GEOGRAPHY

‘Monsoon decided history of Indian subcontinent’

GS PAPER - 01 GEOGRAPHY - geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

Context :

A recent study by researchers at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) has revealed that abrupt changes in the Indian monsoon in the last 900 years decided the course of human history in the subcontinent.
The rate at which today's climate is changing is unprecedented in the geological record.

Key highlights :

The study has revealed that abrupt changes in the Indian monsoon in the last 900 years decided the course of human history in the subcontinent.
- The paper titled “Abrupt changes in Indian summer monsoon strength during the last 900 years and their linkages to socio-economic conditions in the Indian subcontinent” highlights that decline of Indian dynasties was linked to weak monsoon and reduced food production.
The paper highlights three phases in the 900-year stretch — Medieval Climate Anomaly from 950 CE to 1350 CE, Little Ice Age from 1350 CE to 1800 CE and Current Warm Period from 1800 CE till today. The paper highlights strong monsoon during Medieval Climate Anomaly and Current Warm Period and phases of weak and strong monsoon in Little Ice Age.
Deficient rainfall led to the collapse of the Mansabdari system, started by Mughal emperor Akbar, in the late 17th century. Similarly, drought interspersed with violent monsoon rains sounded the death knell for the Khmer empire of south-east Asia in the 15th century.
Several dynasties, such as the Sena in Bengal, Solanki in Gujarat in the mid-13th century and Paramara and Yadav in the early to mid-14th century – all of which flourished during abundant rainfall — declined during the dry phases of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM), suggesting a role of the climate in the socio-political crisis.

Significance :

An increase in the frequency of abrupt shifts in the ISM during the last three centuries, coincidental with a rise in atmospheric temperature, suggests future rise in the global temperature and subsequently more precipitation in the form of rain at higher altitudes.
Being able to reliably predict summer monsoon rainfall is critical to plan for the devastating impact it can have on the 1.7 billion people who live in the region.

Source :- The Hindu

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

Book on Health and Wellbeing of the elderly.

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Context :

The Vice President of India releases a book on Health and Wellbeing of the elderly and addressed the gathering.

National Programme for the Health Care for the Elderly (NPHCE) :

The National Programme for the Health Care for the Elderly (NPHCE) is an articulation of the International and national commitments of the Government as envisaged under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

Objective :

To provide easy access to promotional, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services to the elderly through community based primary health care approach
To identify health problems in the elderly and provide appropriate health interventions in the community with strong referral backup support.
To build the capacity of the medical and paramedical professionals as well as the care-takers within the family for providing health care to the elderly.
To provide referral services to elderly patients through district hospitals, regional medical institutions
Convergence with National Rural Health Mission, AYUSH and other line departments like Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Source :- PIB

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

India, China to intensify boundary settlement

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - India and its neighborhood- relations.

Context :

India and China agreed to intensify efforts to achieve a “fair”, “reasonable” and mutually acceptable solution to the vexed boundary issue, resolving that its early settlement will serve the fundamental interests of both countries.

More in the news :

The Special Representatives resolved to intensify their efforts to achieve a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the India-China boundary question.
The two sides would actively advance boundary negotiations in line with the Agreement on the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question.
Both sides agree that it is important to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas for the “overall bilateral relationship” to flourish.
The two countries need to approach the question of boundary settlement from the “strategic perspective of India-China relations”. A solution to this long pending but solvable question holds immense significance given that it would remove any impedance in taking the bilateral relations to the next level. A flourishing bilateral relation between India and China would not only be in the interest of the two countries but also of the Asian region and the world at large.
The two countries are planning 70 events to celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2020.

India-China Border:

The border between India and China is not clearly demarcated throughout.Along certain stretches of its 3,488-km length,there is no mutually agreed Line of Actual Control (LAC).
India after the Independence had believed that it had inherited firm boundaries from the British but this was contrary to China’s view.
- However,China felt the British had left behind a disputed legacy on the boundary between the two newly formed republics.
The India-China border is divided into three sectors namely
- Western (Ladakh, Kashmir),
- middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal) and
- eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal).

Western Sector:

The boundary dispute in the Western Sector pertains to the Johnson Line proposed by the British in the 1860s that extended up to the Kunlun Mountains and put Aksai Chin in the then princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.
India used the Johnson Line and claimed Aksai Chin as its own.China initially did not raised objections when India said so in the early 1950’s.
However,in the years that followed it reversed its position and stated that it had never acceded to the Johnson Line and therefore did not see why it should cede Aksai Chin to India.

Middle Sector:

China has accepted Sikkim as a part of India and this region is less contested.

Eastern Sector:

The disputed boundary in the Eastern Sector of the India-China border is over the McMahon Line. It was formerly referred to as the North East Frontier Agency and is now called Arunachal Pradesh.
It is the largest disputed area covering around 90000 sq. km.It was occupied by China during the 1962 war but later withdrew beyond the International boundary represented by Mcmahon line.

