Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Cluster Bombs and Thermobaric Weapons
Mains level: Not Much
Human rights group Amnesty International has accused Russia of using cluster bombs and vacuum bombs in the ongoing war.
What are Cluster Munitions?
- According to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, a cluster munition means a âconventional munition that is designed to disperse or release explosive submunitions each weighing less than 20 kilograms, and includes those explosive submunitionsâ.
- Essentially, cluster munitions are non-precision weapons that are designed to injure or kill human beings indiscriminately over a large area.
- They are often designed to destroy vehicles and infrastructure such as runways, railway or power transmission lines.
- They can be dropped from an aircraft or launched in a projectile that spins in flight, scattering many bomblets as it travels.
- Many of these bomblets end up not exploding, but continue to lie on the ground, often partially or fully hidden and difficult to locate and remove, posing a threat to the civilian population.
- The Convention on Cluster Munitions specifically identifies âcluster munition remnantsâ, which include âfailed cluster munitions, abandoned cluster munitions, unexploded submunitions and unexploded bombletsâ.
And what is a Thermobaric Weapon?
- Thermobaric weapons â also known as aerosol bombs, fuel air explosives, or vaccum bombs â use oxygen from the air for a large, high-temperature blast.
- A thermobaric weapon causes significantly greater devastation than a conventional bomb of comparable size.
- The weapons, which go off in two separate stages, can be fired as rockets from tank-mounted launchers or dropped from aircraft.
- As they hit their target, a first explosion splits open the bombâs fuel container, releasing a cloud of fuel and metal particles that spreads over a large area.
- A second explosion then occurs, igniting the aerosol cloud into a giant ball of fire and sending out intense blast waves that can destroy even reinforced buildings or equipment and vaporise human beings.
Is it legal to use these weapons?
- Countries that have ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions are prohibited from using cluster bombs.
- As of date, there are 110 state parties to the convention, and 13 other countries have signed up but are yet to ratify it.
- Neither Russia nor Ukraine are signatories.
- These bombs are not prohibited by any international law or agreement, but their use against civilian populations in built-up areas, schools or hospitals, could attract action under the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907.
- International humanitarian law prohibits the use of inherently indiscriminate weapons such as cluster munitions.
- Launching indiscriminate attacks that kill or injure civilians constitutes a war crime.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Viswabharati University
Mains level: NA
The stalemate continues in Visva-Bharati University as students demand the reopening of hostels and conducting of online examinations.
Visva-Bharati
- Visva-Bharati is a central research university and an Institution of National Importance located in Shantiniketan, West Bengal, India.
- It was founded by Rabindranath Tagore who called it Visva-Bharati, which means the communion of the world with India.
- Until independence, it was a college.
- Soon after independence, the institution was given the status of a central university in 1951 by an act of the Parliament.
Its establishment
- The origins of the institution date back to 1863 when Debendranath Tagore was given a tract of land by the zamindar of Raipur, zamindar of Kirnahar.
- He set up an ashram at the spot that has now come to be called chatim tala at the heart of the town.
- The ashram was initially called Brahmacharya Ashram, which was later renamed Brahmacharya Vidyalaya.
- It was established with a view to encouraging people from all walks of life to come to the spot and meditate.
- In 1901 his youngest son Rabindranath Tagore established a co-educational school inside the premises of the ashram.
- From 1901 onwards, Tagore used the ashram to organize the Hindu Mela, which soon became a center of nationalist activity.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2021:
Q. With reference to Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh, which one of the following statements is correct?
(a) Pingali Venkayya designed the tricolour Indian National Flag here.
(b) Pattabhi Sitaramaiah led the Quit India Movement of Andhra region from here.
(c) Rabindranath Tagore translated the National Anthem from Bengali to English here.
(d) Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott set up headquarters of Theosophical Society fi rst here.
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Deocha Pachami Coal Block
Mains level: NA
The West Bengal governmentâs ambitious Deocha Pachami coal block mining project in Birbhum district has run into hurdles over land acquisition and other issues.
Deocha Pachami Coal Block
- The State government is planning to start mining at the Deocha Pachami coal block, considered to be the largest coal block in the country with reserves of around 1,198 million tonnes of coal.
- It is spread over an area of 12.31 sq. km, which is around 3,400 acres.
- There are around 12 villages in the project area with a population of over 21,000, comprising Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Why are locals upset?
- The project is facing protests over land acquisition of which a significant part is forest land.
- Locals, mostly Santhal tribals, have close affinity with the land, with forests and waterways, and rely on it for their needs.
- The tribals were harassed and had been arrested under false and serious charges for protesting.
- Also, the project details have not yet been made public; and the environment clearance is awaited.
Back2Basics:
Coal
- This is the most abundantly found fossil fuel. It is used as a domestic fuel, in industries such as iron and steel, steam engines and to generate electricity. Electricity from coal is called thermal power.
- The coal which we are using today was formed millions of years ago when giant ferns and swamps got buried under the layers of earth. Coal is therefore referred to as Buried Sunshine.
- The leading coal producers of the world include China, US, Australia, Indonesia, India.
- The coal-producing areas of India include Raniganj, Jharia, Dhanbad and Bokaro in Jharkhand.
