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Type: Prelims Only

  • Trade Sector Updates – Falling Exports, TIES, MEIS, Foreign Trade Policy, etc.

    UK to issue Open General Export Licence (OGEL) to India

    Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy, Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: OEGL

    Mains level: India-UK defence ties

    In the backdrop of the rapid geopolitical turmoil, PM Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson agreed on a new and expanded India-UK defence partnership and vowed to seal an ambitious free trade agreement by the end of the year.

    What is the news?

    • The UK is creating an Open General Export Licence (OGEL) for India to reduce bureaucracy and slashing delivery times for defence procurement.
    • It will partner with India on new fighter jet technology as well as in the maritime sphere to detect and respond to threats.

    What is OGEL?

    • The open General Licence is a type of license that is used for the export license that is issued by the government for domestic suppliers.
    • The items that are to be exported in India are categorised into three types. They are prohibited items, restricted items, and freely importable items. These classifications are made based on the nature and use of the products.
    • The application processing and grant of OEGL will be taken care of by the Department of Defence Production. The process will vary for each case.
    • The primary aim of the OEGL is to give a boost to the defence exports of India. This will also improve the ease of doing business and imports and exports.
    • The countries allowed under the OGELs are: Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Poland and Mexico.

    Items to be exported

    • The items permitted under OGEL includes components of ammunition & fuse setting device without energetic and explosive material; firing control & related alerting and warning equipment & related system; and body protective items.
    • Complete aircraft or complete unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and any components specially designed or modified for UAVs are excluded under this license.

     

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  • Industrial Sector Updates – Industrial Policy, Ease of Doing Business, etc.

    Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)

    Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy, Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: SPACs

    Mains level: Not Much

    The government is reportedly considering a regulatory framework for special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) to lay the ground for the possible listing of Indian companies through this route in the future.

    What are SPACs?

    • An SPAC, or a blank-cheque company, is an entity specifically set up with the objective of acquiring a firm in a particular sector.
    • They aim to raise money in an initial public offering (IPO) without any operations or revenues.
    • The money that is raised from the public is kept in an escrow account, which can be accessed while making the acquisition.
    • If the acquisition is not made within two years of the IPO, the SPAC is delisted and the money is returned to the investors.
    • While SPACs are essentially shell companies, a key factor that makes them attractive to investors are the people who sponsor them.
    • Globally, prominent celebrities have participated in SPACs.

    Why in news?

    • According to reports, the Company Law Committee was set up in 2019 to make recommendations to boost ease of doing business in India.
    • This committee has made this suggestion regarding SPACs in its report submitted to the government recently.
    • The concept of SPAC has existed for nearly a decade now, and several investors and company promoters have used this route to take their investments public.
    • The vehicle gained momentum in 2020, which was a record year for SPAC deals; this record was broken in 2021.

    Where does India stand?

    • Early last year, renewable energy producer ReNew Power announced an agreement to merge with RMG Acquisition Corp II, a blank-cheque company.
    • This became the first involving an Indian company during the latest boom in SPAC deals.
    • As things stand now, the Indian regulatory framework does not allow the creation of blank cheque companies.
    • The Companies Act, 2013 stipulates that the Registrar of Companies can strike off a company if it does not commence operations within a year of incorporation.

    Risk factors around SPACs

    • The boom in investor firms going for SPACs and then looking for target companies have tilted the scales in favour of investee firms.
    • This has the potential, theoretically, to limit returns for retail investors post-merger.
    • SPACs are mandated to return money to their investors in the event no merger is made within two years.
    • However the fineprint of several SPAC prospectuses shows that certain clauses could potentially prevent investors from getting their monies back.
    • Historically, though, this has not happened yet.

     

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  • International Space Agencies – Missions and Discoveries

    New research about Jupiter’s moon Europa

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Europa

    Mains level: Hunt for extra-terrestrial life

    A team of researchers from Stanford University have said that on one of Jupiter’s moons Europa, a prime candidate for life in the solar system might have abundance of water pockets beneath formations called double ridges.

