Hamas and its supporters are ‘beyond belief’

Why in the News?

The recent attack of Hamas on Israel which has led to flaring up of a full-fledged war, has been condoned by some while condemned by other countries.

 The War’s effect on the Palestinian cause

1. Views of many European observers:
   1. The Hamas attack is considered wrong and indefensible.
   2. However, Hamas launched the attack as consequence of the huge spread of Israeli settlements (Israeli settler aggression), largely encouraged by the Netanyahu governments and condoned by allies such as the United States. 
   3. Hamas has also declared that its aim is to drive back such new or recent settlements.
2. However, historically Palestinians have indulged in violent/ ‘terrorist’ acts to focus world attention on the Palestinian problem.
   1. Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), under Yasser Arafat’s leadership also used such tactics to draw attention to their plight and the oppressive policies of Israel.
   2. Such an outcome to their cause was Oslo Accords.

The past and the present:

1. The difference between then and now is the PLO and Hamas.
2. PLO under Yasser Arafat was fighting a secular battle for a nation-state against a state that is defined by religion. 
3. However, political Islam is today associated almost entirely with Islam and almost all Muslims.
   1.  Many Muslims have endorsed extreme versions of religiosity and fundamentalism and define imagined states in religious ‘Islamic’ terms.
   2. Muslims who don not agree with such versions of political Islam are sidelined as ‘anti-Islamic’ or unfairly dismissed as “not Muslim”. (for instance, the protestors of Iran are considered so).
4. Such a division crated by organisations such as Hamas is likely to be factor that will contribute to the defeat of Hamas against Israel.

Bihar’s caste census to promote better social justice

Why in the News?

The data of caste-based survey known as the Bihar Jaati Adharit Ganana, conducted by Bihar government was recently released

Why do we need a caste-based survey?

1. To provide accurate and up-to-date data on the distribution and socio-economic status of the various castes and communities in India. 
2. It is essential for evidence-based policy formulation and implementation. 
3. It helps policymakers to identify marginalised and disadvantaged groups and frame targeted interventions to uplift them.
4. It enables recognising and quantifying the extent of historical injustices and disparities that exist in society.

Accuracy for efficacy:

1. Government can develop more effective and targeted welfare programmes tailored to the specific needs of different caste groups and most vulnerable sections of society. 
2. Regular caste-based census data can help to track the progress of evaluation of the effectiveness of policies and programmes of different caste groups over time.
3. Enables government to make necessary adjustments to policies when needed.
4. It helps ensure fair representation of marginalised communities in government, education, and employment. 
5. A caste-based census promotes transparency and accountability in government efforts to promote social justice.
6. Without accurate data, the risk of misusing caste certificates for personal gain or political purposes will be on rise.

Perceived outcomes of caste-based data:

1. Caste census is necessary to address historical injustices & marginalisation and promote social justice though it is debated that it will perpetuate and deepen caste divisions.
2. The Indian Constitution recognises the existence of caste-based discrimination and inequality and places obligation on the government to take affirmative actions to implement and enforce these provisions.
3. It ensures committed government intervention as discrimination based on caste is a violation of human rights and government needs to act to protect them to all its citizens.
4. It fosters social cohesion as government can utilise caste data to prevent a sense of inequality and injustice among marginalised groups due to caste discrimination.
5. Government intervention through targeted affirmative action policies can help bridge economic disparities, as certain caste groups face limited access to education and employment opportunities.
6. By enforcing anti-discrimination laws and promoting fair employment practices, discrimination in employment limiting job opportunities for certain caste groups can be prevented.
7. Can improve political representation especially for Dalits and other marginalised caste groups who have historically been under-represented in political positions.

Large ozone hole detected over Antarctica

Why in the News?

Recent satellite measurements by European Space Agency Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite as part of the EU’s environmental monitoring program over Antarctica have detected a giant hole in the ozone layer.

• The hole i.e., the “ozone-depleted area” was 26 million square kilometers (10 million square miles) in size, roughly three times the size of Brazil.
• The satellite measured trace gases in the atmosphere in order to monitor the ozone and climate.
• The hole in the ozone is not likely to increase warming on the surface of Antarctica and hence, not a concern for climate change.