- Coal is also classified into four ranks: anthracite, bituminous, sub-bituminous, and lignite. The ranking depends on the types and amounts of carbon the coal contains and on the amount of heat energy the coal can produce.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: ICJ, ICC
Mains level: Not Much
Ukraine has filed an application before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), instituting proceedings against the Russian Federation for committing Genocide.
International Court of Justice
- The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN).
- It was established in June 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began work in April 1946.
- The court is the successor to the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ), which was brought into being through, and by, the League of Nations.
- It held its inaugural sitting at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, in February 1922.
Its establishment
- After World War II, the League of Nations and PCIJ were replaced by the United Nations and ICJ respectively.
- The PCIJ was formally dissolved in April 1946, and its last president, Judge José Gustavo Guerrero of El Salvador, became the first president of the ICJ.
- The first case, which was brought by the UK against Albania over concerning incidents in the Corfu channel â the narrow strait of the Ionian Sea between the Greek island of Corfu and Albania.
Seat and role
- Like the PCIJ, the ICJ is based at the Peace Palace in The Hague.
- It is the only one of the six principal organs of the UN that is not located in New York City.
- The other five organs are:
- General Assembly
- Security Council
- Economic and Social Council
- Trusteeship Council
- Secretariat
- The court as a whole must represent the main forms of civilization and the principal legal systems of the world.
- The judges of the court are assisted by a Registry, the administrative organ of the ICJ. English and French are the ICJâs official languages.
Jurisdiction of ICJ
- All members of the UN are automatically parties to the ICJ statute, but this does not automatically give the ICJ jurisdiction over disputes involving them.
- The ICJ gets jurisdiction only if both parties consent to it.
- The judgment of the ICJ is final and technically binding on the parties to a case.
- There is no provision of appeal; it can at the most, be subject to interpretation or, upon the discovery of a new fact, revision.
- However, the ICJ has no way to ensure compliance of its orders, and its authority is derived from the willingness of countries to abide by them.
Judges of the court
- The ICJ has 15 judges who are elected to nine-year terms by the UN General Assembly and Security Council, which vote simultaneously but separately.
- To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes in both bodies, a requirement that sometimes necessitates multiple rounds of voting.
- Elections are held at the UNHQ in New York during the annual UNGA meeting.
- A third of the court is elected every three years.
- The judges elected at the triennial election commence their term of office on February 6 of the following year.
- The president and vice-president of the court are elected for three-year terms by secret ballot. Judges are eligible for re-election.
India in ICJ
- Four Indians have been members of the ICJ so far.
- Justice Dalveer Bhandari, former judge of the Supreme Court, has been serving at the ICJ since 2012.
- Former Chief Justice of India R S Pathak served from 1989-91, and former Chief Election Commissioner of India Nagendra Singh from 1973-88.
- Singh was also president of the court from 1985-88, and vice-president from 1976-79.
- Before him, Sir Benegal Rau, who was an advisor to the Constituent Assembly, was a member of the ICJ from 1952-53.
Indian cases at the ICJ
- India has been a party to a case at the ICJ on six occasions, four of which have involved Pakistan.
- They are:
- Right of Passage over Indian Territory (Portugal v. India, culminated 1960);
- Appeal Relating to the Jurisdiction of the ICAO Council (India v. Pakistan, culminated 1972);
- Trial of Pakistani Prisoners of War (Pakistan v. India, culminated 1973);
- Aerial Incident of 10 August 1999 (Pakistan v. India, culminated 2000);
- Obligations concerning Negotiations relating to Cessation of the Nuclear Arms Race and to Nuclear Disarmament (Marshall Islands v. India, culminated 2016); and
- (Kulbhushan) Jadhav (India v. Pakistan, culminated 2019).
Back2Basics:
| BASIS |
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT |
INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE |
| Relationship with the United Nations |
Independent; UN Security Council may refer matters to it |
Primary judicial branch of the UN. |
| Members |
105 members |
193 members (all members of the United Nations). |
| Derives authority from |
The Rome Statute |
Charter of the United Nations and the Statute of the International Court of Justice. |
| Scope of work |
Criminal matters â investigating and prosecuting crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes |
Civil matters- settling legal disputes between the member-states and giving advisory opinions on international legal issues |
| Jurisdiction |
Only the member nations of the ICC, which means around 105 countries. Can try individuals. |
All the member nations of the UN, which means 193 countries. Cannot try individuals and other private entities. |
| Composition |
1 prosecutor and 18 judges, who are elected for a 9-year term each by the member-states which make up the Assembly of State Parties with all being from different nations |
15 judges who are elected for a 9-year term each and are all from different nations. |
| Funding |
Funded by state parties to the Rome Statute and voluntary contributions from the United Nations, governments, individual corporations, etc. |
Funded by the UN. |
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: International Monsoons Project Office (IMPO)
Mains level: Not Much
Union Minister of Science & Technology has launched the International Monsoons Project Office (IMPO).
International Monsoons Project Office (IMPO)
- IMPO will be hosted at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, an institution under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt of India, initially for five years.
- Setting up the IMPO reiterates the importance of monsoons for the national economy.
