CURRENT AFFAIRS – 20 March 2025
APAAR ID
Syllabus: Education
Source: TH
Context: The Centre and several State governments are pushing for large-scale adoption of the APAAR ID, leading to concerns over privacy, data security, and its voluntary status.
About APAAR ID:
- What is APAAR?
- APAAR stands for Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry, a unique 12-digit student identification number.
- It consolidates all academic records, making them accessible via DigiLocker under the ‘One Nation, One Student ID’ initiative.
- Ministry and Origin:
- Launched by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
- Introduced under National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCrF).
- Aim:
- To streamline academic record-keeping and facilitate seamless student transitions between institutions.
- To promote multiple entry-exit systems, track academic and co-curricular achievements, and enable transparent educational data management.
- Key Features:
- Permanent academic record stored on DigiLocker.
- Covers school and higher education students across India.
- Generated through the UDISE+ portal with Aadhaar linkage and parental consent for minors.
- Schools play a key role in verifying student data and assisting in the generation of the ID.
- Who Are Covered:
- All school and higher education students in India, both from government and private institutions.
- Mandatory Aadhaar authentication and parental consent for minors.
- Is It Mandatory?
- Officially voluntary, but State governments (like Uttar Pradesh) and authorities (CBSE) are pushing for 100% adoption, causing confusion.
- Parents can opt out by submitting written consent.
Advantages of Having APAAR ID:
- Seamless Transfers: Helps students move across institutions with verified academic records.
Example: Karnataka government highlights easier academic transitions across 74,200 schools.
- Academic Transparency: Showcases both curricular and co-curricular achievements on a single platform.
- Career Support: Facilitates job applications, skilling, and higher education admissions.
- Permanent Storage: Safeguards records in DigiLocker, reducing dependency on paper certificates.
- Tracking Progress: Enables policymakers to assess educational outcomes across regions.
Limitations and Challenges:
- Privacy Concerns: Lack of clear safeguards raises concerns about children’s data being misused or leaked.
Example: Internet Freedom Foundation flagged risks of open APIs exposing children’s data.
- Confusion Over Voluntariness: Mixed communication from schools and state circulars creates uncertainty.
- Technical Glitches: Challenges in linking Aadhaar to SATS and mismatches in student data.
Example: Bengaluru Urban South recorded only 24% APAAR ID generation due to data mismatch issues.
- Legal Uncertainty: Large-scale collection of minors’ data without a robust legal framework is considered unconstitutional.
Way Ahead:
- Clear Communication: Government must emphasize the voluntary nature and inform parents transparently.
- Legal Safeguards: Strong data privacy and protection mechanisms must be embedded.
- Capacity Building: Train school officials and digital outreach teams to handle consent, verification, and data linkage smoothly.
- Decentralized Monitoring: States should report regular progress and address public grievances through dedicated helplines.
Conclusion:
The APAAR initiative has the potential to transform student record management and ease academic transitions. However, privacy concerns, legal ambiguity, and implementation gaps need urgent attention. Clear policy communication and robust safeguards are essential to build trust among parents and stakeholders.
PYQ:
- The quality of higher education in India requires major improvements to make it internationally competitive. Do you think that the entry of foreign educational institutions would help improve the quality of higher and technical education in the country? Discuss. (UPSC-2015)
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 20 March 2025 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
Summary of ICAR Report on Climate Change Impact
Context: The Union Minister for Rural Development informed the Lok Sabha that climate change will lead to increased rainfall, resulting in higher soil erosion and rising salinity, based on the ICAR report on the impact of climate change.
Summary of ICAR Report on Climate Change Impact:
- Increase in Kharif Rainfall: Projected rise of 9–10.1% by 2050 and 5.5–18.9% by 2080, leading to excess surface runoff and soil displacement.
- Increase in Rabi Rainfall: Expected to grow by 12–17% by 2050 and 13–26% by 2080, affecting moisture balance and crop patterns.
- Soil Erosion: Estimated soil loss of 10 tonnes per hectare per year from croplands by 2050 due to heavier rainfall.