Ozone holes grow and shrink every year:

1. The ozone layer is a trace gas in the stratosphere, one of the four layers of the Earth’s atmosphere.
2. It functions as a protective gas shield that absorbs ultraviolet radiation, protecting humans and ecosystems from dangerous amounts of UV. 
3. Most skin cancers are caused by exposure to high amounts of UV radiation, so the ozone prevents UV rays and helps reduce cancer rates.
4. The size of the ozone hole over Antarctica fluctuates each year, opening each year in August and closing again in November or December.
5. Ozone hole opens up because of the rotation of the Earth causing specials winds over the closed landmass of Antarctica. 
6. The winds create a mini climate, creating a shield over Antarctica preventing it from mixing with surrounding air and when the winds die down, the hole closes.
7. It an ozone depletion takes longer time to repair, it may be due to a longer, more drawn-out polar vortex, which can lead to a wintertime lasting that little bit longer.

What caused the giant ozone hole this year?

1. This year’s big ozone hole is believed to be due to the volcanic eruptions at Hunga Tongain Tonga during December 2022 and January 2023.
2. Under normal conditions, gas released from a volcanic eruption stays below the level of the stratosphere, but this eruption sent a lot of water vapor into the stratosphere.
3. The water had an impact on the ozone layer through chemical reactions and changed its heating rate.
4. The water vapor also contained other elements that can deplete ozone like bromine and iodine. 
5. There is less evidence that ozone hole is due to humans.

Human-caused ozone holes:

1. Though this year’s Antarctic ozone hole was likely due to a volcanic eruption, human activities were creating huge ozone holes in the 1970s.
2. Ground and satellite-based measurements detected the holes, which were caused by widespread use of chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons and propellants used as gases to propel the solutions inside that contains chlorine.
3. They get released high in the stratosphere and depletes the ozone.
4. The Montreal Protocol was created in 1987 to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of these harmful substances.
5. The protocol was effective as ozone holes got smaller in the decades after ozone-depleting gas emissions were controlled.

Is climate change reopening ozone holes?

1. Ozone depletion is not a principal cause of global climate change.
2. However, there are signs that rising global temperatures could be having an impact on ozone holes.
3. The main reason for the large ozone hole in 2020 was due to the wildfires in southeastern Australia that year.
4. There is evidence that ozone holes change the progression of the seasons.

Hamas and Israel

Why in the News?

The ongoing battle of Israel-Palestine is seen as unprecedented one since the establishment of Israel in May 1948 and comes exactly 14 months after the truce that ended the brief confrontation between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in 2022.

Who are Hamas?

1. The First Intifada (1987-93) is a Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
2. Hamas or Islamic Resistance Movement, was founded in 1987 as a political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood after the First Intifada.
3. This group has a major influence inside Palestinian territories, particularly in the Gaza Strip and its armed wing, Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades have carried out several rocket attacks against Israel, mostly in the southern part of the country.
4. Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, particularly after the defeat of Fatah, the political rival of Hamas in the 2006 elections.
5. Post-withdrawal witnessed frequent outbreaks of violence where Hamas also developed expertise in digging sophisticated military tunnels that have become conduits for cross-border infiltration.

What is Hamas’ position on Israel?

1. Hamas has considered its main goal as the destruction of Israel.
2. The Israel-Egypt peace treaty signed in 1979 following the Camp David Accords of 1978 was strongly condemned by Hamas.
3. The group also disapproves any kind of normalisation between Israel and other countries in the region, including the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, which were parties to the US-mediated Abraham Accords signed in late 2020.
4. Hamas proposed acceptance of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders in 2017, but failed to a political breakthrough with the Israelis.
5. Hamas still refuses to recognise Israel.

Is Hamas a terrorist organisation?

1. Hamas has been recognised as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation by the US and European Union (EU).
2. This would gain further traction with the international community to go for  a wider designation of Hamas as a terrorist organisation.
3. But the Palestinians have a similar accusation that Israel’s military operations as acts of “terrorism” and war crime as its policy of encouraging and abetting Jewish settlements in the West Bank as a flagrant violation of international law.

What could have triggered Hamas to launch its invasion on October 7?

1. Stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks with no serious efforts to resolve the longstanding dispute accompanied by moderate Arab countries increasingly normalising ties with Israel.
   1. It has given an impression that the historical Arab-Israeli conflict is now more of an Israel-Palestinian issue. 
   2. Hamas wanted to bring the ‘ignored’ Palestinian cause back in the spotlight.
   3. They also wanted to prove that the security of the Middle East, let alone Israel, cannot be guaranteed without settlement of the Palestinian issue.
2. Most hardline steps taken by the present Israelian government such as,
   1. Expansion of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land
   2. Possibility of annexing part of the West Bank.
   3. Israel’s minister for national security visited the Al-Aqsa mosque complex in Jerusalem and declared that Israel was “in charge” of the disputed site that is sacred to both Muslims and Jews. 
   4. The attack codenamed as “Al-Aqsa Flood” can be a symbolical indication by the Hamas to the Israelis and the international community that Jerusalem is undividable.
3. Growing perception among Palestinians that Israel’s diplomatic recognition and political acceptance are on the rise in the wider Middle Eastern region. 
   1. Normalisation of ties after signing of the Abraham Accords.
   2. Possibility of Israel and Saudi Arabia signing a normalisation agreement backed by the US has been growing.
   3. The Hamas attack could be its plan to derail the probable Israeli-Saudi agreement by provoking the inevitable heavy retaliation and drawing regional and international condemnation.

Do the attacks show a failure of Israel’s intelligence mechanisms?

1. The surprise attack by Hamas is a considerable blow to the reputation of Israel’s intelligence apparatus, including its cyber capabilities, which are admired by countries around the world.
2. The reason can be ignorance or underestimation of red flags or warnings by the Israelis or Hamas has gained expertise in evading Israeli technical surveillance.
3. The militants have also shown the ability to operate in the air (paragliding), on land, and at sea, all at the same time.
4. The attack episode will compel Israel to re-look at, and re-strategise its policies relating to counter-terrorism, counter-intelligence, surveillance, and collecting both signal intelligence (SIGINT) and human intelligence.

Unemployment in India

Why in the News?

The Prime Minister has said unemployment rate in the country is at its lowest level in the last six years and India's expanding economy is creating new possibilities for the youth.

• Unemployment is decreasing rapidly in both rural and urban areas of India.
• The benefits of development are reaching both villages and cities equally.
• There is an unprecedented increase in the participation of women in India’s workforce 

Unemployment in India:

1. India is the fastest-growing large economy in the world, but the unemployment rate has also increased.
2. More than 50% of India’s population is <25 years and more than 65% is >35 years of age.
3. The unemployment rate of India stands at 8% as per the data of Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).
4. There is a coexistence of high economic growth and high unemployment in India.
5. The reason for high growth and unemployment is not because of reflection of automation or AI but lop-sided development policies that has not addressed the growing demand for jobs balanced with employment opportunities.

Challenges

1. Poor infrastructure:
   • Poor physical and human infrastructure has constrained the growth drivers and limited the size of the manufacturing sector in India.
2. Illiteracy especially in rural areas due to multitude of factors:
   • India has the largest concentration of illiterate people in the world with more than one-third of the adult population in the country remaining illiterate, and less than 20% have completed secondary education.
   • Multidimensional damages faced by rural areas in terms of access, quality, relevance, finance and governance
   • huge variation in the quality of graduates from both the public and private systems due to absence of any effective systems for quality assurance.
   • shortage of qualified faculty due to poor compensation
   • Outdated curricula and pedagogical methods like rote learning rather than creative thinking and problem-solving and teamwork needed by the market.
3. India’s infrastructure investments are focused on majorly urban areas which has led to uneven spatial development and resultant slowing down of the pace of job creation. 
4. India’s manufacturing sector is showing a de-urbanising trend by moving from urban to rural areas to remain competitive. But the manufacturing sector is not able to grow fast in rural areas as they lack adequate physical and human infrastructure.
   • Industrial firms migrate to rural areas due to advantages offered such as cheaper land prices, lower pollution restrictions, weaker congestion and other spatial factors.
   • India’s slow-down in the manufacturing trend is due to the divergence in the paths of urbanisation and industrialisation.