- It would encompass activities and connections related to international monsoon research that would be identified and fostered under the leadership of the World Climate Research Programme.
- Both the World Climate Research Programme and World Weather Research Programme are international programmes coordinated by the United Nations World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
Significance of IMPO
- Setting up the IMPO in India would mean expanding an integrated scientific approach to solve the seasonal variability of monsoons, enhancing the prediction skill of monsoons and cyclones.
- It would promote knowledge sharing and capacity building in areas of monsoon research crucial for agriculture, water resources and disaster management, hydropower and climate-sensitive socio-economic sectors.
- It is a step towards making India a global hub for monsoon research and coordination in a seamless manner for addressing common and region-specific aspects of the monsoons around the world.
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Back2Basics:
Various terms related to Indian Monsoon
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: An-225
Mains level: NA
Amid Moscowâs assault on Ukraine, the worldâs largest cargo aircraft, the Antonov AN-225 or âMriyaâ, was destroyed by Russian troops during an attack on an airport near Kyiv.
Antonov AN-225
- With a wingspan of over 290-feet, the unique Antonov AN-225 was designed in what was then the Ukrainian USSR during the 1980s amid a tense race to space between the US and the Soviet Union.
- The plane, nicknamed âMriyaâ or âdreamâ in Ukrainian, is very popular in aviation circles, and is known to attract huge crowds of fans at air shows around the world.
- It was initially designed as part of the Soviet aeronautical program to carry the Buran, which was the Soviet version of the USâ Space Shuttle.
- After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, when the Buran program was cancelled, the aircraft was instead used to transport massive cargo loads.
Its manufacturing
- Only one AN-225 was ever built by the Kyiv-based Antonov Company, the defence manufacturers who originally designed the plane.
- It is essentially a large version of another design by the Antonoc Company â the four-engine An-124 âCondorâ, which is used by the Russian Air Force.
- The aircraft first took flight in 1988 and has been in use ever since.
- In the recent past, it has been used for delivering relief supplies during calamities in neighbouring nations.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Munich Security Conference
Mains level: NA
The latest edition of MSC a week ago assumed significance as it was here that the Ukrainian President appealed for help ahead of the Russian invasion.
Munich Security Conference
- The Munich Security Conference is an annual conference on international security policy that has been held in Munich, Bavaria, Germany since 1963.
- It brings together heads of state, diplomats and business leaders from the worldâs leading democracies for three days of meetings and presentations.
- It is the world’s largest gathering of its kind.
- Over the past four decades the MSC has become the most important independent forum for the exchange of views by international security policy decision-makers.
How did it begin?
- When the MSC was founded in 1963, it was envisioned as a way for leaders, mostly from the West, to discuss threats and dangers in an informal setting.
- Most of the concerns at the time stemmed from the Cold War, which had dominated world politics for nearly a half-century.
- Over time, the conference evolved into a platform for airing grievances and workshopping political agreements, some of them outside the realm of East-West relations.
- In recent years, the conference has often invited leaders from authoritarian countries, and even adversaries, to speak.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Chernobyl Disaster
Mains level: Not Much
Ukrainian authorities said that radiation levels had increased in the Chernobyl exclusion zone after the Russian Invasion.
What is Chernobyl Disaster?
- The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of Ukraine (formerly USSR).
- It is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history both in cost and casualties.
- It is one of only two nuclear energy accidents rated at sevenâthe maximum severityâon the International Nuclear Event Scale.
- The other such incident was the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan.
Destruction caused
- Some sources state that two people were killed in the initial explosions, whereas others report that the figure was closer to 50.
- Dozens more people contracted serious radiation sickness; some of them later died.
- Between 50 and 185 million curies of radionuclides (radioactive forms of chemical elements) escaped into the atmosphere.
- This is several times more radioactivity than that created by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
- This radioactivity was spread by the wind over Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine and soon reached as far west as France and Italy.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Lachit Borphukan, Battle of Saraighat
Mains level: NA
The Prime Minister has paid tribute to Lachit Borphukan on Lachit Diwas.
Who was Lachit Borphukan?
- The year was 1671 and the decisive Battle of Saraighat was fought on the raging waters of the Brahmaputra.
- On one side was Mughal Emperor Aurangzebâs army headed by Ram Singh of Amer (Jaipur) and on the other was the Ahom General Lachit Borphukan.
- He was a commander in the Ahom kingdom, located in present-day Assam.
- Ram Singh failed to make any advance against the Assamese army during the first phase of the war.
- Lachit Borphukan emerged victorious in the war and the Mughals were forced to retreat from Guwahati.
Lachit Diwas
- On 24 November each year, Lachit Divas is celebrated state-wide in Assam to commemorate the heroism of Lachit Borphukan.
- On this day, Borphukan has defeated the Mughal army on the banks of the Brahmaputra in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671.
- The best passing out cadet of National Defence Academy has been conferred the Lachit gold medal every year since 1999 commemorating his valor.
Try this PYQ:
Q.What was the immediate cause for Ahmad Shah Abdali to invade and fight the Third Battle of Panipat?
