Best IAS Coaching in Bangalore Daily Current Affairs 13th March 2021 Shiksha IAS https://iasshiksha.com/daily-current-affair/daily-current-affairs-13th-march-2021/

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 13TH MARCH 2021 Posted on March 13, 2021 by admin

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Dandi March CONTEXT:

1. With the Prime Minister flagging off the ‘Padyatra’ (Freedom March) from Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad and inaugurating the curtain raiser activities of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav’- a series of events will be organised by the Government of to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence launched 75 weeks before 15 August 2022 on 12 March 2021, the National Cadet Corps has taken upon itself to launch a nationwide action plan to promote one social activity every month commencing from March 2021. 2. The 24-day march from March 12 to April 5, 1930 was a tax resistance campaign against the British salt monopoly. 3. Based on Gandhi’s principle of non-violence or Satyagraha, the march marked the inauguration of the civil disobedience movement. 4. The Dandi march was easily the most significant organised movement against the after the non-cooperation movement of the early 1920s. 5. In all the attention that it drove from the national and international media and world leaders, it was truly a turning point in the Indian Independence movement.

Why did Gandhi call for the Dandi March?

1. The 1882 Salt Act gave the British a monopoly in the manufacture and sale of salt. Even though salt was freely available on the coasts of India, Indians were forced to buy it from the colonisers. 2. Gandhi decided that if there was any one product through which the civil disobedience could be inaugurated, then it was salt. 3. “Next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life,” he said, explaining his choice, even though many in the working committee of the Congress were not too sure about it. 4. The British government, including the Viceroy Lord Irwin too did not take the prospect of a campaign against the salt tax too seriously. 5. Addressing a massive gathering in Ahmedabad on March 8, Gandhi declared his decision to break the salt laws. “That is for me one step, the first step, towards full freedom,” he said as quoted in historian Ramachandra Guha’s book, ‘Gandhi: The years that changed the world (1914-1948)’. 6. Guha wrote, “Gandhi wanted this to be a long march, or pilgrimage perhaps, where his leisurely progress would enthuse people along the way and attract wider publicity too.” Finally, he decided on Dandi to be the point at which the salt law would be broken.

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What happened during the march?

1. There was great excitement in Ahmedabad on the eve of the march. A large crowd gathered around Sabarmati ashram and stayed through the night. 2. Gandhi wrote to Nehru that night, informing him about rumours of his arrest. That did not happen though and Gandhi woke up a free man the following day. 3. He gathered his walking mates, a group of 78 men, who were bona fide ashramites. These included Manilal Gandhi from South Africa and several others from all across India. 4. “There were thirty-one marchers from Gujarat, thirteen from , lesser numbers from the United Provinces, Kerala, Punjab and Sindh, with Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Karnataka, Bengal, Bihar and Orissa sending one man apiece. 5. The diversity was social as well as geographical, for among the chosen marchers were many students and khadi workers, several ‘untouchables’, a few Muslims and one Christian,” wrote Guha. Even though women too wanted to be part of the march, Gandhi preferred to keep it restricted to men alone. 6. Gandhi reached Dandi on April 5. The following day, early morning he proceeded along with the other marchers to the sea, where he picked up lumps of natural salt lying in a small pit. The act was symbolic, but was hugely covered by the press, and was the beginning of several other acts of civil disobedience in other parts of India.

What was the significance of the Dandi march?

1. The popularity gained by the march shook up the British government. It responded by arresting more than 95,000 people by March 31. The following month Gandhi proceeded to Dharasana salt works from where he was arrested and taken to the Central Jail. 2. As Gandhi broke the salt laws in Dandi, similar acts of civil disobedience took place in other parts of India. 3. In Bengal, for instance, volunteers led by Satish Chandra Dasgupta walked from Sodepur Ashram to the village of Mahisbathan to make salt. K.F Nariman in Bombay led another group of marchers to Haji Ali Point where they prepared salt at a nearby park. 4. The illegal manufacture and sale of salt was accompanied by the boycott of foreign cloth and liquor. What started as salt satyagraha soon grew into mass satyagraha. Forest laws were flouted in Maharashtra, Karnataka and the Central Provinces. 5. Peasants in Gujarat and Bengal refused to pay land and chowkidari taxes. Acts of violence too broke out in Calcutta, Karachi and Gujarat, but unlike what happened during the non- cooperation movement, Gandhi refused to suspend the civil disobedience movement this time. 6. The Congress Working Committee decided to end the Satyagraha only in 1934. Even though it did not immediately lead to self rule or dominion status, the Salt Satyagraha did have some long term effects. 7. “Indian, British and world opinion increasingly recognised the legitimate claims of Gandhi and

