TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 08.10.2024

1. BILATERAL

INDIA’S PLACE IN RUSSIA – UKRAINE PEACE MAKING

• Two years after distancing itself from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India is now speculated to be taking steps towards playing a mediating role. This shift is indicated by high-level visits and meetings involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with key stakeholders from both Russia and Ukraine.
• Key Developments High-Level Engagements:
• PM Modi’s visits to Moscow and Kyiv. 
• Possible meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the United Nations and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the BRICS Summit.
• NSA Ajit Doval and EAM S. Jaishankar’s travels to engage with both sides.
• Diplomatic Communications:PM Modi briefed U.S. President Joseph Biden after his Ukraine visit.
• NSA Doval briefed President Putin about the visit, indicating India’s active engagement with all parties.
• India’s Strategic Position
• Non-Alignment and Strategic Autonomy: India has maintained a neutral stance, abstaining from UN votes and not accepting Western sanctions against Russia.
• This neutrality enhances India’s image as an “honest broker.”
• Global South Representation: India has focused its G-20 presidency on issues like energy and food security, which are critical for the developing world.
• Increased intake of Russian oil has been framed as a principled stand rather than profiteering.
• Historical Precedents: India has a legacy of mediating international conflicts, such as the USSRAustria negotiations and efforts in Korea, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
• Current State of the Conflict
• Military Stalemate: Russian troops control about a sixth of Ukraine’s territory.
• Ukrainian forces are holding the line, indicating that any change would require significant escalation.
• Potential Escalations: Ukraine seeks Western permissions for long-range missiles for deeper strikes into Russia.
• Russia views such permissions as a declaration of direct war by NATO.
• U.S. Political Dynamics: The outcome of the U.S. elections could influence the conflict, with potential shifts in support for Ukraine.

2. INTERNATIONAL

INDIA ABSTAINS FROM VOTING ON UNGA RESOLUTION AGAINST ISREALS’S OCCUPATION

• India’s Position on the UNGA Resolution on Israel-Palestine Conflict
• India abstained from a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling on Israel to vacate Palestinian territories based on an International Court of Justice (ICJ) opinion.
• The resolution, adopted by 124 of 181 countries, also called for sanctions and stopping arms exports to Israel, which influenced India’s decision to abstain.
• India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, P. Harish, emphasized the need to “build bridges” between the Israeli and Palestinian sides, advocating for efforts to bring them closer rather than driving them apart.
• He reiterated India’s support for a two-state solution and condemned both the terror attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent loss of civilian lives due to the conflict.
• India called for an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of hostages, and unrestricted humanitarian assistance in Gaza. 
• The abstention marks a departure from India’s previous voting record, which typically supported resolutions urging Israel to withdraw from occupied territories.
• Differences over the resolution’s wording, particularly the one-year deadline for Israel’s withdrawal, were cited as reasons for abstention.
• Additionally, India’s defense ties with Israel, including joint ventures and licensed manufacturing, were noted as factors in the decision.

3. HISTORY

HARAPPAN CIVILISATION – ENIGMA REMAINS EVEN AFTER 100 YEARS OF EXPLORATION

• Discovery: On September 20, 1924, John Marshall, then Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), announced the discovery of the Harappan civilisation in The Illustrated London News.
• Significance: This Bronze Age civilisation, named after Harappa (now in Pakistan), has intrigued experts across various fields for a century.
• Key Features
• Technological Advancements: The Harappan civilisation excelled in town planning, water harvesting, building reservoirs, and creating underground drainage systems.
• Craftsmanship: They produced bronze and copper artefacts, beads, painted pottery, terracotta products, and steatite seals with intricate carvings and scripts.
• Major Sites
• Primary Sites: Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, Ganweriwala (Pakistan), Rakhigarhi, and Dholavira (India).
• Geographical Spread: The civilisation spanned 1.5 million sq.km across India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, with around 2,000 sites identified.
• Historical Context
• Chronology: The civilisation is divided into three phases: Early (3200-2600 BC), Mature (2600-1900 BC), and Late (1900-1500 BC).
• Cultural Impact: The discovery filled a historical gap, pushing back the antiquity of settled life in South Asia by over 3,000 years.
• Scholarly Insights
• Indus Script: Despite extensive efforts, the Indus script remains undeciphered, adding to the civilisation’s mystery.
• Cultural Roots: Scholars like Asko Parpola and R.S. Bisht trace the roots of the Harappan civilisation to Mehrgarh in Balochistan, dating back to around 7000 BC

4. AGRICULTURE

WHITE REVOLUTION 2.0 TO EMPOWER WOMEN, FIGHT MALNUTRITION – AMIT SHAH

• White Revolution 2.0 is an initiative launched by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah aimed at revitalizing India’s dairy sector. This initiative focuses on empowering women, combating malnutrition, and significantly increasing milk procurement through cooperative societies.
• Key Objectives
• Empowerment of Women: Formal Employment: The scheme aims to include women engaged in milk procurement in formal employment. Payments for milk procurement will be directly deposited into their bank accounts, ensuring financial independence and empowerment.
• Recognition of Work: The initiative challenges the traditional notion that women working at home are unemployed, recognizing their contributions to the dairy sector.
• Combating Malnutrition: Nutritional Benefits: By increasing milk production and procurement, the initiative aims to enhance the availability of nutritious dairy products, thereby helping to fight malnutrition.
• Increasing Milk Procurement: Target Increase: The scheme aims to increase milk procurement led by cooperatives from the current 660 lakh litres per day to 1,000 lakh litres per day.
• Cooperative Strengthening: The initiative focuses on strengthening cooperative societies to achieve this target.
• Revamping Cooperatives: Joint Proposal: The government has prepared a joint proposal involving two lakh primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS), dairy, and fishery cooperatives. This proposal has been accepted by all states.
• Widespread Reach: Once these PACS are registered, every panchayat will have a PACS, dairy, or fisheries cooperative society, ensuring widespread reach and impact.
• Institutional Strengthening: Tehsil and District Levels: The initiative aims to create cooperative institutions at tehsil and district levels, thereby strengthening state institutions and enhancing their momentum.

5. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

SC JUNKS CURATIVE PLEAS BY TELECOM FIRMS ON AGR DUES

• Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) is a term used in the telecom sector to refer to the usage and licensing fees that telecom operators are charged by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
• The AGR includes:
• Revenue from telecom services: This includes all revenue earned from providing telecom services.
• Non-telecom revenue: This includes revenue from non-core activities such as rent, profit on the sale of fixed assets, dividend, interest, etc. The Dispute
• The dispute between the telecom operators and the DoT has been primarily about what constitutes AGR.
• Telecom operators argued that AGR should include only revenue from core telecom operations, while the DoT maintained that AGR should include all revenue, including non-core activities.
• Financial Implications The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the DoT’s definition of AGR has significant financial implications for telecom operators:
• Bharti Airtel: Owes approximately ₹43,980 crore.
• Vodafone Idea: Owes approximately ₹58,254 crore.
• Other Operators: Smaller amounts owed by other operators. Impact on Telecom Sector
• Financial Strain: The large dues have put significant financial strain on telecom operators, particularly Vodafone Idea, which has been struggling to stay afloat.
• Market Dynamics: The financial burden has led to increased tariffs and consolidation in the telecom sector.
• Government Revenue: The AGR dues are a significant source of revenue for the government, which can be used for various developmental activities.
• Legal Aspects
• Curative Petition: A curative petition is the last judicial resort available for redressal of grievances in the court, which was dismissed by the Supreme Court in this case.
• Supreme Court Bench: The bench comprised Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justices Sanjiv Khanna, and B.R. Gavai

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