Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 20 March 2023

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC 2023

Q) Recently seen in news, the ‘Democracy report’ 2023 was released by which one of the following organizations?

1. World Economic Forum
2. V-Dem Institute
3. United Nation Development Programme
4. The Economist Intelligence Unit

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 18 March 2023

Explanation:

• Option (2) is correct: The Democracy Report 2023 is published by the V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Institute at Sweden’s University, which shows that democratic values in India have eroded significantly in recent years. Democratic Values’ Indexes are 5 indexes used by V-Dem to capture democratic values in India. Deliberative Democracy Index measures whether political decisions are made through public reasoning or emotional appeals and coercion. Egalitarian Democracy Index examines equal access to rights and liberties. India ranked 123 on this Index. Electoral Democracy Index evaluates election cleanliness and lack of fraud. India’s ranking dipped from the 100 in 2022 to 108th in 2023 in this Index. Liberal Democracy Index (LDI) tells about the protection of individual and minority rights against State tyranny. It uses 71 indicators such as free and fair elections, political and civil rights. Denmark ranked 1st. India ranked 97th in LDI. In all these indexes, 0 is the lowest value and 1 the highest. The values of these indexes have been declining since 2014 in India.

Q) Consider the following statements about the ‘Universal Health Coverage’ (UHC):

1. The UHC provides palliative care and necessary health services to everyone throughout their lives.
2. The ‘P4H social health protection network’ is the sole global institutional network which specializes in health financing.
3. All WHO members, including India, signed the Astana Declaration, which focuses on primary healthcare.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation:

• Statements 1 and 2 are correct: Universal health coverage (UHC) means that all people have access to the full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship. It covers essential health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care across the life course. Every country has a different path to achieve UHC and decide what to cover based on the needs of their people and the resources at hand. Achieving UHC is one of the targets under the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). WHO’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work aims to have 1 billion more people benefit from UHC by 2025. UHC requires strong, people-centred primary health care. Good health systems are rooted in the communities they serve. They focus not only on preventing and treating disease and illness, but also on helping to improve well-being and quality of life. P4H Social Health Protection Network promotes active exchanges and collaborations between the various health financing stakeholders at national and global level. The P4H network is the only global institutional network specialized in health financing. It is currently comprised of 18 members including WHO, World Bank and ILO.
• Statement 3 is correct: Astana Declaration (2018) is the Global Conference on Primary Health Care in Astana, Kazakhstan which aims to refocus efforts on primary health care to ensure that everyone everywhere is able to enjoy the highest possible attainable standard of health. The declaration was signed by all 194 WHO member states including India. UHC 2030 provides a multi-stakeholder platform to promote collaborative working at global and country levels on health systems strengthening. UHC 2030’s strategic focus is to mobilize political commitment and collective action for UHC. The Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All (SDG3 GAP), established in 2019, brings together 13 multilateral health, development and humanitarian agencies. Its goal is to help countries accelerate progress on the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets, through a set of commitments.

Q) With reference to India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP), consider the following statements:

1. IBFP aims to transport natural gas from India to Bangladesh.
2. The IBFP is the second cross-border energy pipeline between India and its neighbors.
3. The Numaligarh Refinery Limited is one of the main implementation agencies for the IBFP.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect but statement 2 and 3 are correct: Prime Minister of India and Prime Minister of Bangladesh have jointly inaugurated the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP) in a virtual mode. IBFP is the first cross border energy pipeline between India and Bangladesh with a capacity to transport 1 million Metric Ton Per Annum (MMTPA) of High-Speed Diesel (HSD) to Bangladesh. This is the second cross-border energy pipeline between India and its neighbours. India has such a cross-border pipeline with Nepal (Motihari-Amlekhgunj). The 131.57-km-long pipeline will bring diesel from a marketing depot in Siliguri to Dinajpur of Bangladesh. Out of the total length of the pipeline, Bangladesh has 126.57 km and India has five kilometres. Indian leg of the pipeline project will be implemented by Assam-based Numaligarh Refinery Limited and Bangladeshi leg will be implemented by Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation. The IBFPL project aims to facilitate the transportation of imported fuel oil and reduce its transport costs for Bangladesh.

Q) Consider the following statements about the Background radiation (BR):

1. The fallout from nuclear weapons testing and nuclear accidents is the sole source of BR.
2. The International Atomic Energy Agency has specified that public exposure to BR must not be more than 50 milli-sievert per year.
3. Both X-rays and gamma rays are sources of BR and can travel through the body.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: radiations are the radioactive radiations such as alpha, beta, and gamma to which we all are exposed even in the absence of visible radioactive sources. Background radiation originates from a variety of sources, both natural and artificial. The sources includes both cosmic radiation and environmental radioactivity from naturally occurring radioactive materials (such as radon and radium), as well as man-made medical X-rays, fallout from nuclear weapons testing and nuclear accidents. A pan-India study by scientists has found that, in parts of Kerala, background radiation levels are nearly three times more than what’s been assumed.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) specifies maximum radiation exposure levels, and this has also been adopted by India’s atomic energy establishment. Public exposure of BR should not exceed 1 milli-Sievert every year; those who work in plants by virtue of their occupation shouldn’t be exposed to over 30 milli-Sievert every year.
• Statement 3 is correct: Disadvantages of Background Radiations includes Acute Radiation Syndrome from Large Exposures. Radiation Exposure leads to Cancer Risk. Radiation exposure is extremely harmful to children and foetuses. X-rays and gamma rays are sources of BR and can travel through the body and deposit energy.

Q) With reference to International Criminal Court (ICC), consider the following statements:

1. The United Nations General Assembly elects the judges to the ICC.
2. The United Nations Security Council can refer the cases to the ICC.

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect but statement 2 is correct: International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organization formed as a standing body to investigate war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute of 1998. ICC has powers to try individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. ICC can prosecute the most heinous crimes only when a country’s own legal machinery fails to act. The said offences should have been committed either in a country that ratified the agreement or by a national of a ratifying country. ICC can also exercise jurisdiction over cases referred to it by the UN Security Council. Recently an arrest warrant was issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Russian President for the alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
• Assembly of States Parties, which is the court’s governing body, elects judges to the ICC. The ICC is a criminal tribunal that will prosecute individuals accused of grave crimes. Minimum age of the accused for prosecution must be eighteen years at the time of commission of the offence. However, ICC does not have any retroactive authority over crimes that were committed before the Statute was enforced.

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