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the Congress for Indian Independence,” wrote Richard L. Johnson who authored the book, ‘Gandhi’s experiments with truth: Essential writings by and about ’. Moreover, the British also realised that control over India now depended completely on the consent of the .

Increasing tendency to politicise humanitarian situations is unfortunate: India at UN CONTEXT:

1. India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations has said the increasing tendency to politicise humanitarian situations is unfortunate. 2. According to him, there is an urgent need for the donor community to scale up assistance to conflict-affected countries.

ABOUT:

1. India speaking at the UNSC open debate on 'Conflict and Food Security' said nations must resist linking developmental aid with progress in the political process as this will only enhance food insecurity in conflict situations. 2. Citing estimates from the World Food Programme (WFP), India said the number of people suffering from food insecurity is projected to more than double by the end of 2020 to 270 million people, with the COVID-19 pandemic making it worse. 3. The "Global Report on Food Crises 2020'' by WFP and 15 other humanitarian and development agencies notes that more than 77 million people are suffering from acute food insecurity in conflict-affected countries. 4. Pandemic has only served to make food insecurity more complex by forcing countries to impose restrictions on the movement of people, thereby depriving farms of hands to reap the harvest. 5. It has resulted in loss of farm-based employment, limiting access to food in the rural areas and eroding the ability of the State to cope with the socio-economic pressure of the pandemic. 6. Fragile States generally have weak capacities to design, implement and monitor policies and programmes related to food, thereby increasing their vulnerability while facing a conflict situation. 7. India is of the view that armed conflict and terrorism combined with extreme weather, crop pests, food price volatility, exclusion, and economic shocks can devastate any fragile state leading to food insecurity and increase the threat of famine.

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COVID-19 disruptions caused 1.4 million unintended pregnancies: Study CONTEXT:

1. Recently, UN sexual and reproductive health agency in collaboration with Avenir Health, a global health organization published United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report.

Findings: 1.An estimated 12 million women in 115 countries lost access to family planning services due to disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

2. Supply chain problems, mobility restrictions and fear of seeking health services contributed to this massive disruption for millions of women. 3. The number of unintended pregnancies could be as high as 2.7 million at the higher end of projections, or as low as 500,000 at the lower end of projections. 4. These latest figures come as many countries, particularly high-income nations, show early signs of steeply declining birth rates. The impact of COVID-19 on access to health services has varied across countries and is ongoing. 5. The study was conducted in 115 low- and middle-income countries in January 2021. The projections showed that family planning services were largely disrupted in April and May of 2020. 6. An estimated 12 million women faced this disruption for a duration of 3.6 months on an average. 7. This number could be as high as 23 million on the higher end of projections, or as low as 4 million at the lower end of projections. 8. April 2020 estimates by the same partners had projected that 47 million women in 114 low- and middle-income countries would be unable to use modern contraceptives if the lockdowns or related disruptions continue for an average of 6 months. They had predicted it would result in seven million unintended pregnancies. 9. The unintended pregnancies have put a great strain on families, which were already struggling under pandemic-related financial burdens. They have also resulted in increased maternal morbidity and mortality, as well as rising numbers of unsafe abortions.

Acting swiftly

1. Fortunately, quick action has helped many health systems to maintain or restore essential health services, including contraceptives

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2. Even amid rising costs and supply chain constraints, it was able to procure and deliver contraceptives and other reproductive health supplies, as well as personal protective equipment for health workers. 3. Creative efforts, such as using a ride-hailing app to deliver contraceptives, SMS outreach and targeting family planning counselling to quarantine centres, also helped maintain or restore services. The short message service (SMS) programme is part of a partnership between UNFPA, the World Food Programme (WFP).

