UPSC Key-October 28, 2022: Why you should read ‘Hunger and Nutrition’ or ‘Pay Equity Policy’ or ‘Gender Parity’ for UPSC CSE

FRONT PAGE
Rajnath: We are walking north, have to reach Gilgit, Baltistan

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: History of India

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies I: Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.

• General Studies II: India and its neighborhood- relations.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Sending Pakistan a tough message over its “atrocities” on the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Thursday “we have only just begun walking north, our journey will be complete when we implement the resolution passed unanimously by the Indian Parliament on February 22, 1994 by reaching the remaining parts (of PoK), Gilgit and Baltistan.”

• Map Work-Gilgit and Baltistan

• What and where is Gilgit-Baltistan?

• What is the history of this region?

• What was happening in Gilgit?

• What is the region’s current status?

• How does India see these developments?

• What do the people in Gilgit-Baltistan want?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:   

📍Rajnath vows to reach Gilgit-Baltistan: where is this place that is illegally occupied by Pakistan?

📍BJP blames Nehru for Kashmir ‘blunders’, Congress hits back

Tata and Airbus to make C-295MW transport aircraft for IAF in Vadodara

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- – Moving to achieve a milestone in the highly competitive aviation industry and boosting its Make-in-India defence programme, the government announced Thursday that a transport aircraft manufacturing facility for the Indian Air Force will come up in Vadodara.

• Quick Recall-In September 2021, after the Cabinet Committee on Security approved the procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space SA, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract for acquisition of the aircraft with associated equipment.

• “The aircraft will be able to operate from Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) and even unprepared runways, and it can carry around 40-45 paratroopers or around 70 passengers”- What is Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs)?

• For Your Information-The C-295MW transport aircraft project is the first involving the manufacture of a military aircraft in India by a private company. Future plans involve sale of the aircraft to domestic operators — the aircraft can also be used for civilian purposes — and export to countries following government clearance.

• What is the Indigenisation of Defence?

• Why Indigenisation of Defence?

• Indigenisation of Defence and Make in India-connect the dots

• Do You Know-The C-295MW is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology that will replace the ageing Avro aircraft of the IAF. It has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para dropping of troops and cargo. Its abilities include short take-off and landing from semi-prepared surfaces.

• What is Make in-India Programme?

• How C-295MW give fillip to Make in-India Programme?

• How C-295MW transport aircraft will be a boon for the Indian Air Force?

• Can you name some prominent schemes by the Government of India in Make in India programme category?

• What is Make in India policy of defence and how it can boost exports

• What are the India’s defence industry components?

• What is Defence acquisition?

• Why Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)?

• Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)-know its key features

• How much India spends in defence as compared to other sectors?

• What is budget for defence imports?

• What Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) says about India’s defence and defence expenditure?

• When it comes to defence exports then why exports of defence products from India are limited to few countries like Vietnam?

• India can recalibrate not reduce the defence expenditure-do you agree?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:   

📍Transport Aircraft for Indian Air Force to be made in India by Airbus Defence & TATA consortium

📍Cabinet approves procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft for Indian Air Force

BCCI bats for pay parity, same match fees for women & men: ‘New era of equality’

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Social empowerment

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-IN A significant decision, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced a “pay equity policy”, saying that its centrally-contracted men and women players would get the same match fees.

• Why this decision is significant?

• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) “pay equity policy” is a step towards gender parity or gender equality?

• By the way, can you tell the difference between gender equality and gender parity?

• What will the decision mean for the players (female)?

• Is India the only country to bring pay parity in sports?

• The decision taken by BCCI is significant but still not enough with respect to women players-agree or disagree?

• Women in Sports in India-Analyse

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:   

📍How BCCI’s pay equity change for women’s cricket compares with other sports

EXPRESS NETWORK

Emissions in India, 6 other nations top pre-Covid levels

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– Ahead of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP27, scheduled to take place in the Egyptian city of Sharm El Sheikh next month, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said on Thursday that the world is falling short of the goals set forth in the Paris Climate Agreement adopted in 2015, and that no credible pathway is currently in place to restrict global warming to under 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

• First of all, what is COP27?

• Why is COP27 important?

• What is the UN climate summit?

• Why are COP meetings needed?

• What will be discussed at COP27?

• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report titled ‘Emissions Gap Report 2022: The Closing Window — Climate Crisis Calls For Rapid Transformation of Societies’-Know more about the report

• Do You Know-According to the report, “The top seven emitters (China, the EU27, India, Indonesia, Brazil, the Russian Federation and the United States of America) plus international transport accounted for 55 per cent of global GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions in 2020. Collectively, G20 members are responsible for 75 per cent of global GHG emissions”.