    About Europa

    • Europa is slightly smaller than Earth’s moon and its diameter is about one-quarter that of the Earth.
    • Even though Europa has a very thin oxygen atmosphere, it is considered one of the most promising places in the solar system to find present-day environments that are suitable for life beyond the Earth.
    • It is also believed that underneath Europa’s icy surface the amount of water is twice that on Earth.
    • NASA notes that scientists believe Europa’s ice shell is 15-25 km thick and is floating on an ocean, which is estimated to be 60-150 km deep.
    • Interestingly, while its diameter is less than the Earth’s, Europa probably contains twice the amount of the water in all of the Earth’s oceans.
    • NASA is expected to launch its Europa Clipper in 2024.
    • The module will orbit Jupiter and conduct multiple close flybys to Europa to gather data on the moon’s atmosphere, surface and its interior.

    What is the new finding?

    • It is already known that Europa, whose surface is mostly solid water ice, contains water beneath it.
    • The researchers are now saying that the double ridges – the formations which are most common on Europa’s surface and are similar to those seen on Earth’s Greenland ice sheet .
    • They are formed over shallow pockets of water.

    Significance of the recent findings

    • The central implication is that the shallow water pockets beneath the double ridge increase the potential habitability of the moon.
    • The ice shell, which is potentially miles thick, has been a difficult prospect for scientists to sample.
    • But according to the new evidence, the ice shell is believed to be less of a barrier and more of a dynamic system.
    • This means that the ice shell does not behave like an inert block of ice, but rather undergoes a variety of geological and hydrological processes.
    • This suggests active volcanism and thus a possibility for life.

     

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  • Indian Navy Updates

    INS Vagsheer: Key features, capabilities

    Prelims Only | Security Issues | Mains Paper 3: Indigenization Of Technology

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: INS Vagsheer

    Mains level: Project P 75I

    The sixth and last of the French Scorpene-class submarines, INS Vagsheer, was launched into water at the Mazagon Docks in Mumbai.

    Launch of INS Vagsheer

    • It was launched by Veena Ajay Kumar (wife of Union Defence Secretary), in keeping with the naval tradition of launch and naming by a woman.
    • The six submarines were being built under Project-75 by the Mazagon Docks under technology transfer from the Naval Group as part of a $3.75-billion deal signed in October 2005:
    1. INS Kalvari was commissioned in December 2017;
    2. INS Khanderi in September 2019;
    3. INS Vagir in November 2020;
    4. INS Karanj in March 2021; and
    5. INS Vela in November 2021.
    • P 75 is one of two lines of submarines, the other being P75I, as part of a plan approved in 1999 for indigenous submarine construction with technology taken from overseas firms.

    Why ‘Vagsheer’

    • Vagsheer is named after the sand fish, a deep sea predator of the Indian Ocean.
    • The first submarine Vagsheer, from Russia, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 26, 1974, and was decommissioned on April 30, 1997.
    • The new Vagsheer will be officially named at the time of its commissioning.

    Specifications

    • Vagsheer can take up to eight officers and 35 men.
    • It is 67.5 metres long and 12.3 metres high, with a beam measuring 6.2 metres Vagsheer can reach top speed of 20 knots when submerged and a top speed of 11 knots when it surfaces
    • It has four MTU 12V 396 SE84 diesel engines, 360 battery cells for power, and a silent Permanently Magnetised Propulsion Motor.
    • The hull, fin and hydroplanes are designed for minimum underwater resistance and all equipment inside the pressure hull is mounted on shock-absorbing cradles for enhanced stealth.

    Features

    • Vagsheer is a diesel attack submarine, designed to perform sea denial as well as access denial warfare against the adversary.
    • It can do offensive operations across the spectrum of naval warfare including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying and area surveillance.
    • It is enabled with a C303 anti-torpedo counter measure system.
    • It can carry up to 18 torpedoes or Exocet anti-ship missiles, or 30 mines in place of torpedoes.
    • Its superior stealth features include advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noise levels, hydro-dynamically optimised shape.
    • It has the ability to launch a crippling attack using precision guided weapons, underwater or on surface.

    Road ahead

    • Vagsheer will be commissioned into the Indian Navy’s Western Command after 12 to 18 months when sea trials end.
    • It will be based with Western Naval Command, mostly in Mumbai.
    • The submarine will undergo a very comprehensive and rigorous set of tests and trials, for more than a year, to ensure delivery of a fully combat worthy submarine.