(a) He wanted to avenge the expulsion by Marathas of his viceroy Timur Shah from Lahore
(b) The frustrated governor of Jullundhar Adina Beg khan invited him to invade Punjab
(c) He wanted to punish Mughal administration for non-payment of the revenues of the Chahar Mahal (Gujrat Aurangabad, Sialkot and Pasrur)
(d) He wanted to annex all the fertile plains of Punjab upto borders of Delhi to his kingdom
Post your answer here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: P-8I Aircraft
Mains level: Indian Naval Arsenal
Aviation and defence colossus Boeing delivered Indiaâs 12th maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare P-8I aircraft.
P-8I Aircraft
- It is a multi-mission aircraft with state of the art sensors, proven weapons systems, and a globally recognised platform.
- The first aircraft produced by Boeing flew in 2009, and has been in service with the US Navy since 2013, the same year as the Indian Navy.
- Apart from India and the US, it has been chosen by six other militaries in the world.
- The aircraft has two variants â the P-8I, which is manufactured for the Indian Navy, and the P-8A Poseidon.
- The aircraft is designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
Naval operations
- While the Indian Navy uses it for maritime operations, the aircraft was also used in eastern Ladakh in 2020 and 2021, when the standoff with China was at its peak.
- The aircraft for the Indian Navy are called P-8I, and have replaced the ageing Soviet/Russian Tupolev Tu-142s.
Specifications and features
- The P-8I can fly as high as 41,000 feet, and has a short transit time, which reduces the size of the Area of Probability when searching for submarines, surface vessels or search and rescue survivors.
- The aircraft has two engines, and is about 40 metres long, with a wingspan of 37.64 metres.
- Each aircraft weighs about 85,000 kg, and has a top speed of 490 knots, or 789 km/hour.
- It requires a crew of nine, and has a range of 1,200+ nautical miles, with 4 hours on station, which means about 2,222 km.
- According to Boeing, more than 140 P-8 aircraft have âexecuted more than 400,000 mishap-free flight-hours around the globeâ.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Dugong Conservation Reserve
Mains level: NA
Indiaâs first Dugong conservation reserve will be built in Tamil Nadu for the conservation of Dugong, a marine mammal.
Dugong Conservation Reserve
- The reserve will spread over an area of 500 km in Palk Bay on the southeast coast of Tamil Nadu.
- Palk Bay is a semi-enclosed shallow water body with a water depth maximum of 13 meters.
- Located between India and Sri Lanka along the Tamil Nadu coast, the dugong is a flagship species in the region.
Dugong: The sea cow
- Dugong or the sea cow is the State animal of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
- This endangered marine species survive on seagrass and other aquatic vegetation found in the area.
- It is the only herbivorous mammal that is strictly marine and is the only extant species in the family Dugongidae.
- Dugongs are usually about three-meter long and weigh about 400 kg.
- Dugongs have an expanded head and trunk-like upper lip.
- Elephants are considered to be their closest relatives. However, unlike dolphins and other cetaceans, sea cows have two nostrils and no dorsal fin.
Their habitat
- Distributed in shallow tropical waters in the Indo-Pacific region, in India, they are found in the Gulf of Kutch, Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
- Dugongs are long-living animals, that have a low reproductive rate, long generation time, and high investment in each offspring.
- The female dugongs do not bear their first calf until they are at least 10 and up to 17 years old.
- A dugong population is unlikely to increase more than 5% per year. They take a long time to recover due to the slow breeding rate.
Causes of extinction
- Having being declared vulnerable, the marine animal calls for conserving efforts.
- Studies have suggested the reasons for the extinction of the animal such as slow breeding rate, fishing, and the loss of habitat.
- They are also known to suffer due to accidental entanglement and drowning in gill-nets.
Conservation in India
- The conservation reserve can promote growth and save vulnerable species from the verge of extinction.
- Dugongs are protected in India under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Act 1972 which bans the killing and purchasing of dugong meat.
- IUCN status: Vulnerable
Try answering this PYQ:
Q. With reference to âdugongâ, a mammal found in India, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- It is a herbivorous marine animal.
- It is found along the entire coast of India.
- It is given legal protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1974.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 3 only
Post your answers here.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Russia-Ukraine War
The Russian annexation of Russia has been condemned widely and raised several questions concerning violation of international law.
How is Russia violating the UN Charter?
(1) Principle of Non-Intervention
- The Russian attack on Ukraine is violative of the non-intervention principle, and amounts to aggression under international law.
- The principle of non-intervention in domestic affairs is the foundational principle on which existing international order is based.
- The principle is enshrined in article 2(4) of the UN Charter requiring states to refrain from using force or threat of using force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.
- It prohibits any kind of forcible trespassing in the territory of another state, even if it is for temporary or limited operations such as an âin and outâ operation.
(2) Principle of Non-Aggression
- The UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 (1974) defines aggression as the use of armed force by a state against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of another state.
- Additionally, allowing oneâs territory to be used by another state for aggression against a third state, also qualifies as an act of aggression.
- Accordingly, Belarus can also be held responsible for aggression as it has allowed its territory to be used by Russia for attacking Ukraine.
- Aggression is also considered an international crime under customary international law and the Rome statute establishing the International Criminal Court.
