UPSC GS 2
Asia Tea Alliance
- News: The Asia Tea Alliance has jointly voiced its opposition to genetically modified tea.
- Overview: This alliance unites tea associations from leading Asian tea-producing countries, including India, China, Sri Lanka, and Japan.
- Aim – It works to promote the shared interests of its member countries, advocate for sustainable practices, tackle issues like climate change, and enhance trade cooperation on a global scale.
- Geographical Conditions for Tea Cultivation:
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- Climate: Tea plants thrive best in tropical and subtropical regions, requiring a consistently warm and humid, frost-free environment.
- Soil Requirements: Tea cultivation requires deep, fertile, well-drained soils, rich in humus and organic content for optimal growth.
- Temperature: Ideal temperature range is between 15°C to 23°C.
- Rainfall: Annual precipitation should be between 150–200 cm. Regular, well-distributed rainfall supports continuous growth of fresh leaves.
- Primary Tea-Producing States in India: Assam, the hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
- Other Tea-Producing States: Apart from these, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, and Tripura also contribute to the country’s tea production.
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Read also: Private Property in India: Rights, Laws, and Key Concept | UPSC
Engineering Exports Promotion Council (EEPC), India
- News: Shri Piyush Goyal has launched EEPC India’s 70th year celebrations and called for transforming India into a powerhouse of engineering exports.
- Definition: EEPC India is the leading organization in India dedicated to promoting trade and investment, specifically within the engineering sector.
- Ministry Affiliation: It operates under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, serving the Indian engineering community.
- Milestones: EEPC India holds several firsts in the industry, being the first Export Promotion Council in India to launch a website, attain ISO certification, and provide e-catalogues for product profiles.
- Advisory Role: As a key advisory body, EEPC India actively shapes government policy, serving as the main link between the Indian engineering industry and the Government of India.
- Key Events:
- Indian Engineering Exhibition (INDEE): Known as EEPC India’s signature brand, INDEE is one of the world’s largest engineering expositions.
- International Engineering Sourcing Show (IESS): IESS is India’s premier annual showcase of engineering products and services, recognized as the only dedicated engineering sourcing event in the country.
Supreme Court Pronounces Verdict on Aligarh Muslim University
- News: The Supreme Court has, by a 4-3 majority, overturned its 1967 decision in the Azeez Basha case that denied minority status for the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
- Background of the Case:
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- 1967 S. Azeez Basha Judgment: This ruling by the Supreme Court denied Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) the status of a minority institution, asserting that it was a central university and therefore ineligible for protections under Article 30(1).
- Provision of Article 30(1): This article grants religious and linguistic minorities the right to establish and manage their own educational institutions.
- AMU (Amendment) Act of 1981: This amendment sought to reinstate AMU’s minority status; however, the Allahabad High Court invalidated this provision in 2006, which has led to the current review by the Supreme Court.
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- About the Judgment:
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- Interpretation of Article 30: The Supreme Court interprets Article 30(1) as both an anti-discriminatory clause and a special rights provision that safeguards the autonomy of minority institutions, shielding them from any legislative or administrative actions that could impact their establishment and management.
- Criteria for Minority Status: The responsibility lies with the community to show that the institution was originally founded with the intention to preserve its cultural identity. This can be substantiated with founding charters, speeches, and other key documents from the institution’s establishment.
- Extent of Rights for Minority Institutions: The court affirmed that Article 30(1) is applicable to institutions providing both religious and secular education. It was highlighted by the Chief Justice that minority institutions do not lose their minority status if their administration includes non-community members, especially in fields like law or medicine, where specific expertise may be required.
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UPSC GS 3
Allulose
- News: South Korean companies are investing in the sugar substitute allulose.
- Definition: Allulose, scientifically referred to as D-allulose or d-psicose, is naturally found in limited foods such as wheat, raisins, figs, and molasses.
- Production: Commercially, allulose is synthesized from sources like beet sugar or corn through the use of specific enzymes.
- Usage as Sugar Substitute:
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- It serves as an alternative for those looking to reduce or eliminate sugar, including people with diabetes, and can be utilized in various recipes.
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- Sweetness and Caloric Value:
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- Allulose is approximately 70% as sweet as regular sugar and is nearly calorie-free, according to manufacturers and researchers.
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- Potential Side Effects:
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- High doses of allulose can lead to side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal issues.
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- Regulatory Approval:
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- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved allulose, and it is also approved in several countries, including Japan, Mexico, Singapore, and South Korea.
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PARAS-2 (PRL Advanced Radial Velocity Abu Sky Search-2)
- News: PRL scientists have recently identified an exoplanet located outside our solar system that is approximately five times larger and 60 times more massive than Earth.
- Overview: PARAS-2 is an advanced spectrograph that has been developed and constructed in India, specifically designed to discover exoplanets by employing the radial velocity method.
- Location and Specifications:
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- The high-resolution, fiber-fed spectrograph operates in the 380-690 nm wave-band and is located at Mount Abu in Rajasthan.