Source :- The Hindu

US gives ‘narrow exemption’ to India from sanctions on Chabahar for aid: Official

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora.

Context :

The US has provided a rare exemption to India from sanctions on the Chabahar port in Iran as it recognises that the strategic project is a lifeline for war-torn Afghanistan to get humanitarian supplies from India.

Reasons for exempting India from sanctions:

Afghanistan is a landlocked country which depends on Pakistan for trade.All its trade goes largely through the Pakistani ports.
- However, Pakistan denies transit to India for trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia.
Hence,the Chabahar project is a lifeline for war-torn Afghanistan to get humanitarian supplies from India.
The project also fits in line with the U.S.A’s overall policy to give India an important role in Afghanistan.
Further,the US also does not want to close all options with Iran.The US is looking forward to negotiating new terms and conditions with Iran.
But there is a concern that commercial viability of the project can get impacted if there will be no movement of energy supplies through it.

Chabahar port:

Chabahar port is a seaport in Chabahar in South-Eastern Iran.Its location lies in the Gulf of Oman.It is the only Iranian port with direct access to the ocean.
The Chabahar Agreement was signed in June 2015 and approved by Iran’s Guardian Council in November 2016.
The port is seen as a gateway for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with Central Asian countries.

Significance of chabahar port :

The most important significance of Chabahar port is the fact that India can bypass Pakistan in transporting goods to Afghanistan.
The port is also beneficial to India in countering Chinese presence in the Arabian Sea which China is trying to ensure by helping Pakistan develop the Gwadar port.
The Chabahar port is also seen as a feeder port to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) that has sea, rail and road routes between India, Russia, Iran, Europe, and Central Asia.
Chabahar port also fosters closer ties between India and Iran and allows India to secure cheaper energy imports from Iran.

Source :- The Hindu

ECONOMY

RBI’s Operation Twist may aid govt’s borrowing plan

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context :

The Reserve Bank of India has announced that it will carry out US-style ‘Operation Twist’ to bring down interest rates.

Operation Twist:

Operation Twist is when the central bank uses the proceeds from the sale of short-term securities to buy long-term government debt papers, leading to easing of interest rates on the long term papers.
Under Operation Twist,RBI will conduct simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities under Open Market Operations (OMO) for ₹10,000 crore each.
It will purchase the longer-term maturities which are government bonds maturing in 2029 and simultaneously sell the shorter duration ones which are short-term bonds maturing in 2020.
This simultaneous purchase and sale will bring down interest on long term loans which can lead to increase in economic spending.
It may also become a driving factor for long-term economic activity and the addition of new investment stock.

Open Market operations:

Open market operations is the sale and purchase of government securities and treasury bills by RBI or the central bank of the country.
The objective of OMO is to regulate the money supply in the economy.
- The central bank carries out the OMO through commercial banks and does not directly deal with the public.
When the RBI wants to increase the money supply in the economy, it purchases the government securities from the market and it sells government securities to out liquidity from the system.

Source :- Livemint

Centre urged to treat KLIP as a national project

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

Context :

Telangana State government has requested the Central Government to treat Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project(KLIP) as a National Project.

Need of KLIP as a National project :

The Centre under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 is mandated to support programmes for the development of backward areas in the successor States including expansion of physical and social infrastructure.
The designation of National Project will also lead to a Central grant of 90% of the estimated cost for their completion in a time bound manner.
Further,the Telangana government is also running the Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya to meet the aspirations of people.

Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project:

Kaleshwaram Multipurpose Lift Irrigation Project of Telanagna was initiated in 2016 on the Godavari River.
It is touted as the world’s largest multi-stage, multi-purpose lift irrigation project.
The project will support crop cultivation on 45 lakh acres of land.It will also meet the drinking water requirement of 70% of the state and also cater to the needs of the industry.
The total length of Kaleshwaram project is approximately 1,832 kms.
- It has 20 reservoirs spread across 13 districts with a total capacity to store 145 TMC.

Source :- The Hindu

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22nd DECEMBER 2019 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

GEOGRAPHY

‘Monsoon decided history of Indian subcontinent’

GS PAPER - 01 GEOGRAPHY - geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

Context :

A recent study by researchers at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) has revealed that abrupt changes in the Indian monsoon in the last 900 years decided the course of human history in the subcontinent.

The rate at which today's climate is changing is unprecedented in the geological record.

Key highlights :

The study has revealed that abrupt changes in the Indian monsoon in the last 900 years decided the course of human history in the subcontinent.

The paper titled “Abrupt changes in Indian summer monsoon strength during the last 900 years and their linkages to socio-economic conditions in the Indian subcontinent” highlights that decline of Indian dynasties was linked to weak monsoon and reduced food production.

Deficient rainfall led to the collapse of the Mansabdari system, started by Mughal emperor Akbar, in the late 17th century. Similarly, drought interspersed with violent monsoon rains sounded the death knell for the Khmer empire of south-east Asia in the 15th century.