    Back2Basics: Various classes of Submarines in India

    In maritime terms, a class of ships is a group of vessels that have the same make, purpose and displacement.

    • Chakra Class: Under a 10-year lease from Russia since 2012
    • Arihant Class: Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines
    • Shishumar Class: Diesel-electric attack submarines Indian variant of the Type 209 submarines developed by the German Navy
    • Kalvari Class: Diesel-electric attack submarines designed by French company DCNS
    • Sindhughosh Class: Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines built with the help of Russia
    • Scorpene-Class: French submarines that can undertake various types of missions such as anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance etc.

     

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  • ISRO Missions and Discoveries

    ISRO develops Space Bricks from Martian Soil

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Space Bricks

    Mains level: Not Much

    Researchers from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a way to make bricks from Martian soil with the help of bacteria and urea.

    Space Bricks

    • ISRO and IISc have collaborated to develop a novel scalable technique of manufacturing space bricks using Martian Simulant Soil (MSS).
    • The team first made the slurry by mixing Martian soil with guar gum, a bacterium called Sporosarcina pasteurii, urea and nickel chloride (NiCl2).
    • This slurry can be poured into moulds of any desired shape, and over a few days the bacteria convert the urea into crystals of calcium carbonate.
    • These crystals, along with biopolymers secreted by the microbes act as cement holding the soil particles together.
    • This method ensures that the bricks are less porous, which was a problem with other methods used to make Martian bricks.
    • The bacteria seep deep into the pore spaces, using their own proteins to bind the particles together, decreasing porosity and leading to stronger bricks.

    Their significance

    • In the past, the team had made bricks out of lunar soil using a similar method.
    • These ‘space bricks’ can be used to construct building-like structures on Mars that could facilitate human settlement on the red planet.

     

     

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  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    Who was Veer Kunwar Singh (1777-1858)?

    Prelims Only | | Mains Paper 1: Modern Indian History

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Veer Kunwar Singh

    Mains level: Not Much

    Political factions in Bihar has planned to organise the birth anniversary of the 1857 uprising hero Veer Kunwar Singh on April 23 at Jagdishpur in Bhojpur.

    Veer Kunwar Singh

    • Kunwar Singh also known as Babu Kunwar Singh was a leader during the uprising of 1857.
    • He belonged to a family of the Ujjainiya clan of the Parmar Rajputs of Jagdispur, currently a part of Bhojpur district, Bihar.
    • At the age of 80, he led a selected band of armed soldiers against the troops under the command of the British East India Company.
    • He was the chief organiser of the fight against the British in Bihar.
    • He is popularly known as Veer Kunwar Singh or Veer Babu Kunwar Singh.

    Role in 1857 Uprising

    • Singh led the Indian Rebellion of 1857 in Bihar. He was nearly eighty and in failing health when he was called upon to take up arms.
    • He was assisted by both his brother, Babu Amar Singh and his commander-in-chief, Hare Krishna Singh.
    • He gave a good fight and harried British forces for nearly a year and remained invincible until the end.
    • He was an expert in the art of guerrilla warfare.

    In popular culture

    • To honour his contribution to India’s freedom movement, the Centre issued a commemorative stamp on 23 April 1966.
    • The Government of Bihar established the Veer Kunwar Singh University, Arrah, in 1992.

     

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  • Modern Indian History-Events and Personalities

    Who was Guru Tegh Bahadur?

    Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Guru Teg Bahadur

    Mains level: NA

    The government will celebrate the 400th birth anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur with a two-day event at the Red Fort.

     Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621–1675)

    • Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. He was born at Amritsar in 1621 and was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind.
    • His term as Guru ran from 1665 to 1675. One hundred and fifteen of his hymns are in Guru Granth Sahib.
    • There are several accounts explaining the motive behind the assassination of Guru Tegh Bahadur on Aurangzeb’s orders.
    • He stood up for the rights of Kashmiri Pandits who approached him against religious persecution by Aurangzeb.
    • He was publicly executed in 1675 on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi for himself refusing Mughal rulers and defying them.
    • Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi mark the places of execution and cremation of his body.