Initiatives taken so far:

1. Setting up of 5,000 new ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes) in the last 9 years adding more than 4 lakh new ITI seats in the country.
2. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana has strengthened the skills of the youth at the ground level.
   1. About 1.5 crore youths have been trained so far. 
   2. New skill centres have been established near industrial clusters to enable the industry to share its requirements with skill development institutes.
3. Creating new opportunities through skilling and education such as the new National Education Policy.
4. Traditional sectors which provide jobs have been strengthened while new sectors that promote employment and entrepreneurship are also being promoted.
5. Global skill mapping has been recently accepted at the G20 Summit which will help in creating better opportunities for youth.

What has to be done?

1. Development of good infrastructure both physical and human, to create more jobs.
   1. Physical infrastructure investments particularly focus on urban areas, but the manufacturing sector is migrating away from urban to rural areas to remain cost-competitive.
   2. Physical infrastructure in rural areas has been inadequate, thus limiting the size of the manufacturing sector in India.
   3. Poor human infrastructure like education and skills has constrained the growth drivers of India.
2. Investments in Education has to be increased.
   1. Returns to investment in education are much higher compared to returns to investment in physical investment.
   2. Focus on education has to emphasized on both basic education and higher education.
      • The World Bank has focused on basic education and has highly ignored higher education.
   3. Governance needs to be improved in education system
      • The governance of education system needs better incentives, monitoring, performance assessment, and accountability both for the internal processes of the education process as well as for students.
   4. Scaling up of tertiary education will increase the cadres of professionals who can create new enterprises and maximise job creation.
3. Focus on Tier-2 cities to unleash its growth potentials:
   1. The future of economic growth will be minimal in the very dense tier I cities and shall be exponential in tier II cities.
      • New cities can generate 70% of the country’s new jobs and GDP over the next 20 years which will lead to a 4-fold increase in per capita incomes.
      • Across the world, manufacturing has been dispersing from high-density clusters to less dense areas.
4. Policy making has to encompass a broader focus on rural structural transformation to accelerate job creation.
   1. This shall help to overcome the divergence in the paths of urbanisation and industrialisation.
   2. Scaling up of physical and human infrastructure investments is required to build the missing links between urban and rural India.

Accidents in Indian Railways

Why in the News?

23 coaches of the Assam-bound North East Superfast Express derailed in Buxar district of Bihar recently, which has been caused due to cracks in the railway track as per primary investigation.

Accidents in Indian Railways:

1. Indian Railways (IR) has classified accidents, as an occurrence in the course of working of Railway, which does or may affect the safety of the Railway or passengers or safety of others or which does or may cause delay to train or loss to the Railway.
2. The accidents are classified under five heads:
   1. Train Accidents
   2. Yard Accidents
   3. Indicative Accidents
   4. Equipment Failures
   5. Unusual Incidents.

3. 217 consequential accidents have occurred between 2017-21, out of which the maximum accidents (163 derailments) were due to derailments (~75% of the total consequential accidents).
4. In the category ‘Other Train Accidents’, total 1800 accidents took place in which derailments accounted for 68%.

Derailments on Indian Railways:

1. Derailments are off-loading of wheel or wheels causing detention or damage to rolling stock/permanent way.
2. Causes of derailment can be due to sudden or gradual due to failure of one or more of factors related to
   1. Track
   2. Train operations
   3. Mechanical/ Rolling Stock
   4. Signal and Telecommunication.
3. The maximum derailments (395) were in ‘Engineering Department’ followed by ‘Operating Department’ (173).
4. The major factors responsible for derailment:
   1. Maintenance of track (highest)
   2. Deviation of track parameters beyond permissible limits
   3. bad driving/over speeding.

Recommendations:

1. Strict adherence to the scheduled timelines for conducting and finalization of accident inquiries.
2. Developing a foolproof system of learning from past mistakes from the accident inquiry reports.
3. A robust safety management system has to be created to ensure a system of checks and balances and minimize the chances of accident due to ‘failure of’ or ‘weakness in’ one or more of the remaining barriers.
4. Monitoring the preventive action has to be mandatorily made part of SIMS, the online real time reporting system
5. The quantity and quality of maintenance should not be compromised and adequate staffing in safety category has to be ensured.
6. The Track Management System (TMS), a web-based application for online monitoring of track maintenance activities has to be made operational.
7. Physical as well as financial targets in respect of track renewals need to be enhanced as per the annual requirement for track renewals for safety.

Developing Border Infrastructure

Why in the News?

Prime Minister of India has inaugurated and laid the foundation for multiple development projects in Uttarakhand worth around Rs 4,200 crore, which included those related to border roads.

