Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 6 May 2023

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC 2023

Q) Which one of the following statements is not correct about River-Cities Alliance (RCA)?

1. RCA exchanges information for sustainable management of rivers.
2. RCA was launched recently by NITI Aayog.
3. It helps capitalize on natural and architectural heritage.
4. The only international member city to join RCA is from Denmark.

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 5 May April 2023

Explanation:

• Option (1) and (3) are correct: RCA is a dedicated platform for river cities in India to ideate, discuss and exchange information for sustainable management of urban rivers. It focuses on three broad themes of Networking, Capacity Building and Technical Support. RCA aims to exchange information on aspects that are vital for sustainable management of urban rivers such as minimizing their water footprint, reducing impacts on river and water bodies, capitalizing on natural, intangible, architectural heritage and associated services and develop self-sufficient, self-sustainable water resources through recycle, reuse strategy. The Alliance cities will work towards adopting and localizing national policies and instruments with key river-related directions prepare their Urban River Management Plans and develop city-specific sectoral strategies that are required for sustainable urban river management.
• Option (2) is incorrect: River-Cities Alliance (RCA) was launched in 2021, by Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India in partnership with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
• Option (4) is correct: Beginning with 30 member cities in November 2021, the Alliance has expanded to 109 river cities across India and one international member city from Denmark. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in association with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) recently organized the ‘River-Cities Alliance (RCA) Global Seminar: Partnership for Building International River-Sensitive Cities’.

Q) Consider the following statements about ‘Cheetahs’:

1. In comparison to other large carnivores, cheetahs do not attack large livestock.
2. While the African cheetah is listed as vulnerable, the Asiatic cheetah is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN red list.
3. Recently, the cheetahs were reintroduced in the Panna Tiger Reserve from Namibia.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct:Cheetahs are the fastest land mammals; the cheetah is the only cat without retractable claws; the grip helps it accelerate faster than any sports car (0-100 km/hr in 3 seconds).  Cheetahs are not aggressive towards humans, and they have been tamed since the ancient era. It is also observed that among large carnivores, conflict with human interests is lowest for Cheetahs. They are not a threat to humans and do not attack large livestock either.
• Statement 2 is correct:There are only 40-50 Asiatic cheetahs left, found only in Iran. In comparison there are around 6,500-7,000 African cheetahs present in the wild. The Asiatic cheetah is classified as a “critically endangered” species by the IUCN Red List. The cheetah is threatened by several factors such as habitat loss, conflict with humans, poaching and high susceptibility to diseases.  They don’t breed well in captivity which makes reintroduction efforts challenging. The African Cheetah with several subspecies occurring in different African countries is listed as a vulnerable (VU) species on the IUCN Red List. The Cheetah in Africa, together with the African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus), Lion (Panthera leo), and Leopard (Panthera pardus), is covered by in the Joint CITES-CMS African Carnivores Initiative (ACI).
• Statement 3 is incorrect:In 2023, eight cheetahs landed in Gwalior from Namibia’s capital Windhoek and were reintroduced in Kuno National Park.  The introduction of cheetahs in India is being done under Project Cheetah, which is the world’s first intercontinental large wild carnivore translocation project. India has opted for the Coexistence approach where for the first time cheetahs will be reintroduced in an unfenced protected area (PA). Last year (2021), the Supreme Court lifted its seven-year-long stay on a proposal to introduce African Cheetahs from Namibia into India. Recently, the Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change has launched the ‘Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India’ under which 50 of these big cats will be introduced in the next five years. The action plan was launched at the 19th meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Q) With reference to ‘Internet India Report’, consider the following statements:

1. There are more active internet users in the rural areas of India than urban areas.
2. As per the report, more than 50 percent of all new users of internet in 2022 were females.
3. The digital payments have seen a growth of more than 10 percent.

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 correct:Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and market data analytics firm Kantar have brought out the Internet India Report that has captured internet usage in India. More than half of Indian citizens, which equals to 759 million, are active internet users and access the internet at least once a month. This active internet base in India is expected to grow to 900 million by 2025. Among the active internet users in the country, 399 million are from rural parts, while 360 million are from urban parts. This shows that rural India is driving internet growth. By 2025, 56 per cent of all new internet users in India will belong to rural India.
• Statement 2 is correct:Digital divide, because of disparity in penetration, has been the major impediment in internet growth in some major states. 32% of users in Bihar have less than half the level of internet penetration compared to the leading state Goa where 70% people are internet users. Even though 54% of internet users are male, 57 per cent of all new users of internet in 2022 were females. By 2025, it is estimated that 65 per cent of all new internet users will be women.
• Statement 3 is correct:Digital payments have seen 13% growth over 2021 to reach an estimated 338 million users. Out of these, 36% are from rural India. Digital entertainment, digital communications and social media are the most popular internet-based services in India. There is a 51 per cent year-over-year (YoY) growth in social commerce, indicating the increase in social media use.

Q) Consider the following statements about Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project (KMTTP):

1. KMTTP aims to provide alternative connectivity to the North East region through Chittagong Port in Bangladesh.
2. KMTTP was initiated by the Ministryof Road Transport and Highways in collaboration with Border Roads Organization.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

• Statements 1 and 2 are incorrect: Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project (KMTTP) is piloted by the Ministry of External Affairs and first approved in 2008. Waterway component of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project (KMTTP) is set to become operational from June, 2023. Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project (KMTTP) aims at boosting trade and commerce between India and Myanmar and easing access to other South Asian countries. It aims to provide alternative connectivity to the North East region from Kolkata Port through Sittwe Port up to Paletwa in Myanmar by waterway and Paletwa to Zorinpui by road in Mizoram. KMTTP connects Kolkata to Sittwe port, which is further linked to Paletwa in Myanmar through a waterway route along the river Kaladan. From Paletwa, a 110 km road is being built to connect to Zorinpui at Mizoram on the Indo-Myanmar border. Zorinpui is connected to Lawngtlai through a 100 km road. From Lawngtlai, an existing highway connects it to Aizawl, which in turn is linked to other north-eastern cities including Guwahati.

Q) With reference to ‘Special Leave Petition (SLP)’, consider the following statements:

1. Under SLP, a litigant can appeal to the Supreme Court of India against any order passed by any tribunal involving the armed forces in India.
2. The concept of special leave to appeal was taken from the American constitution.
3. SLP is a discretionary power exercised by the Supreme Court.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect but statement 3 is correct:Special Leave Petition (SLP) is a legal remedy available to a litigant to appeal to the Supreme Court of India against any order or judgment passed by any court or tribunal in India. The Special Leave Petition shall not apply to any judgment or order handed down by any court or tribunal involving the armed forces. The judgment, decree or order against which the appeal is being made must have the character of judicial adjudication. This implies that purely administrative or executive order or ruling cannot be a matter of appeal. It is a discretionary power exercised by the Supreme Court, which is not a matter of right for a litigant.
• Statement 2 is incorrect:The expression “special leave to appeal” was taken from the Government of India Act, 1935. The appeal can be made in a case where a substantial question of law is involved or where gross injustice has been observed. Recently Hill Areas Committee Chairperson and others filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the March 27 order of the Manipur High Court on Scheduled Tribe status for the Meitei community, which is at the centre of escalating tensions in the State.

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