    Impact of his martyrdom

    • The execution hardened the resolve of Sikhs against religious oppression and persecution.
    • His martyrdom helped all Sikh Panths consolidate to make the protection of human rights central to its Sikh identity.
    • Inspired by him, his nine-year-old son, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, eventually organized the Sikh group into a distinct, formal, symbol-patterned community that came to be known as Khalsa (Martial) identity.
    • In the words of Noel King of the University of California, “Guru Teg Bahadur’s martyrdom was the first-ever martyrdom for human rights in the world.
    • He is fondly remembered as ‘Hind di Chaadar’.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.Consider the following Bhakti Saints:

    1. Dadu Dayal
    2. Guru Nanak
    3. Tyagaraja

    Who among the above was/were preaching when the Lodi dynasty fell and Babur took over?

    (a) 1 and 3

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 2 and 3

    (d) 1 and 2

     

     

    Post your answers here.

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  • Festivals, Dances, Theatre, Literature, Art in News

    Festivals in news: Karaga Festival

    Prelims Only | History | Mains Paper 1: Arts & Culture

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Karaga Festival

    Mains level: NA

    The centuries-old Karaga (temple fair) festival was recently held at the Dharmaraya Swamy Temple in Bengaluru.

    Karaga Festival

    • It is celebrated annually in the Chaitra month (March/April) according to the Hindu calendar.
    • The festival has found its roots in the epic Mahabharata.
    • It honours Draupadi as the ideal woman and Goddess Shakti.
    • The word ‘Karaga’ translates to an earthen pot, supporting a floral pyramid and an idol of Goddess.
    • The Karaga is carried on the head of the bearer without touching it.
    • The carrier wears a woman’s attire with bangles, mangal-sutra, and vermillion on his forehead.

    Cultural significance of Karaga

    • The Karaga procession makes a customary halt at Astana e-Hazrath Tawakkal Mastan Shah Saharwardi Dargah to pay obeisance to Tawakkal Mastan.
    • The Dargah, a symbol of syncretic Sufism, has been taken care by the Muzavvar family for several generations.
    • According to them, the history of the Dargah goes back to at least 300 years when Tawakkal Mastan, who came to Bengaluru with his horses looking for business opportunities, was adored as a saint.
    • Hyder Ali, who was the ruler then, was a patron of Mastak for his good deeds.

     

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  • Oil and Gas Sector – HELP, Open Acreage Policy, etc.

    What are Oil Bonds?

    Prelims Only | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Oil Bonds

    Mains level: Burden of oil bonds on exchequer

    Over the last one year, as retail prices of petrol, diesel and other petroleum products have surged, the government has attracted criticism.

    Finance Minister has sought to counter such criticism by claiming that the current government cannot bring down taxes (and, as a consequence, prices) because it has to pay for the oil bonds issued by the previous regime.

    What are oil bonds?

    • An oil bond is an IOU (I owe you), or a promissory note issued by the government to the OMCs, in lieu of cash that the government would have given them so that these companies don’t charge the public the full price of fuel.
    • An oil bond says the government will pay the oil marketing company the sum of, say, Rs 1,000 crore in 10 years.
    • And to compensate the OMC for not having this money straightaway, the government will pay it, say, 8% (or Rs 80 crore) each year until the bond matures.
    • Thus, by issuing such oil bonds, the government of the day is able to protect/ subsidise the consumers without either ruining the profitability of the OMC or running a huge budget deficit itself.

    Why were they issued?

    • When fuel prices were too high for domestic consumers, governments in the past often asked oil marketing companies (OMCs) to avoid charging consumers the full price.
    • But if oil companies don’t get paid, they would become unprofitable.
    • To address this, the government said it would pay the difference.
    • But again, if the government paid that amount in cash, it would have been pointless, because then the government would have had to tax the same people to collect the money to pay the OMCs.
    • This is where oil bonds come in.

    How much of fuel prices is tax?