- It is a state-of-the-art instrument crafted for detecting exoplanets by examining minute shifts in star light wavelengths.
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- Spectrograph Functionality:
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- This instrument disperses the light from stars into various wavelengths, much like a prism creating a rainbow, which allows scientists to study the distinct patterns present in the light.
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- Radial Velocity Method:
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- This method detects subtle wobbles in a star’s movement due to the gravitational influence of an orbiting planet. These slight wobbles result in shifts in the star’s light wavelengths (known as the Doppler effect), which PARAS-2 measures with remarkable accuracy.
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Nutraceuticals
- News: The Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor has highlighted that the nutraceuticals industry in India is set for significant expansion.
- Definition: Nutraceuticals are products sourced from foods that offer additional health advantages beyond their basic nutritional content.
- Common Examples:
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- Dietary Supplements: Includes vitamins, minerals, and herbs.
- Fortified Foods: Such as milk enriched with vitamin D.
- Functional Foods: For example, probiotic yogurt and eggs enriched with omega-3.
- Herbal Products: Including options like ginseng and turmeric.
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- Claimed Benefits: These products are associated with various health improvements, including disease prevention, enhanced physical and mental health, and improved physical performance.
- Global Market Share: The nutraceutical market is largely dominated by the USA, Japan, and Europe, accounting for 90% of the global market, with India holding about a 2% share.
- Key Initiatives:
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- Development of the first Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) codes to streamline trade.
- Introduction of the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for nutraceuticals to encourage growth and investment in the sector.
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Indian Military Heritage Festival
- News: The 2nd edition of the annual Indian Military Heritage Festival (IMHF) recently took place in New Delhi.
- Second Edition of Indian Military Heritage Festival (IMHF):
- Event Details: The second edition of the Indian Military Heritage Festival (IMHF) took place from November 8–9, 2024, at the India International Centre in New Delhi.
- Organizers: The festival was hosted by the United Service Institution of India (USI), which is recognized as the country’s oldest defense think tank.
- Objective: The IMHF was designed to bring together global and Indian think tanks, corporate entities, public and private sector organizations, non-profits, academics, and researchers with a focus on national security, foreign policy, military history, and military heritage.
- Purpose: The event aims to foster collaboration among these stakeholders and expand discussions on strategic defense topics.
- Scope: It emphasizes themes around India’s national security, military heritage, military history, and foreign policy.
- About Project ‘Shaurya Gatha’:
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- Collaboration: This project is a joint effort between the Department of Military Affairs and the United Service Institution (USI) of India.
- Aim: Project ‘Shaurya Gatha’ seeks to preserve and promote India’s military heritage, primarily through educational outreach and tourism initiatives.
- Focus Areas: The project is dedicated to raising public awareness of India’s defense history, fostering a sense of pride in the country’s military achievements, and enhancing understanding of its defense legacy for both citizens and tourists.
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Agrivoltaic Farming
- News The Seventh Session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) recently concluded in New Delhi. On the last day, delegates visited a farm site in Najafgarh to observe the implementation of agrivoltaic systems in real-life agricultural settings.
- About Agrivoltaic Farming:
- Definition: Agrivoltaic farming, also referred to as agrophotovoltaics, integrates solar energy generation with agriculture by installing solar panels above crops or farmland.
- Dual-Use Approach: This method enables the simultaneous use of sunlight for both crop cultivation and renewable energy generation, optimizing land use and enhancing overall productivity.
Read also: Rural Wages in India: Key Insights and Challenges | UPSC
- Benefits of Agrivoltaics:
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- Land Utilization: Agrivoltaics resolves the competition between agricultural and solar farm land use by combining both functions on the same land, which is particularly beneficial in space-constrained regions.
- Food and Energy Goals: This system supports the production of food and energy simultaneously without the need to expand land use, making it advantageous for regions looking to increase food and energy outputs.
- Microclimate Improvement: The shade from solar panels creates a cooler microclimate below, reducing soil water evaporation, which is particularly beneficial in arid areas.
- Crop Protection: The shading effect can shield certain crops from excessive heat, enhancing their yield and improving their resilience during extreme weather conditions.
- Enhanced Energy Efficiency: Solar panels operate more efficiently when cool, and the vegetation below helps create a cooling effect, potentially increasing energy output compared to standalone solar farms in certain climates.
- Economic Benefits: Agrivoltaics provides farmers with additional income through electricity generation, which can be sold to the grid or used to reduce farm energy costs. This added revenue can help small-scale or financially struggling farms maintain viability and withstand market fluctuations.
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- Challenges:
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- High Setup Costs: The initial investment and specialized infrastructure required for dual-use systems can be costly.
- Optimized Panel Placement: Panels must be strategically placed to avoid excessive shading for crops that require ample sunlight.
- Farm Equipment Access: The design must ensure that agricultural machinery can navigate efficiently, requiring customized engineering solutions.
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