2001 FO32 CONTEXT:

1. On 21 March 2021, the largest asteroid predicted to pass by Earth will be at its closest. It won’t come closer than 2 million km to Earth, but it will present a valuable scientific opportunity for astronomers who can get a good look at a rocky relic that formed at the dawn of our Solar System. 2. It is called 2001 FO32. There is no threat of a collision with our planet now or for centuries to come.

Speed & distance

1. For comparison, when it is at its closest, the distance of 2 million km is equal to 5¼ times the distance from Earth to the Moon. 2. Still, that distance is close in astronomical terms, which is why 2001 FO32 has been designated a “potentially hazardous asteroid”. 3. During this approach, 2001 FO32 will pass by at about 124,000 kph – faster than the speed at which most asteroids encounter Earth. 4. The reason for the asteroid’s unusually speedy close approach is its highly eccentric orbit around the Sun, an orbit that is tilted 39° to Earth’s orbital plane. 5. This orbit takes the asteroid closer to the Sun than Mercury, and twice as far from the Sun as Mars. 6. As 2001 FO32 makes its inner solar system journey, the asteroid picks up speed. 7. Later, the asteroid slows after being flung back out into deep space and swinging back toward the Sun. It completes one orbit every 810 days (about 2¼ years). 8. After its brief visit, 2001 FO32 will continue its lonely voyage, not coming this close to Earth again until 2052, when it will pass by at about seven lunar distances, or 2.8 million km. 9. Even if it is at the smaller end of the scale, 2001 FO32 will still be the largest asteroid to pass this close to our planet in 2021.

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10. The last notably large asteroid close approach was that of 1998 OR2 on April 29, 2020. While 2001 FO32 is somewhat smaller than 1998 OR2, it will be three times nearer to Earth.

Studying the visitor

1. The March 21 encounter will provide an opportunity for astronomers to get a more precise understanding of the asteroid’s size and albedo (i.e. how bright, or reflective, its surface is), and a rough idea of its composition. 2. When sunlight hits an asteroid’s surface, minerals in the rock absorb some wavelengths while reflecting others. 3. By studying the spectrum of light reflecting off the surface, astronomers can measure the chemical “fingerprints” of the minerals on the surface of the asteroid. 4. Over 95% of near-Earth asteroids the size of 2001 FO32 or larger have been discovered, tracked, and catalogued. 5. None of the large asteroids in the catalogue has any chance of impacting Earth over the next century, and it is extremely unlikely that any of the remaining undiscovered asteroids of this size could impact Earth, either. Still, efforts continue to discover all asteroids that could pose an impact hazard.

Four pyres of the Green Crematoria CONTEXT:

1. According to the Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, exceedingly high concentration of air emissions with respect to particulate matter, and other harmful gases have been measured in regions around the crematoria. 2. To address the high localized toxic emissions from crematoria, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) has developed a technology knowhow to mitigate air pollution from Open Pyre Green Crematoria’s. 3. He inaugurated four pyres of the Green Crematoria at Delhi’s Nigam Bodh Ghat Crematorium here. He also inaugurated three new pyres run by Indraprastha Gas Limited.

Problem of air pollution and its solutions:

1. Air Pollution has become a grave problem in India with more than 120+ cities falling under non- attainment category as per the National Green Tribunal. 2. Delhi has about 56 traditional cremation grounds where Hindus cremate bodies by burning massive piles of firewood in the open, billowing out clouds of black smoke into the sky. 3. The technology installed at VIP Pyre 3,4,5,6 comprises Fume collection and handling,

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Processing/cleaning, Utilities and Waste Handling systems. 4. The system is designed with an efficient scrubbing system offering reduced emission of smoke, oil/greases, hydrocarbons, and particulates etc., with ease of recycle and disposal of scrubbed liquid and solids. 5. Such technology helps to reposition our existing heritage by adopting clear methods for achieving our national and global commitments towards the environment. 6. The present emission control system with slight design modifications, can be extended to LPG/CNG and Diesel crematoria to future reduce the emission from these systems. 7. Such innovation can also be applied to mitigate dispersed air pollution emitted from unorganized and informal industrial sectors like bakeries, namkeen making, or application areas, where wood is being utilized as a primary source of energy. 8. In the recently announced General Budget 2021, a lot of emphasis has been given to allocate resource to mitigate the growing ambient air pollution related problem in India. 9. With such green initiatives, a lot can be achieved in improving the air pollution index in the National Capital and scientists from CSIR-NEERI can play a major role in that. 10. Central Government has already been working for improving the air quality index in 120 cities across the country.