    • There are two components to the domestic retail price — the price of crude oil itself, and the taxes levied on this basic price.
    • Together they make up the retail price.
    • The taxes vary from one product to another. For instance, as of now, taxes account for 50% of the total retail price for a litre of petrol, and 44% for a litre of diesel.

    How much of the UPA-era oil bonds has the NDA government paid back?

    • There are two components of oil bonds that need to be paid off: the annual interest payment, and the final payment at the end of the bond’s tenure.
    • By issuing such bonds, a government can defer the full payment by 5 or 10 or 20 years, and in the interim just pay the interest costs.
    • Table 1 shows that between 2015 and 2021, the NDA government has fully paid off four sets of oil bonds — a total of Rs 13,500 crore.
    • Each year, the BJP government had also had to pay the interest rate on all bonds that have not matured. Chart 1 shows the amount paid towards interest payment each year.
    • Between 2014 and 2022, the government has had to spend a total of Rs 93,686 crore towards interest as well as the principal.

    Still, isn’t it a bad idea to issue such bonds?

    • Former PM Manmohan Singh was correct in noting that issuing bonds just pushed the liability to a future generation.
    • But to a great extent, most of the government’s borrowing is in the form of bonds.
    • This is why each year the fiscal deficit (which is essentially the level of government’s borrowing from the market) is so keenly tracked.
    • Further, in a relatively country like India, all governments are forced to resort to the use of bonds of some kind.
    • Take the current NDA government itself, which has issued bonds worth Rs 2.79 lakh crore (twice the amount of oil bonds) to recapitalise public sector banks.
    • These bonds will be paid by governments till 2036.

     

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  • Road and Highway Safety – National Road Safety Policy, Good Samaritans, etc.

    E-DAR portal to speed up Accident Compensation Claims

    Prelims Only | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Ministries & Departments Of The Government

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: E-DAR portal

    Mains level: Road safety issues in India

    The Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has developed the portal named ‘e-DAR’ (e-Detailed Accident Report).

    Why such move?

    • Road accidents continue to be a leading cause of death, disabilities and hospitalization in the country despite our commitment and efforts.
    • India ranks first in the number of road accident deaths across the 199 countries and accounts for almost 11% of the accident related deaths in the World.

    E-DAR portal

    • It is designed in consultation with insurance companies to provide instant information on road accidents with a few clicks and help accelerate accident compensation claims, bringing relief to victims’ families.
    • Digitalised Detailed Accident Reports (DAR) will be uploaded on the portal for easy access.
    • The web portal will be linked to the Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD).
    • From iRAD, applications to more than 90% of the datasets would be pushed directly to the e-DAR.
    • Stakeholders like the police, road authorities, hospitals, etc., are required to enter very minimal information for the e-DAR forms.
    • Thus, e-DAR would be an extension and e-version of iRAD.

    Its working

    • The portal would be linked to other government portals like Vaahan and would get access to information on driving licence details and registration of vehicles.
    • For the benefit of investigating officers, the portal would provide geo tagging of the exact accident spot along with the site map.
    • This would notify the investigating officer on his distance from the spot of the incident in the event the portal is accessed from any other location.
    • Details like photos, video of the accident spot, damaged vehicles, injured victims, eye-witnesses, etc., would be uploaded immediately on the portal.
    • Apart from the state police, an engineer from the Public Works Department or the local body will receive an alert on his mobile device and the official concerned will then examine the accident site.

    Check on fake claims

    • The e-DAR portal would conduct multiple checks against fake claims by conducting a sweeping search of vehicles involved in the accident, the date of accident, and the First Information Report number.

    Various moves to curb road accidents

    • Several initiatives have been taken by the MoRTH which continues to implement a multi-pronged road safety strategy.
    • It is based on Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Emergency Care consisting inter-alia of setting up Driver training schools, creating awareness, strengthening automobile safety standards, improving road infrastructure, carrying out road safety audit etc.
    • High priority has been accorded to rectification of black spots.
    • A major initiative of the Ministry in the field of Road Safety has been the passing of the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act, 2019.
    • It focuses on road safety include, inter-alia, stiff hike in penalties for traffic violations and electronic monitoring of the same, enhanced penalties for juvenile driving, cashless treatment during the golden hour etc.

     

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