(3) Principle of Political Independence
- Russiaâs desire to keep Ukraine out of NATO is a prime reason for its use of force against Ukraine.
- This is violative of Ukraineâs political independence under article 2(4) as Ukraine being a sovereign state is free to decide which organizations it wants to join.
- Also, by resorting to use of force, Russia has violated article 2(3) which requires the states to settle their dispute by peaceful means in order to preserve international peace and security.
(4) Principle of Self-Defence
- In face of the use of force by Russia, Ukraine has the right to self-defence under international law.
- The UN Charter under article 51 authorizes a state to resort to an individual or collective self-defense until the Security Council take steps to ensure international peace and security.
- In this case, it seems implausible for the UNSC to arrive at a decision as Russia is a permanent member and has veto power.
Russiaâs hype:
(1) Nuclear escalation
- It has been claimed by Russia that Ukraine may acquire nuclear weapons with the help of western allies.
- However, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Legality of Threat of Nuclear Weapons case held that mere possession of nuclear weapons does not necessarily constitute a threat.
- Thus, even if Ukraine has, or were to acquire nuclear weapons in the future, it does not become a ground for invoking self-defence by Russia.
(2) Aggression against Russia
- Further, mere membership in a defence alliance such as NATO cannot necessarily be considered as a threat of aggression against Russia.
- Thus, here too Russia cannot invoke self-defence.
(3) Act in self-defence
- Russia can also not invoke anticipatory self-defence.
- Such invocation according to the Caroline test would require that the necessity of self-defence was instant, overwhelming, leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation.
- However, this is not the case with Russia.
What options is Ukraine left with?
- Ukraine has a right under international law to request assistance from other states in form of military assistance, supply of weapons etc.
- On the other hand, Russia has also claimed that it is acting in self-defence.
- This claim is questionable, as there has been no use of force, or such threats against Russia by Ukraine.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Cyberwarfare
Alongside the missiles and bombs slamming down in Ukraine, the country has also been hit by a wave of cyber-attacks targeting critical infrastructure companies.
What is Cyberwarfare?
- Cyberwarfare has emerged as a new form of retaliation or passive aggression deployed by nations that do not want to go to actual war but want to send a tough message to their opponents.
- In June 2020, security experts from Cyfirma uncovered a conspiracy by Gothic Panda and Stone Panda, two China-based hacker groups, to target media and critical infra companies in India.
- They led large-scale attacks amid the border stand-off between India and China in Ladakh.
- For many countries, cyberwarfare is a never-ending battle as it allows them to constantly harass and weaken geopolitical rivals.
What has happened in Ukraine so far?
- Ukraineâ hasâ beenâ oneâ ofâ theâ primary targets of Russia since 2020.
- The recent spate of attacks started in mid-January and knocked out websites of the ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry of education.
- Government websites and a number of banks have been hit by another mass distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
- DDoS attacks disrupt online services by overwhelming websites with more trafficâthan their server canâhandle.
Which countries are behind state-backed cyberattacks?
- Russia is one of the top perpetrators of state-backed cyberattacks.
- According to an October 2021 report by Microsoft Corp., Russia accounted for 58% of state-backed attacks worldwide, followed by North Korea (23%), Iran (11%), and China (8%).
- North Korea is said to have built a cyber-army of 7,000 hackers.
Which companies are targeted and why?
- State-backed cyberattacks are usually carried out to steal state secrets, trade deals and weapons blueprint, or target large multinationals to steal their intellectual property (IP) and use it to build local industry.
- Cryptos are also on the radar now. North Korean hackers reportedly stole cryptos worth $400 million in 2021.
- However, when states launch cyberattacks on other states as a result of worsening of geopolitical relations, the target is usually critical infrastructure firms to disrupt economic activity.
How often is India targeted?
- Such cyberattacks rose 100% between 2017 and 2021, according to a global study by Hewlett-Packard and the University of Surrey.
- In 2019, the administrative network of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant was hit by a malware attack by North Korea-backed Lazarus Group.
- China-backed hackers were believed to be behind a power outage in Mumbai in 2020.
- According to Black Lotus Labs, Pakistan-based hackers targeted power firms and one government organization in India in early 2021 using Remote Access Trojans.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: UNEPâs Fire Ready Formula
Mains level: Wildfires prevention
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has called on global governments to adopt a new âFire Ready Formula,â as it warned that incidences of wildfires would rise in the future.
What is the Fire Ready Formula?
- The new formula envisages that 66 per cent of spending be devoted to planning, prevention, preparedness and recovery.
- The remaining 34 per cent can be spent on response.
|
New âFire Ready Formulaâ focuses on Planning and Prevention Â
|
| Serial No |
Budget item |
Percentage share of the total on wildfire management  recommended |
| 1 |
Planning |
1 % |
| 2 |
Prevention |
32 % |
| 3 |
Preparedness |
13 % |
| 4 |
Response |
34 % |
| 5 |
Recovery |
20 % |
Why need such a formula?
- The UNEP report projected that the number of wildfires is likely to increase by up to 14 per cent by 2030.