Significance :

An increase in the frequency of abrupt shifts in the ISM during the last three centuries, coincidental with a rise in atmospheric temperature, suggests future rise in the global temperature and subsequently more precipitation in the form of rain at higher altitudes.

Being able to reliably predict summer monsoon rainfall is critical to plan for the devastating impact it can have on the 1.7 billion people who live in the region.

Source :- The Hindu

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

Book on Health and Wellbeing of the elderly.

GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Context :

The Vice President of India releases a book on Health and Wellbeing of the elderly and addressed the gathering.

National Programme for the Health Care for the Elderly (NPHCE) :

The National Programme for the Health Care for the Elderly (NPHCE) is an articulation of the International and national commitments of the Government as envisaged under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

Objective :

To provide easy access to promotional, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services to the elderly through community based primary health care approach

To identify health problems in the elderly and provide appropriate health interventions in the community with strong referral backup support.

To build the capacity of the medical and paramedical professionals as well as the care-takers within the family for providing health care to the elderly.

To provide referral services to elderly patients through district hospitals, regional medical institutions

Convergence with National Rural Health Mission, AYUSH and other line departments like Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Source :- PIB

India, China to intensify boundary settlement

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - India and its neighborhood- relations.

Context :

India and China agreed to intensify efforts to achieve a “fair”, “reasonable” and mutually acceptable solution to the vexed boundary issue, resolving that its early settlement will serve the fundamental interests of both countries.

More in the news :

The Special Representatives resolved to intensify their efforts to achieve a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the India-China boundary question.

The two sides would actively advance boundary negotiations in line with the Agreement on the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question.

Both sides agree that it is important to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas for the “overall bilateral relationship” to flourish.

The two countries are planning 70 events to celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2020.

India-China Border:

The border between India and China is not clearly demarcated throughout.Along certain stretches of its 3,488-km length,there is no mutually agreed Line of Actual Control (LAC).

India after the Independence had believed that it had inherited firm boundaries from the British but this was contrary to China’s view.

However,China felt the British had left behind a disputed legacy on the boundary between the two newly formed republics.

The India-China border is divided into three sectors namely

Western (Ladakh, Kashmir),

middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal) and

eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal).

Western Sector:

The boundary dispute in the Western Sector pertains to the Johnson Line proposed by the British in the 1860s that extended up to the Kunlun Mountains and put Aksai Chin in the then princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.

India used the Johnson Line and claimed Aksai Chin as its own.China initially did not raised objections when India said so in the early 1950’s.

However,in the years that followed it reversed its position and stated that it had never acceded to the Johnson Line and therefore did not see why it should cede Aksai Chin to India.

Middle Sector:

China has accepted Sikkim as a part of India and this region is less contested.

Eastern Sector:

The disputed boundary in the Eastern Sector of the India-China border is over the McMahon Line. It was formerly referred to as the North East Frontier Agency and is now called Arunachal Pradesh.

It is the largest disputed area covering around 90000 sq. km.It was occupied by China during the 1962 war but later withdrew beyond the International boundary represented by Mcmahon line.

Source :- The Hindu

US gives ‘narrow exemption’ to India from sanctions on Chabahar for aid: Official

GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora.

Context :

The US has provided a rare exemption to India from sanctions on the Chabahar port in Iran as it recognises that the strategic project is a lifeline for war-torn Afghanistan to get humanitarian supplies from India.

Reasons for exempting India from sanctions:

Afghanistan is a landlocked country which depends on Pakistan for trade.All its trade goes largely through the Pakistani ports.

However, Pakistan denies transit to India for trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Hence,the Chabahar project is a lifeline for war-torn Afghanistan to get humanitarian supplies from India.

The project also fits in line with the U.S.A’s overall policy to give India an important role in Afghanistan.

Further,the US also does not want to close all options with Iran.The US is looking forward to negotiating new terms and conditions with Iran.

But there is a concern that commercial viability of the project can get impacted if there will be no movement of energy supplies through it.

Chabahar port:

Chabahar port is a seaport in Chabahar in South-Eastern Iran.Its location lies in the Gulf of Oman.It is the only Iranian port with direct access to the ocean.

The Chabahar Agreement was signed in June 2015 and approved by Iran’s Guardian Council in November 2016.

The port is seen as a gateway for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with Central Asian countries.

Significance of chabahar port :

The most important significance of Chabahar port is the fact that India can bypass Pakistan in transporting goods to Afghanistan.

The port is also beneficial to India in countering Chinese presence in the Arabian Sea which China is trying to ensure by helping Pakistan develop the Gwadar port.

The Chabahar port is also seen as a feeder port to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) that has sea, rail and road routes between India, Russia, Iran, Europe, and Central Asia.

Chabahar port also fosters closer ties between India and Iran and allows India to secure cheaper energy imports from Iran.

Source :- The Hindu

ECONOMY

RBI’s Operation Twist may aid govt’s borrowing plan

GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

22^nd DECEMBER 2019 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS