The Hindu Newspaper Analysis 11 April 2023

The Hindu Newspaper Analysis for UPSC

The Hindu Newspaper Analysis 10 April 2023

 The Hindu Editorial Today

• No country can take even an inch of Indian territory, Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday during a visit to Arunachal Pradesh, as he launched a village development programme right at the country’s easternmost border village.
• Taking aim at China just days after Beijing attempted to rename a number of places in the State, Mr. Shah said India’s borders were secure and could not be violated, even if the land measured only “the tip of a needle”
• Shah was addressing a public gathering after unveiling the ₹4,800-crore Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) to be executed in 2,967 villages across 19 districts in four border States, including Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, and the union territory of Ladakh.
• Vibrant Villages Programme?
• It is a Centrally sponsored scheme, announced in the Union Budget 2022-23 (to 2025-26) for development of villages on the northern border, thus improving the quality of life of people living in identified border villages.
• It will cover the border areas of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Ladakh.
• It will cover 2,963 villages with 663 of them to be covered in the first phase.
• Vibrant Village Action Plans will be created by the district adminstration with the help of Gram Panchayats.
• There will not be overlap with Border Area Development Programme.

• On April 4, 2023, Finland joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), becoming its 31st member.
• Undoubtedly, this is a significant event, given that NATO security guarantees will extend to this country which shares a 1,340 kilometre border with Russia.
• Finland is certainly not the first and will not be the last neighbour of Russia to join the alliance.
• Before Finland’s accession, countries such as Norway (1949, and a founding member), Latvia (2004), Estonia (2004), Poland (1999) and Lithuania (2004) were already a part of NATO.

• Knowledge expands continuously, and syllabus revision is essential for a robust education system. What is taught to the younger generation is a collective decision of a society in which formal education is a critical part.
• The values and ethics of the collective are reflected in education, which evolve over time.
• In India, education has evolved with an aim to promote national integration, critical thinking, and scientific temper.
• As any society matures, it might be able to process darker episodes of the past with more equanimity.
• There should be wider, more transparent consultations in shaping the curriculum at all levels.

• Being the 50th year of Project Tiger, it is notable that governments, since 1973, have consistently devoted attention to ensuring that tigers — generally vulnerable to environmental degradation and extinct in several countries — continue to populate India’s forests.
• The ‘Status of Tiger’ report warns that all of India’s five main tiger zones, while largely stable, face challenges of deforestation and loss of tiger habitat. The Western Ghats, while one of the most biodiverse spots globally, also hosts some of India’s most populous tiger reserves.
• Showcasing conservation efforts ought not to come at the expense of ensuring the right to livelihood and dignified living of communities, who often live the closest to these majestic wild creatures.

• In 22 of 28 States, the share of teenage girls (15-19 years) who had normal blood pressure (BP) decreased between 2015-16 and 2019-21, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data.
• The decrease was more pronounced in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand. More importantly, in some States, the decline in the share of teenage girls with normal BP was steeper than the decline among older age groups.
• According to the NFHS, BP is considered normal if systolic pressure is lower than 120 mmHg and diastolic pressure is lower than 80 mmHg. Those who had normal BP because they took medicines to control their BP were excluded from the analysis.
• Jammu and Kashmir was not been included in the analysis as the State was bifurcated between the two NFHS periods. Only data for women were considered as fewer men participated in the NFHS than women.

• With the removal of the NCP, the CPI and the Trinamool, there are now only six national parties in the country — the BJP, the Congress, the National People’s Party (NPP), the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and the latest addition, the AAP.
• The AAP has the status of a national party as it secured nearly 13% of the vote share and five seats in the Gujarat Assembly polls earlier this year, making it a State party in four States — Delhi, Goa, Punjab and Gujarat.
• According to The Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, a political party can be recognised as a national party if it fulfills certain conditions.
• Recognition as a national or a State party ensures that the election symbol is not used by any other political entity in polls across India.
• Registration of Political parties is governed by the provisions of Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
• A recognised party (national or state) has the right to certain privileges like allocation of the party symbols, provision of time for political broadcasts on the state-owned television and radio stations and access to electoral rolls.
• These parties are allowed to have 40 “star campaigners” during the time of elections (the registered-unrecognised parties are allowed to have 20 “star campaigners”).
• A party is recognised as a state party in a state if any of the following conditions is fulfilled:
• If it secures 6% of the valid votes polled in the state at a general election to the respective state legislative assembly (state LA) and also, it wins 2 seats in the same state LA.
• If it secures 6% of the total valid votes in the state at a general election to the LS; and also, it wins 1 seat in the LS from the same state.
• If it wins 3% of seats in the LA at a general election to the legislative assembly of the state concerned or 3 seats in the assembly (whichever is more).
• If it wins 1 seat in the LS for every 25 seats or any fraction thereof allotted to the state at a general election to the LS from the state concerned.
• If it secures 8% of the total valid votes polled in the state at a General Election to the LS from the state or to the State LA.
• As per the ECI’s Political Parties and Election Symbols, 2019 handbook, a political party would be considered a national party if:
• It is ‘recognised’ in four or more states; or
• If its candidates have secured at least 6% of total valid votes in at least 4 states (in latest Lok Sabha or Assembly elections) and the party has at least 4 MPs in the last LS polls; or
• If it has won at least 2% of the total seats in the LS from at least 3 states.