• For Your Information-The Paris Agreement defined 2°C above pre-industrial levels as the global warming limit, which if breached, can lead to extreme weather events such as extreme heat waves, droughts, water stress and others that can significantly impact lives. The UNEP report says that unless unprecedented action is taken, global warming is on course to breach this mark.

• What are the other reports which are published by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)?

• What is the role of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)?

• Why United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is significant?

• What has United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) achieved?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:   

📍Express View: What the new UN climate report reveals

THE IDEAS PAGE

Nutrition, not hunger

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Issues relating to poverty and hunger.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Shailaja Chandra writes: The sensational use of the word hunger is abhorrent given the facts. But there is no denying that in India, nutrition, particularly child nutrition, continues to be problematic. Unlike the GHI, the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) does a good job of providing comparative state-level data including the main pointers that determine health and nutrition

• Quick Recap-India has ranked 107th out of 121 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2022, down from the 101st position the previous year. Jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerlife, the GHI lists countries by ‘severity’. Yemen has ranked in the lowest position at 121, while the top of the list is dominated by European nations including Croatia, Estonia and Montenegro. Among Asian nations, China and Kuwait have ranked the highest.

• What is the Global Hunger Index?

• When was GHI started, and who brings it out?

• What is India’s rank in the Global Hunger Index 2022?

• “Every October, the Global Hunger Index (GHI) is released. It generally creates an uproar, and with good reason. But this time it has gone overboard”-Why this time it has gone overboard?

• What is the difference between hunger and nutrition?

• How are hunger and nutrition related?

• What are the main causes of hunger?

• What are the main causes of hunger in India as per the report??

• Brainstorm-GHI sees hunger as a food production challenge when, according to the FAO, India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of grain and the largest producer of milk-Can you differentiate between the two international organisation’s definition and assessment of hunger?

• “The government has responded sharply to the publicity surrounding this, rejecting the methodology employed by the researchers and noting the substantial efforts made by the government to improve access to food grains by India’s poor”-Why has the Indian government criticised GHI 2022?

• What National Family Health Survey (NFHS) says about Hunger in India?

• How justified is the government in its criticism?

• What about the use of 3 indicators that are related to children?

• What about the government’s contention that these indicators do not measure “hunger”?

• What about the government’s allegation that GHI is doing this to malign India’s image?

• “Gallup sampling methodology does not follow the usual processes used in India”-What is Gallup sampling methodology?

• How is hunger measured by GHI??

• The GHI looks at four main indicators-What are those?

• Why does GHI look at all these variables for hunger?

• What has GHI 2022 found?

• What is child wasting?

• What is India’s score relative to those of the others?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:   

📍What is the Global Hunger Index and why is India trailing?

📍How not to measure hunger

EXPLAINED

Alphabet, Microsoft have a cold, Indian IT could sneeze too

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Shares of Alphabet Inc (parent of Google) and Microsoft Corp fell sharply by 9.6 per cent and 7.7 per cent on Wednesday following weaker-than-expected earnings for the quarter ended September, and growing concerns over the economic slowdown in the US and other economies. With inflation the biggest concern for the world economy and central banks including the US Federal Reserve raising rates over the past two to three quarters, growth outlook for companies and the broad investor sentiment has been dampened.

• What is hurting the IT sector?

• How have Indian firms done?

• How have IT stocks fared?

• What is the sectoral outlook?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:   

📍Tech’s biggest companies are sending worrying signals about the economy

Myanmar’s violent chaos

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story– ASEAN foreign ministers were meeting in Jakarta on Thursday to discuss their options in Myanmar, where the military is using increasingly violent methods to suppress the armed resistance against its February 2021 takeover. Twenty months on, the junta has not been able to establish full control over the country. Many of Myanmar’s ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) have joined armed civilian groups called People’s Defence Force (PDF), which are allied to the self-declared National Unity Government (NUG) in exile.

• Map work-Mark the Chin State and Sagaing Region, which share borders with Mizoram and Manipur

• Who is Myanmar junta?

• Who is in charge of Myanmar now?

• Is the death penalty common in Myanmar?

• What International organisations is Myanmar part of?

• Know India-Myanmar bilateral relations in detail

• Why is Myanmar important for India?

• Since coup in Myanmar, How India has taken diplomatic approach on Myanmar?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:   

📍The executions in Myanmar

📍India must prioritise stability in Myanmar

📍Why India must engage with Myanmar

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