- Integrated wildfire management was key to adapting to current and future changes in global wildfire risk, the UNEP.
- There is a need to invest more in fire risk reduction, work with local communities and strengthen global commitment to fight climate change.
- Achieving and sustaining adaptive land and fire management requires a combination of policies, a legal framework and incentives that encourage appropriate land and fire use.
Back2Basics: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
- UNEP is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system.
- It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in June 1972.
- Its mandate is to provide leadership, deliver science and develop solutions on a wide range of issues, including climate change, the management of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and green economic development.
- UNEP hosts the secretariats of several multilateral environmental agreements and research bodies, including:
1.     Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD),
2.     Minamata Convention on Mercury,
3.     Convention on Migratory Species and
4.     Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
- In 1988, the World Meteorological Organization and UNEP established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
- UNEP is also one of several Implementing Agencies for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Narsinh Mehta
Mains level: Bhakti Movement
Recently Junagadh University discovered a new species of spider and named it Narsinhmehtai in honour of Narsinh Mehta, the 15th-century poet who was a devotee of Lord Krishna.
Narsinh Mehta
- Mehta is believed to have been born in Talaja in present-day Bhavnagar district in 1410 and died in Junagadh in 1480s.
- The family had its origin in Vadnagar in north Gujarat, and the caste name is believed to be Pandya but as members of the family were officers in kingdoms of those days.
- They were called Mehta (one who keeps books of accounts) which later on became the family name.
- His father died when Mehta was just 5 and it is believed that Mehta learnt to speak only when he was eight years old, after a holy man asked him to utter the name of Lord Krishna.
- His elder brother Bansidhar and Bansidharâs wife raised Mehta and arranged his marriage.
Miracles in his life
- Mehta used to spend time in Krishna-bhakti (devotion to Lord Krishna) even after his marriage to Manekba, paying little attention to family duties.
- Mehta is believed to have run away from home and done tapashcharya at a Shiva temple in Talaja for seven days.
- After that, Mehta relocated with his family to Junagadh.
- Nonetheless, folklore has it that Lord Krishna, by impersonating as Mehta, helped the devout poet organise shraadhha (a ritual performed post death of a family member) of his father, marriage of his son Shamaldas etc.
- One of his bhajans narrates how Ra Mandlik, the then ruler of Junagadh had imprisoned him, accusing the poet of not having seen Lord Krishna and yet claiming to have done so.
His poetry
- Mehta penned more than 750 poems, called padd in Gujarat.
- They mainly deal with devotion to Lord Krishna, gyan (wisdom) vairagya (detachment from worldly affairs).
- Others like Shalmshano Vivah, Kunvarbainu Mameru, Hundi and Harmala are believed to be autobiographical accounts of different occasions in his life.
- Vaishanavajn to tene kahiye, Mahatma Gandhiâs favourite bhajan is Mehtaâs creation.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Various titles in Sports
Mains level: NA
Indiaâs teenage chess grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has won praise for a stunning victory over world number one Magnus Carlsen in an online championship.
Why are we reading this?
- UPSC had asked three questions on sports in CSP 2021. They were based on Laureus World Sports Award, Summer Olympics, and ICC World Test Championship.
- Try to ace uncertainties. No one can memorize such facts.
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Grandmaster: Behind the Title
- Grandmaster is the highest title or ranking that a chess player can achieve.
- The Grandmaster title â and other chess titles â is awarded by the International Chess Federation, FIDE (acronym for its French name FĂ©dĂ©ration Internationale des Ăchecs).
- It is the Lausanne-Switzerland-based governing body of the international game.
- The title is the badge of the gameâs super elite, a recognition of the greatest chess talent on the planet, which has been tested and proven against a peer group of other similarly talented players.
Other (lesser) titles
Besides Grandmaster, the Qualification Commission of FIDE recognises and awards seven other titles:
- International Master (IM)
- FIDE Master (FM)
- Candidate Master (CM)
- Woman Grandmaster (WGM), Woman International Master (WIM), Woman FIDE Master (WFM), and Woman Candidate Master (WCM) and so on .
Titles are for life
- All the titles, including that of Grandmaster, are valid for life, unless a player is stripped of the title for a proven offence such as cheating.
Qualifications for Grandmaster
- The qualifications for Grandmaster were changed several times, including in 1957, 1965, and 1970.
- Currently, FIDE awards chessâs highest honour to a player who is able to achieve a FIDE Classical or Standard rating of 2,500, plus three Grandmaster norms.
- Grandmaster norms are defined by a set of complex and rigorous rules regarding tournaments, games, and players, that are set out in the FIDE Title Regulations.
- The current regulations were approved by the FIDE Council on October 27, 2021, and came into effect on January 1, 2022.
- Each norm is very difficult to attain.
- Broadly, a player must have a performance rating of 2,600 or higher in a FIDE tournament that has nine rounds.
Who holds maximum titles?
- FIDE has so far recognized fewer than 2,000 Grandmasters out of the millions who play the game around the world.
- A vast majority of Grandmasters have been male. Russia (and the erstwhile USSR) has produced the most Grandmasters in the world, followed by the United States and Germany.