Infrastructure in the border areas:

1. The development of infrastructure in the border areas include construction of,
   1. Roads
   2. Fence
   3. Floodlighting
   4. Border Out Posts (BOPs)
   5. Company Operating Bases (COBs)
   6. Deployment of technological solutions along the international borders
2. Indo-Nepal Border (INB):
   1. Both the countries share an open border of 1751 kilometres which runs along the 5 States, namely Bihar, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
   2. The border is vulnerable to anti-national and anti-social activities due to its open and porous nature.
   3. Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), the designated border guarding force on INB have severely limited mobility due to lack of road infrastructure.
   4. The lack of infrastructure shall prevent mobility of the troops as fast operations could not be launched against anti-National and criminal elements.
   5. The Indo-Nepal Border Road Project (INBRP) was implemented to develop ~1200km of border roads.

Recommendations of CAG report:

1. Efforts have to be taken to ensure speedy completion of this strategically important project.
2. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) can consider construction of link roads as a distinct component of the project, to enhance the operational and strategic value of the border roads.
3. A co-ordination mechanism amongst all the stakeholders has to be considered to resolve the pending issues of land acquisition and forest clearance to complete the project within the extended time.
4. Monitoring mechanism has to be strengthened to keep a strict vigil on the utilisation of funds by the State Governments.
5. A third party inspection clause in MoU can be included to boost quality assurance and strengthen its monitoring mechanism.

About:

Border Roads Organisation (BRO):

1. It is a statutory body under the ownership of the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India.
2. BRO develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and friendly neighbouring countries.
3. They have been developing infrastructure operations in 19 states and three union territories (including Andaman and Nicobar Islands) and neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Tajikistan and Sri Lanka. 
4. BRO is also tasked with maintaining this infrastructure including operations such as snow clearance.
5. The BRO consists of Border Roads Wing under the Ministry of Defense and the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF). 

Global hunger Index

1. India has been ranked 111th out of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2023.
2. The index is published on an annual basis by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.
3. India has a score of 28.7, indicating a serious level of hunger, ranking after neighbouring countries of Pakistan (102nd), Bangladesh (81st), Nepal (69th) and Sri Lanka (60th).

4. However, India fared better than South Asia and Africa South of the Sahara.
5. India also has the highest child wasting rate (children’s weight relative to their height) in the world at 18.7%

P20 Summit

1. The 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) will be inaugurated by India and will be hosted by the Parliament of India under the broader framework of India's G20 presidency.
2. It will have 4 main sessions:
   1. Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Showcasing Achievements, Accelerating Progress
   2. Sustainable Energy Transition — Gateway to Green Future
   3. Mainstreaming Gender Equality, From Women’s Development to Women-led Development
   4. Transformation in people’s lives through Public Digital Platforms.
3. The theme of this year’s P20 Summit is “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, which embodies the spirit of unity, collaboration and shared destiny. 
4. This year, the P20 summit will also emphasise the “LiFE is Beautiful” initiative, through a pre-summit event.
5. The “LiFE is Beautiful” initiative:
   1. recognises communities that practise environmentally conscious lifestyles as “Pro-Planet People” (P-3)
   2. seeks to leverage these practices to build a sustainable ecosystem based on the principle of “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle”.

Adi Kailash

1. Adi Kailash, also known as Shiva Kailash, Chota Kailash, Baba Kailash or Jonglingkong Peak, is a mountain located in the Himalayan Mountain range in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, India.
2. It is the second most important peak among the group of five separate peaks in Himalayas, others include:
   1. Mount Kailash i
   2. Shikhar Kailash
   3. Kinnaur Kailash
   4. Manimahesh Kailash
3. It is considered as the biggest centre of faith for members of the Rung community.
4. Gauri Kund (Jolingkong Lake) and Parvati Tal glacial lakes are at the base of the Adi Parvat.

Mundra Port

1. It is India's first private port and largest container port in India.
2. It is located on the northern shores of the Gulf of Kutch near Mundra, Kutch district of Gujarat.
3. Incorporated in 2003, it became India's first multi-product port-based special economic zone. 
4. Formerly operated by Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone Limited (MPSEZ), it was later expanded into Adani Ports & SEZ Limited (APSEZ).