Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 11th May 2023

Gaza Strip : Air Strike

The recent air strikes by Israel in the Gaza strip have killed 13 Palestinians. Three of them are commanders of the militant group Islamic Jihad.

• The Gaza Strip or simply Gaza, is a Palestinian enclave on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
• It borders Egypt on the southwest for 11 kilometers (6.8 mi) and Israel on the east and north along a 51 km (32 mi) border.
• The Gaza Strip and the West Bank are claimed by the de jure sovereign State of Palestine.
• The territories of Gaza and the West Bank are separated from each other by Israeli territory.
• Both fell under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, but the Strip has, since the Battle of Gaza in June 2007, been governed by Hamas, a militant, Palestinian, fundamentalist Islamic organization, which came to power in the last-held elections in 2006.
• It has been placed under an Israeli and US-led international economic and political boycott from that time onwards.

iDrone Initiative:

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has successfully conducted a trial run of delivery of blood bags by drones under its iDrone initiative.

• The trial run has been undertaken for the first time in the country by the ICMR; Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC); Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), Greater Noida; and the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology (JIIT), Noida.
• The inaugural trial flight carried 10 units of whole blood samples from the GIMS and LHMC in visual line of sight.
• The project ‘i-DRONE’(ICMR’s Drone Response and Outreach for North East) assessed the feasibility of using drone to deliver vaccines and medical supply.
• This was carried out in difficult geographical terrains including land, island, foothills and across the hills.
• The medical supplies delivered under i-Drone project included COVID-19 vaccines, vaccines used routine immunisation programs, antenatal care medicines, multi-vitamins, syringes and gloves.
• The drone delivery system focused on end-to-end ecosystem for drone-based logistic transportation within the states and was first successful example of delivering vaccines through drone from land to Island in South Asia.

National Technology Day 2023:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation multiple scientific projects worth over five thousand eight hundred crore rupees on the occasion of National Technology Day in New Delhi.

• The Technology Development Board (TDB) a statutory body of the Department of Science & Technology (DST) celebrates May 11 every year as National Technology Day to commemorate achievements of innovations and technological excellence in the country.
• The day has a historical perspective:
  • On May 11, 1998, India successfully carried out nuclear tests at Pokhran.
  • The first indigenous aircraft “Hansa-3” was test flown at Bangalore on this day; and
  • India also performed successful test firing of the Trishul missile on the same day.
  • Since 1999, the day is being celebrated as National Technology Day.

Improvised Explosive Device : Five Indian Army Personnel Killed

Five Indian Army personnel were recently killed in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir in an explosion caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

• Improvised Explosive Device (IED) is a type of unconventional explosive weapon that can take any form and be activated in a variety of ways.
• IEDs are used by criminals, vandals, terrorists, suicide bombers, and insurgents.
• Because they are improvised, IEDs can come in many forms, ranging from a small pipe bomb to a sophisticated device capable of causing massive damage and loss of life.
• IEDs can be carried or delivered in a vehicle; carried, placed, or thrown by a person; delivered in a package; or concealed on the roadside.
• The extent of damage caused by an IED depends on its size, construction, and placement and whether it incorporates a high explosive or propellant.
• Many commonly available materials, such as fertilizer, gunpowder, and hydrogen peroxide, are used as explosive materials in IEDs.
• Explosives contain fuel and an oxidizer, which provides the oxygen needed to sustain the reaction

Rabindranath Tagore Birth Anniversary:

Prime Minister recently paid tributes to Rabindranath Tagore on his birth anniversary.

• Rabindranath Tagore was a world-renowned poet, litterateur, philosopher and Asia’s first Nobel laureate.
• He was born in Kolkata on May 7, 1861.
• He was the son of Debendranath Tagore, a prominent philosopher and religious reformer.
• He was popularly known as Bard of Bengal, and people used to call him Gurudev.
• He introduced new prose and verse forms and the use of colloquial language into Bengali literature, thereby freeing it from traditional models based on classical Sanskrit.
• He was highly influential in introducing Indian culture to the West and vice versa.
• In 1913 he became the first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature.
• He was also an influential artist and musician. He wrote around 2230 songs and painted 3000 paintings. His songs are known as Rabindra Sangeet.
• Rabindranath Tagore wrote India’s national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. He also wrote Amar Sonar Bangla, the national anthem for Bangla The Sri Lankan national anthem was inspired by his work.
• He was awarded a knighthood in 1915, but he repudiated it in 1919 as a protest against the Amritsar (Jallianwalla Bagh) Massacre.
• Viswa Bharti University, which was known as Shantiniketan founded by Rabindranath Tagore.
• Tagore’s most notable work of poetry is Gitanjali: Song Offerings, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.
• Other notable poetry publications include Sonar Tari and Manasi.

Large Lithium Reserves Identified : Geological Survey Of India

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) recently termed media reports saying large lithium reserves being identified in Rajasthan as “baseless.”

• Geological Survey of India (GSI) was set up in 1851primarily to find coal deposits for the Railways.
• Objective is providing objective, impartial and up-to-date geological expertise and geoscientific information of all kinds, with a focus on policy-making decisions and commercial and socio-economic needs.
• Under the National Mineral Policy (NMP) 2008, GSI remains the principal agency for geological mapping and regional mineral resources assessment of the country.
• It also emphasises systematic documentation of all geological processes, both surface and subsurface, of India and its offshore areas.
• The organisation carries out this work through geological, geophysical, & geochemical surveys using the latest and most cost-effective techniques and methodologies.
• It is headquartered in Kolkata and has six regional offices located at Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Shillong and Kolkata. Every state has a state unit.