Grandmasters in India
- India became a chess powerhouse in the 2000s, and now has more than 70 Grandmasters.
- In 2016, Praggnanandhaa had become the worldâs youngest IM at age 10 years, 10 months, and 19 days.
Try this question from CSP 2021:
Q. Consider the following statements in respect of the Laureus World Sports Award which was instituted in the year 2000:
- American golfer Tiger Woods was the first winner of this award.
- The award was received mostly by âFormula Oneâ players so far.
- Roger Federer received this award maximum number of times compared to others.
Which of the above statements are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Post your answers here.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Swiss Banks
Mains level: Corruption and money laundering
A whistleblower has leaked information on more than $100 billion held in 30,000 accounts of Zurich-headquartered Credit Suisse, one of the worldâs most infamous banks which hold black money.
What is the news?
- The investigation refocused attention on Swiss banks and their famous, century-old culture of secrecy.
- This swiss tradition is under pressure as countries around the world try to get their super-rich to pay legitimate taxes on their wealth.
Swiss Banks: Defined by Secrecy
- Since at least the beginning of the 18th century, Geneva had become a favoured destination of French royalty and other European elites seeking discreet havens to stash their wealth.
- In 1713, Swiss government authorities announced laws prohibiting bankers from giving out information about their customers.
- Thus began a powerful culture of silence and secrecy that went on to become the defining feature of Swiss banking.
- In 1934, Switzerland passed the Federal Act on Banks and Savings Banks, commonly known as the Banking Law of 1934 or the Swiss Banking Act.
Whatâs behind this upmost secrecy?
- Article 47 made it a crime to reveal details or information of customers to almost anyone â including the government â without their consent and in the absence of a criminal complaint.
- Violators can get five years in prison; Article 47 lies at the heart of some of the most stringent banking secrecy laws anywhere.
Why are they favourite destination to park black money?
- As wealth became easily mobile across international borders, the safety and stability of Swiss banks, located in a peaceful country presented an irresistible attraction for the super-rich.
- Switzerland itself is a politically neutral country.
- Swiss bank accounts are attractive to depositors because they combine low levels of risk with very high levels of privacy.
- The Swiss economy is extremely stable, and the banks are run at very high levels of professionalism.
- Almost any adult in the world can open an account in a Swiss bank. Opening an account is not difficult, and requires not much more than basic KYC, including a proof of identity such as a passport.
Question of âblack moneyâ
- âBlack moneyâ allegedly stashed away by Indians in Swiss banks is a political issue in India, and parties and political functionaries have often made promises to âbring it backâ.
- Swiss authorities have maintained that they cooperate with the Indian government to fight tax evasion and fraud.
Indian motives and moves
- The two countries have had a system of automatic exchange of information in tax matters since 2018.
- Under this, detailed financial information on all Indian residents with accounts in Swiss financial institutions was provided for the first time to Indian authorities in September 2019.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Angadias
Mains level: NA
An FIR has been registered against some Mumbai Police officials last week for allegedly threatening Angadias and extorting money from them in south Mumbai.
Who are Angadias?
- The Angadia system is a century-old parallel banking system in the country where traders send cash generally from one state to another through a person called Angadia that stands for courier.
- It is by and large used in the jewellery business with Mumbai â Surat being the most popular route as they are two ends of the diamond trade.
- The cash involved is huge and it is the responsibility of the Angadia to transfer cash from one state to another for which they charge a nominal fee.
- Generally, it is the Gujarati, Marwari and Malbari community that are involved in the business.
How does the system work?
- The Angadia system works completely on trust as large sums, at times in crores, are involved.
- Generally, traders have the same Angadias for decades together.
- If a trader from Zaveri Bazaar in south Mumbai wants to pay a diamond trader in Surat, he will send an Angadias who usually delivers the money within 24 hours.
- They also have fixed trains that leave from Mumbai at night and reach Gujarat by early morning.
- Usually, to verify authenticity, the trader will, for example, will give a Rs 10 note to the Angadia and provide the number of the note to the recipient.
- It is only after the recipient confirms the note number that the Angadia will hand over the money to the person.
- After making the payment, the Angadias return to Mumbai the same day.
Is the system legal?
- While the Angadia system per se is legal, there hangs a cloud over the activity as it is suspected that a lot of times it is used to transfer unaccounted money.
- Since the business deals in cash and there is no account maintained for the same, there have been suspicions that it is also used for transfer of black money like the hawala.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: EV Battery Swapping Policy
Mains level: Electric mobility
NITI Aayog is holding a consultation on the upcoming electric vehicle (EV) battery swapping policy.
What is BaaS?
- Battery-as-a-service (BaaS) is seen as a viable charging alternative.
- Manufacturers can sell EVs in two forms: Vehicles with fixed or removable batteries and vehicles with batteries on lease.
- If you buy an electric scooter with battery leasing, you do not pay for the cost of the batteryâthat makes the initial acquisition almost 40% cheaper.
- Users can swap drained batteries for a fully charged one at a swap station. The depleted batteries are then charged on or off-site.
- The advantages of swapping include low downtimes for commercial fleets, reduced space requirements, and lower upfront costs.
- It is also a viable solution for those who donât have parking spots at home.