Bengaluru airport launches India’s first dedicated express cargo terminal CONTEXT:

1. The Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru now has India’s first dedicated Express Cargo Terminal exclusively for export and import of international couriers.

ABOUT: 1.It has a dedicated space for customs offices with direct access to both Landside and Airside wing of the airport.

2. The exclusive Terminal for express couriers at south India’s busiest Cargo Airport in Bengaluru will enable ease of doing business and reduce transaction time and cost for the shipper. 3. The new facility will enable Bengaluru Airport to process 150,000 Metric Tonnes annually, taking the Airport’s overall annual cargo capacity to 720,000 MT, from the existing 570,000 MT.

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A third of global greenhouse gas emissions from food production: Study Context:

1. The study by a group of researchers in Italy published recently in the journal Nature Food draws on a new global database that provides estimates of food system greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2015.

About: 1.One third of global greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans are linked to food.

2. The figure is higher for developing countries but also declining significantly in step with decreasing deforestation and increasing downstream activities such as food processing and refrigeration. 3. The Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR)-Food by the European Commission categorised emissions data by sector, greenhouse gas and country. 4. It incorporated key land-use data for over 245 countries that has been compiled by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). 5. Overall, the study found that food-system emissions represented 34 per cent of the total greenhouse gas output in 2015. 6. Land-use change and agricultural production to packaging, fertilizer use and waste all contribute to the emissions and were estimated at 18 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2015 (34 per cent). 7. The emissions are down from 44 per cent in 1990, indicating a gradual decline even as food systems emissions kept increasing. 8. Share of emissions from the food system of a country ranged between 14 per cent and 92 per cent. In industrialised countries, roughly 24 per cent of total emissions came from their food systems, a number that has stayed fairly stable between 1990 and 2015, according to the study. 9. Asia was the highest contributor producing 35 per cent of global food system emissions in 1990 and 49 per cent in 2015.

BIGGEST CONTRIBUTORS

1. The various stages of food production, which include inputs such as fertilizers, were the leading contributor to overall food-system emissions, constituting 39 per cent of the total. 2. Land use accounted for 38 per cent and distribution contributed 29 per cent, which is expected to continue growing. 3. Methane from livestock raising and rice cultivation accounted for 35 per cent of food system greenhouse gas emissions and is broadly the same in both developed and developing

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countries. 4. The research highlighted how global food systems are becoming more energy intensive, reflecting trends in the retail, packaging, transport and processing sectors, whose emissions are growing rapidly in some developing countries. 5. Globally, refrigeration was estimated to be responsible for 43 per cent of energy consumption by the retail and supermarket sector. 6. The data suggest that GHG emissions from the retail sector increased by 4.2 and 3.6 times in Europe and the United States, respectively, between 1990 and 2015. 7. An increase in the market share of supermarkets in the food distribution sector has been observed in all continents, including Africa, Asia and South America. 8. Cold chain activities around the world accounted for around 5 per cent of food-system emissions. It is expected to increase. 9. Packaging also contributed about 5.4 per cent of global food-system emissions, which was more than transportation or other supply-chain factors. 10. However, intensity of emissions varied notably with product. Wine and beer accounted for a significant share of packaging emissions while bananas and beet sugar had higher transportation emissions. 11. According to a report published in the journal Science, researchers found that greenhouse gas emissions from food production alone would cause 1.5 degree Celsius (°C) global warming by 2050 and 2°C by the end of the century.

Towards sustainable food systems

1. Database will assist towards developing effective mitigation and transformational pathways to sustainable food systems. 2. There is a need for policies to improve efficiency, reduce emissions in the supply chain, and enable people to access healthier diets. 3. It will also provide greater understanding and estimate of the climate effects of food production, distribution and consumption, ahead of the landmark UN Food Systems Summit later this year. 4. The summit will launch bold new actions to deliver progress on all 17 of UN’s sustainable development goals, each of which relies to some degree on healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems.

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