37 Gallantry Awards:

The President of India recently conferred 37 Gallantry awards, including eight Kirti Chakras and 29 Shaurya Chakras, during Defence Investiture Ceremony (Phase-1) held in New Delhi .

• They have been instituted by the Government of India to honour the acts of bravery and sacrifice of the officers/personnel of the Armed Forces, other lawfully constituted Forces and civilians.
• These gallantry awards are announced twice a year – first on the occasion of the Republic Day and then on the occasion of the Independence Day.
• Three gallantry awards, namely Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra, were instituted by the Government of India on 26th January, 1950.
• Thereafter, the other three gallantry awards, i.e. the Ashoka Chakra Class-I, the Ashoka Chakra Class-II and the Ashoka Chakra Class-III were instituted in 1952.
• These awards were renamed Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra, respectively, in 1967.
• The order of precedence of these awards is the Param Vir Chakra, the Ashoka Chakra, the Mahavir Chakra, the Kirti Chakra, the Vir Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra.

Bovine Viral Diarrhoea:

Scientists have recently created the first gene-edited calf with resistance to the bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV).

• Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) is an infectious disease, globally distributed endemic to cattle and other ruminant populations.
• It is caused by the Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV).
• It can cause of respiratory and reproductive issues in the herd.
• It leads to immunosuppression and can cause signs in multiple body systems in addition to the digestive tract.
• Most animals become exposed through contact with other recently infected or persistently infected (carrier) animals that are shedding the virus.
• It is also possible for cattle to become infected via contact with contaminated fomites, such as water buckets, calf feeders, feed bunks, IV equipment etc.
• It can be transmitted through a congenital infection of the fetus or after birth.
• The BVD infection in these calves will persist during the entire life of the calf, and they will shed BVDV continuously in the farm environment.
• While this virus has no cure, practising supportive therapies will temporarily help to improve the well-being of the cattle.
• Infected calves should be culled to prevent the spread of BVD.

Laureus World Sports Awards 2023:

The winners of the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards were announced. The Awards were held in person in Paris for the first time since 2020.

• The awards are conferred annually to honour the greatest and most inspirational sporting triumphs of the year and showcases the work of Laureus Sport for Good.
• The first Laureus World Sports Award ceremony took place on May 25, 2000.
• American golfer Tiger Woods was the first winner of this award.

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year

• Winner of 2023: Lionel Messi (Argentina)
• Lionel Messi became the first footballer to be awarded the Sportsman of the Year (in 2020)

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year

• Winner of 2023: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica)

Laureus World Team of the Year

• Winner of 2023: Argentina Men’s Football Team

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year

• Winner of 2023: Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)

Laureus World Comeback of the Year

• Winner of 2023: Christian Eriksen (Denmark)

Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year

• Winner of 2023: Eileen Gu (China)

Laureus Sport for Good

• Winner of 2023: TEAMUP (Global)

Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year With a Disability

• Winner of 2023: Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland)

Sittwe Port: India And Myanmar

India and Myanmar jointly inaugurated the Sittwe Port in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, marking an important milestone in enhancing bilateral and regional trade while also contributing to the local economy of the state.

• The port’s operationalization is expected to provide greater connectivity and leads to employment opportunities, as well as enhance growth prospects in the region.
• The project aims to provide an alternative connectivity route for Mizoram with Indian ports through the Kaladan River in Myanmar.
• It includes segments such as shipping from Haldia to Sittwe port, inland water transport from Sittwe to Paletwa via the Kaladan River, road transport from Paletwa to the Indo-Myanmar border, and further road transport to NH.54 in India.
• The Sittwe Port is part of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, funded by the Indian government, and will play a crucial role in linking India’s East Coast to the North-eastern states through waterways and roads.

Gems And Jewellery Export Promotion Council:

The Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council(GJEPC) launched India Jewellery Exposition 2023.

• The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council is the apex body founded in 1966.
• It drives India’s export-led growth in the gem and jewellery sector.
• Headquartered in Mumbai.
• It has regional offices across the country and over 7,500 members in its fold.
• Vision is to make India the preferred source for quality gems and jewellery.

Saint Samarth Ramdas: Controversy

A controversy arose pertaining to Saint Samarth Ramdas’s alleged connection to Marathi icon Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

• Saint Samarth Ramdas was an Indian Marathi Hindu saint, poet, philosopher, writer and spiritual master.
• He was a devotee of Hindu deities Rama and Hanuman.
• He was previously famous as Narayan.
• He was born in Jamb, a village in the present-day Jalna district of Maharashtra.
• He was born on the occasion of Rama Navami, in 1608.
• His literary works include Karunashtakas, Dasbodh, Yuddhakand, Sunderkand, Poorvarambh, Antarbhav, Chaturthman, Aatmaaram, Panchman, Panchsamasi, Manpanchak, Janaswabhawgosavi, etc.
• Ramdas is not deemed a pacifist.
• His writings include strong expressions encouraging nationalism to counter aggressive Muslim invaders.
• Ramdas served as an inspiration for several Indian thinkers, historians and social reformers from the 19th and 20th-century, including Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Rajwade, Keshav Hedgewar, and Ramchandra Ranade.
• A spiritual guru, Nana Dharmadhikari, promoted the views of Ramdas through his spiritual discourses.