National Current Affairs – UPSC/KAS Exams- 4th January 2020

The head of Iran’s elite Quds Force Killed by US

Topic: International Affairs

In News: US air raid killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces, or PMF. This event has led to escalating tensions between the United States and Iran.

More on the Topic:

• Soleimani, had a unique celebrity status among Iran’s military leaders, was highly popular among the hardliners.
• He was very close to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who once called him a “living martyr of the revolution”.
• He was also the main architect of Iran’s recent foreign operations, mainly in Syria and Iraq, which were crucial in saving the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and defeating the Islamic State (IS) in both countries.

Consequences:

• The event is a potential turning point in the Middle East and is expected to draw severe retaliation from Iran and the forces it backs in the region against Israel and US interests.
• The attack has already killed off even the possibility of renegotiating the nuclear deal.
• Iran might see this as an act of war like any sovereign country would do.
• It could trigger multiple attacks across the region, destabilising it further, cause heavy casualties and help the jihadist groups such as al-Qaeda and the IS regroup and re-emerge.
• Resumed attacks on oil tankers and other low hanging but high value economic targets, particularly in the oil sector.
• S. President Donald Trump is responsible for where U.S.-Iran ties stand today as he single-handedly destroyed the co-operation between the two nations established by the 2015 Iran nuclear deal by unilaterally pulling the U.S. out of the agreement in 2018 and reimposing sanctions on Iran.
• By sabotaging the fragile peace negotiated over years between world powers, Mr. Trump, in a single act, pushed both the U.S. and Iran down a dangerous slope.

Impact on India:

• India has to deal the issue with its own geostrategic logic.
• The impacts couls include Rises in India’s oil import bill
• Creates difficulties in supplies,
• The safety of an estimated eight million expatriates in the Gulf may be affected.
• Iran has the capacity to influence the U.S.-Taliban peace process in Afghanistan as well. This could impact India.
• The possibility of some of Shia Muslims being radicalised by this event cannot be ruled out.

Source: Hindu

Lord Curzon

Topic: Modern Indian History

In News: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar drew widespread condemnation over his tweet referring to a table, apparently used by Lord Curzon to sign papers pertaining to the Partition of Bengal in 1905, as “iconic”.

More on the Topic:

• Lord Curzon, India’s Viceroy between 1899 and 1905, was one of the most controversial and consequential holders of that post.
• The partition of the undivided Bengal Presidency in 1905 was one of Curzon’s most criticised moves, which triggered widespread opposition not only in Bengal but across India, and gave impetus to the freedom movement.
• Curzon, in 1901, had famously said, “As long as we rule India we are the greatest power in the world. If we lose it, we shall drop straightaway to a third-rate power.”
• Through Calcutta Corporation act 1899 he reduced the number of elected legislatures to deprive Indians from self-governance.
• He looked at Indians with contempt and insulted and injured their feelings. He described Bengalis as cowards, windbags, impracticable talkers and mere frothy patriots. He even refused to meet to president of Indian national congress.

Reforms by Lord Curzon:

• To set the educational system in order, he instituted in 1902, a Universities Commission to go into the entire question of university education in the country. On the basis of the findings and recommendations of the Commission, Curzon brought in the Indian Universities Act of 1904, which brought all the universities in India under the control of the government.
• The Agriculture Research Institute in Pusa (Bihar – Bengal Presidency) was established.
• He made efforts for police reforms, eliminating the corruption and to promote the economic development. He provided a revival to conservatism in India by refurbishing the main features of Lord Mayo’s policies.
• He instituted a Police Commission in 1902 under the chairmanship of Sir Andrew Frazer. Curzon accepted all the recommendations and implemented them. He set up training schools for both the officers and the constables and introduced provincial police service. During Curzon regime, the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) was established which covered roughly the areas of upper course of River Indus.
• Imperial cadet corps was set up which became an instrument for  Indianisation of army later.
• He passed a law called the Ancient Monuments Act, 1904 which made it obligatory on the part of the government and local authorities to preserve the monuments of archaeological importance and their destruction an offence.

Source: Indian Express

Extraocular vision

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: Latest research shows that species of brittle stars, which are relatives of starfish, can see even though it does not have eyes. It becomes only the second creature, after a sea urchin species, known to have this ability.

More on the Topic:

• The ability to see without eyes is known as extraocular vision.
• The brittle star sees with the help of light-sensing cells that cover its entire body.
• These light-sensing cells give the brittle star visual stimuli, allowing it to recognise coarse structures such as rocks.

Source: Hindu

FAME India

Topic: Government Policies

In News: The Department of Heavy Industries operating under Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises has sanctioned 2636 Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations under FAME India scheme Phase II. The stations are to be set in 62 cities in 24 states and Union Territories.

More on the Topic:

• FAME India is a part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan. Main thrust of FAME is to encourage electric vehicles by providing subsidies.
• Vehicles in most segments – two wheelers, three wheelers, electric and hybrid cars and electric buses obtained the subsidy benefit of the scheme.
• FAME focuses on 4 areas i.e. Technology development, Demand Creation, Pilot Projects and Charging Infrastructure.

FAME-India Scheme Phase – II:

• The scheme proposes to give a push to electric vehicles (EVs) in public transport.
• It seeks to encourage adoption of EVs by way of market creation and demand aggregation.

Source: Hindu

Indian Science Congress

Topic: Science and Technology

In News: 107th Indian Science Congress is being held at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Theme of the congress is “Science & Technology: Rural Development”.

More on the Topic:

• Indian Science Congress is organised by the Indian Science Congress Association every year in the first week of January.
• The Indian Science Congress Association was started in the year 1914 in Kolkata and has a membership of more than 30,000 scientists.
• It owes its origin to the foresight and initiative of two British chemists, namely, Professor J. L. Simonsen and Professor P. S. MacMahon. It occurred to them that scientific research in India might be stimulated if an annual meeting of research workers somewhat on the lines of the British Association for the Advancement of Science could be arranged.

Source: Hindu

Year of the Nurse and the Midwife 2020

Topic: International Affairs

In News: The World Health Assembly has designated 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.

More on the Topic:

• This marks the bicentenary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.
• Besides preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases, and providing expert care during childbirth, nurses and midwives also serve people caught in humanitarian emergencies and conflicts.
• Currently, there are 22 million nurses and two million midwives worldwide. The world will need an additional nine million nurses and midwives to achieve the commitment of providing all people with access to health care by 2030 according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Source: Hindu

Bharatnatyam

Topic: Art and Culture

In News: Bharatnatyam dancer Priyadarshini Govind has been conferred with Nritya Kalanidhi Award. The award has been presented by the Madras Music Academy for her performance and efforts to propagate the art form.

More on the Topic:

• Bharathnatyam is one among the eight classical dances of India.
• It was conventionally performed by Devadasis (girls offered to God in the temple) in Hindu Temples of South India. Thus, it is also known as ‘Dasiattam’.
• It was developed in Tanjore and other regions of South India prominently Tamil Nadu, and could possibly be the oldest classical dance form of India (around 2000 years old).
• Bharatnatyam poses are depicted on the gopurams of the Chidambaram temple (Tamil Nadu).
• Krishna Iyer and Rukmini Devi Arundale had played a significant role in helping the dance regain its lost popularity and position.

Source: Hindu