What is battery interoperability?
- Thatâs when a battery is compatible across vehicles and chargers, so you can seamlessly swap a battery at any swap station. This can help achieve scale.
- However, manufacturer and service providers say there are safety concerns around the âone-size-fits-allâ model and caution too much standardization can kill innovation.
Why hasnât BaaS taken off yet?
- There are economic and operational constraints.
- Energy service providers offering swapping solutions have to charge 18% goods and services tax (GST) for swapping, compared to 5% GST on the purchase of an EV.
- Additionally, the governmentâs FAME-II incentives are not offered to vehicles sold with BaaS or swap station operators.
- While these are economic disadvantages compared to direct charging solutions, the lack of a dense and interoperable battery swap infrastructure has also hindered the roll-out.
- Manufacturers, on the other hand, are keen to create proprietary battery and charging systems.
Issues with BaaS
- There is a need for standardization of safety specificationsâ as well as âtheâbattery.
- Swapping in the various permutations and combinations of batteriesâatâa stationâ whereâ theyâ have not been tested for compatibility could lead to safety hazards.
- Also, mandating only one type ofâbattery toâ be eligible for âconcessionsâ would be âdisadvantageousâ toâ manyâ players.
Who offers BaaS in India?
- Bengaluru-based startup Bounceâis the first e-two-wheeler maker to sell its scooters with BaaS, and claims to have achieved a million battery swaps.
- Others like Ola Electric and Ather have stuck to direct charging solutions, while Hero Electric offers both fixed and removable batteries.
- Many makers are working with energy service providersâtoâofferâbatteryâswapping.
- The global precedent is a mixed bag: Ample, which offers swaps in the US, has found success with commercialâfleets,âwhileâmost personal users charge at home.
Why is Battery Swapping needed?
- High Cost of EVs: An EV, by industry standards, is 1.5-2x costlier than IC Engine counterpart and at least half the cost is from the battery pack.
- Cost reduction: Many manufacturers are offering batteries separately from a vehicle, reducing the cost. In that case, a fleet owner can buy vehicles without battery and utilize battery swapping.
- Range Anxiety: Another major reason stopping people from buying EVs is range anxiety, or in simple terms, the fear of battery getting empty without finding a charging station.
- Inadequate charging infrastructure: Unlike petrol pumps, EV charging stations are rare to spot and that further increases the range anxiety exponentially, especially while going on a road trip.
- Hazard management: In case of a Swapping Station, one can simply locate a station, go and replace the empty battery with a new one.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Fleet Review
Mains level: Indian Naval Arsenal
The President of India recently took part in the Indian Navyâs 12th Presidential Fleet Review.
What is the Presidentâs Fleet Review?
- In simplest terms, it is the countryâs President taking stock of the Navyâs capability.
- It showcases all types of ships and capabilities the Navy has.
- It takes place once under every President, who is the supreme commander of the armed forces.
- The President is taken on one of the Naval ships, which is called the Presidentâs Yacht, to look at all the ships docked on one of the Naval ports.
- The yacht will be distinguished by the Ashoka Emblem on her side and will fly the Presidentâs Standard on the Mastâ.
Importance of Presidential Fleet Review
- A fleet review is usually conducted once during the tenure of the President.
- So far, 11 Presidential Fleet Reviews have been conducted since Independence, of which two have been International Fleet Reviews, in 2001 and 2016.
- In terms of significance, the Navyâs Presidential review is second only to the Republic Day Parade.
- The President will be given a 21-gun salute before embarking on the yacht.
Do all naval ships participate?
- The idea is to showcase not all the Navyâs ships, but every type of ship â and the kind of capabilities it has at that time.
- The review also includes merchant ships as well.
What else happens in the fleet review?
- In this most formal of naval ceremonials, each ship dressed in full regalia will salute the President as he passes.
- The President will also be reviewing the Indian Naval Air Arm in a display of spectacular fly-past by several helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
- In the final stage of the review, a mobile column of warships and submarines will steam past the Presidential Yacht.
How many of these reviews have been held?
- There have been 11 Presidentâs Fleet Reviews since Independence.
- The first was conducted in 1953, under Dr Rajendra Prasad.
- The next one was done not by the President but by the then Defence Minister, Y B Chavan, in 1964.
- Since then, it has been the President reviewing the fleet.
- The longest gap between reviews was of 12 years â between 1989 (President R Venkatraman) and when 2001 (President K R Narayanan).
- The last one was done in 2016, under President Pranab Mukherjee.
Significance of the event
- It is one of the most important events for the Navy, which is essentially showing its allegiance and commitment to defending the country.
- It is a long-standing tradition followed by navies across the world, and according to Navy officials it is a strong bond that links seafarers of the world.
- Historically, a Fleet Review is an assembly of ships at a pre-designated place for the purpose of displaying loyalty and allegiance to the Sovereign and the state.
- In turn, the Sovereign, by reviewing the ships, reaffirms his faith in the fleet and its ability to defend the nationâs maritime interest.
- It is perhaps conceived as a show of naval might. Though it still has the same connotation, assembling of warships without any belligerent intentions is now the norm in modern times.
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