries, improve public health, and promote the development of critical emerging and green technologies.

Q) Consider the following statements about ‘heat dome’:

  1. It happens when warm air is trapped in an area of low pressure for an extended period of time.
  2. They primarily develop during the El-Nino season as a result of the warming of the eastern Pacific.
  3. Mulch material is added to preserve soil moisture to decrease the detrimental effects of heat domes on crops.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 and 2 are incorrect: A heat dome occurs when an area of high-pressure traps warm air over a region, for an extended period of time. The high-pressure forces air to sink and once it reaches the ground, it gets compressed and becomes even warmer and drier, further raising the temperature of the area. Heat domes generally stay for a few days but sometimes they can extend up to weeks, which might cause deadly heat waves. They are more likely to form during La Niña years, when waters are cool in the eastern Pacific and warm in the western Pacific, creating vast areas of sweltering.
  • Statement 3 is correct: High temperatures during the flowering and maturing periods lead to loss in yield. There could be a similar impact on other standing crops and horticulture. In March last year, the warmest recorded in the country since 1901, heat caused a decline of 2.5 per cent in wheat yields. To reduce the impact of higher temperatures, mulch material can be added in the space between two rows of vegetable crops to conserve soil moisture and maintain soil temperature

Q) With reference to ‘Zaid Campaign’, consider the following statements:

  1. The main aim of this campaign is to increase the cultivation of organic zaid crops.
  2. They require warm, dry weather to grow and longer day length for flowering.
  3. Zaid crops are primarily grown in the states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh during the months of July and September.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 and 3 are incorrect: Recently Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister chaired the National Conference on Agriculture for Zaid (Summer) Campaign-2023 in New Delhi. The objective of the Zaid campiagn is to review and assess the crop performance during the preceding crop seasons and fix crop-wise targets for the summer season in consultation with State Governments. Zaid or summer crops are grown in the short season between Kharif and Rabi crops, between March and July. Cultivation areas of zaid crops in India are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu.
  • Statement 2 is correct: These crops are mostly grown on irrigated lands and therefore, the farmers do not wait for the monsoon. Zaid crops require warm soil and high temperatures (cooling at night) to grow. They require warm, dry weather as a vital growth period and longer day length for flowering. Most of the vegetables and hybrid cereals are grown in the zaid season. Major crops: Paddy, corn; pumpkin, cucumber, tomato; almonds, peanuts, cashews; Gram, lentils, etc.

Q) Consider the following statements about ‘UN High Seas Treaty’:

  1. It is a recently signed treaty for conserving the resources and biodiversity of the oceans.
  2. It addresses the ocean that extends outside of the Exclusive Economic Zones and is known as the ‘Paris Accord for the Ocean’.
  3. It emphasis on capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology among member nations.

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:

  • Statement 1 is incorrect but statement 2 is correct: UN High Seas Treaty is a proposed treaty which concerns the ocean existing beyond the Exclusive Economic Zones till where it has special rights for exploration. Also referred to as the ‘Paris Agreement for the Ocean’, the treaty deals with Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) and has been under discussion for several years. The treaty was to be negotiated under the United Nations Convention on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) which governs the rights of countries regarding marine resources. As there is no treaty for conserving the health of vast swathes of the earth’s oceans, a UN resolution in 2017 had decided to rectify this while setting 2022 as the deadline. The high seas are defined by international law as, all parts of the ocean that aren’t included in the exclusive economic zone, the territorial sea, or the internal waters of a country. This essentially means that the high seas and associated resources are not directly owned or regulated by any country.
  • Statement 3 is correct: Key areas of focus of the treaty are as follows:
  • The conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ);
  • Marine Genetic Resources(MGRs: Biological material from plants and animals in the ocean that can have benefits for society, such as pharmaceuticals, industrial processes and food), including questions on benefit-sharing;
  • Area Based Management Tools (ABMT), including Marine Protected Areas(MPAs);
  • Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA);
  • Capacity-building and the Transfer of Marine Technology (CB&TMT)

Q) Recently seen in news, the ‘Inji Gramam’ initiative is best related to which one of the following?

  1. The development of traditional handicrafts of the Gond tribal groups
  2. The development of panchayats in the Sixth Schedule areas
  3. The promotion of ginger cultivation in the state of Kerala
  4. The promotion of GI tags on agricultural products of the state of Andhra Pradesh

Explanation:

  • Option (3) is correct: A new scheme named ‘Inji Gramam’ has been introduced in Kulathoor grama panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, to cultivate ginger. The initiative by the panchayat and Kulathoor Krishi Bhavan, began as a pilot project with 250 farmers cultivating Ginger. Ginger is propagated through seed rhizomes and the chosen variety for this scheme was Rio de Janeiro, a cultivar from Brazil, which was found to have a better yield than local varieties. Prior to the initiative, ginger was not grown in Thiruvananthapuram district. The yields after the intervention, however, are encouraging farmers in the region to take up further ginger cultivation. Such examined interventions help farmers shift to multi-cropping patterns, thereby ensuring sustainability in their agricultural practices.

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FAQs

The 'Inji Gramam' initiative is best related to which?

The promotion of ginger cultivation in the state of Kerala

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