• According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), fairly widespread rains along with stormy winds between 40-50 kilometers per hour lashed several parts of the major wheat-growing States in the country during March, under the influence of consecutive western disturbances. Rain spells accompanied by winds are not considered to be a good sign for the crop’s health if they are close to the ripening and harvesting stage, especially if there are instances of water logging in the fields.
• A sizable section of farmers assert that the inclement weather has adversely damaged the standing wheat crop.

Q) With reference to Rongali Bihu, consider the following statements:

1. It is a major festival of Assam which is celebrated during the month of April.
2. It marks the onset of the Assamese New Year.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

रोंगाली बिहू के संदर्भ में निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिये:

1. यह असम का एक प्रमुख त्योहार है जो अप्रैल के महीने में मनाया जाता है।
2. यह असमिया नव वर्ष की शुरुआत का प्रतीक है।

उपरोक्त कथनों में से कौन-सा/से सही है/हैं?

1. केवल 1
2. केवल 2
3. 1 और 2 दोनों
4. न तो 1 और न ही 2

Explanation :

• It is one of the major festivals of Assam which is commonly known as Bohag Bihu
• It is the most popular Bihu that celebrates the onset of the Assamese New Year and the coming of spring.
• The word ‘Rongali’ is derived from ‘Rong’ which means Happiness and celebrations.
• This festival reflects the rich culture of Assamese society.
• During the celebration, traditional pat or muga silk or cotton mekhela chadors are worn by ladies (the two-piece attire).
• As a sign of affection and respect, gamocha, the traditional Assamese towel, also known as Bihuwaan, is exchanged.
• The first Bihu is known as the Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu, which is celebrated in the month of April.
• The second Bihu is known as Kati Bihu or Kongali Bihu, which is celebrated during the month of October
• Finally, there is Magh Bihu, which is observed during the month of January.

Q) MeerKAT telescope, which was recently seen in the news, is located in which country?

1. Australia
2. South Africa
3. India
4. Pakistan

हाल ही में खबरों में रहा मीरकैट टेलिस्कोप किस देश में स्थित है?

1. ऑस्ट्रेलिया
2. दक्षिण अफ्रीका
3. भारत
4. पाकिस्तान

Explanation :

Recently, astronomers used machine learning to mine data from South Africa’s MeerKAT telescope.

• It is situated in South Africa’s Northern Cape province and is a precursor to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope.
• It was originally known as the Karoo Array Telescope (KAT) which would consist of 20 receptors.
• At present, it is having an array of 64 interlinked receptors.
• It uses radio signals from space to study the evolution of the universe and everything it contains.
• Astronomers used a coding framework called Astronomoly and found an Odd Radio Circle, which they named SAURON (a Steep and Uneven Ring Of Non-thermal Radiation).

Q) Which among the following best describes ‘Miyawaki method’?

1. It is a method of afforestation.
2. It is a method of gene editing.
3. It is a method for mineral extraction.
4. None of the above.

निम्नलिखित में से कौन ‘मियावाकी पद्धति’ का सबसे अच्छा वर्णन करता है?

1. यह वनीकरण की एक विधि है।
2. यह जीन संपादन की एक विधि है।
3. यह खनिज निष्कर्षण की एक विधि है।
4. उपरोक्त में से कोई नहीं।

About Miyawaki method:

• It is a method of afforestation developed by the Japanese botanist and plant ecology expert Professor Akira Miyawaki.
• It involves planting two to four types of indigenous trees within every square meter.
• In this method, the trees become self-sustainable and grow to their full length within three years.
• Miyawaki forests grow 10x faster, are 30 x denser and contain 100x more biodiversity.
• They are quick to establish, maintenance-free after the first two-to-three years, and can be created on sites as small as 3 sq m.
• The goals of a Miyawaki technique include improving biodiversity, sequestering carbon, increasing green cover, lowering air pollution, and preserving the water table.
• Miyawaki forests are viable solutions for cities looking to rapidly build climate resilience.

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