- Salinity-affected Areas: Expansion from 7 million hectares to 11 million hectares by 2030, reducing arable land availability.
Overall Concerns Mentioned in ICAR Report:
- Accelerated Soil Erosion: Increased rainfall will lead to significant topsoil loss, reducing soil fertility and crop productivity.
- Rising Soil Salinity: Expansion of salinity-affected areas will make large agricultural lands unproductive, impacting food security.
- Increased Crop Vulnerability: Erratic rainfall patterns and soil degradation will disrupt crop cycles and lower yields.
- Threat to Livelihoods: Degraded soil and reduced farm outputs will negatively affect farmers’ incomes and rural employment.
Recommendations Mentioned in ICAR Report:
- Adoption of Soil Conservation Measures: Encourage contour farming, cover cropping, and agroforestry to minimize erosion.
- Promotion of Salt-Tolerant Crop Varieties: Develop and deploy crops that can withstand increasing soil salinity conditions.
- Efficient Water Management Practices: Promote rainwater harvesting and micro-irrigation systems to manage rainfall variability.
- Strengthening Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Integrate climate modelling and advisory services to help farmers adapt their practices.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 20 March 2025 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Aurangzeb
Source: BS
Context: Recent violent clashes erupted in Nagpur over demands for the removal of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb.
About Aurangzeb:
- Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb (Alamgir I) — Known for his military expansion and strict adherence to Islamic principles.
- Born: November 3, 1618, in Dahod, Gujarat — Born to Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.
- Reign: 1658–1707 — His 50-year rule was the longest and marked by territorial expansion and religious conservatism.
- Death: March 3, 1707 — Died in Ahmednagar while managing the Deccan campaigns.
Aurangzeb’s Administration & Governance:
- Centralized Administration: He directly supervised every policy and order, reducing ministerial autonomy.
- Revenue System: Introduced revenue farming, where middlemen collected taxes, causing corruption and inefficiency.
- Legal Reforms: Appointed Muhtasibs to enforce Sharia law and ensure public morality.
- Military Expansion: Expanded the empire to its largest geographical extent, covering nearly 4 million sq. km.
Aurangzeb’s Contributions:
- Art and Architecture:
- Badshahi Mosque (1673): Built in Lahore; known for its massive structure and grandeur.
- Bibi Ka Maqbara (1678): Monument in Aurangabad resembling the Taj Mahal, built in memory of his wife.
- Idgah in Mathura: Constructed on the ruins of a temple to assert Mughal authority over rebellious Jats.
- Literature & Education:
- Fatawa-e-Alamgiri: A collection of Islamic laws that guided governance and personal conduct.
- Patronage to Scholars: Supported Persian and Arabic literature development to spread Islamic knowledge.
- Quran Copying: He personally copied the Quran, reflecting his piety and devotion.
- Religious Policies:
- Imposed Jizya tax (1679): Reintroduced tax on non-Muslims, seen as both revenue generation and religious assertion.
- Temple Destruction: Ordered selective temple demolitions, though some scholars argue they were politically motivated.
- Execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur (1675): Ordered due to refusal to convert and growing Sikh influence.
Audible Enclaves
Source: TH
Context: Researchers at Penn State have developed audible enclaves for personal sound delivery without headphones.
About Audible Enclaves:
- What are Audible Enclaves?
- Localized pockets of sound heard only at precise intersection points of ultrasonic beams.
- Enable private audio delivery to individuals in public spaces without disturbing others.
- Principle Behind Audible Enclaves:
- Nonlinear Acoustic Effect: Two ultrasonic waves intersect and interact non-linearly to generate audible sound only at the intersection point.
- Use of Metasurfaces: 3D-printed acoustic lenses bend ultrasonic beams along curved paths to meet at a controlled point.
- How Audible Enclaves Work:
- Ultrasonic Transducers: Two devices emit ultrasonic beams at slightly different frequencies.
- Self-Bending Beams: Beams follow crescent-shaped paths due to metasurfaces’ directional control.
- Intersection Point: Audible sound is produced only where beams intersect, isolating the audio zone.
- Obstacle Navigation: The beams can bend around human heads or objects, reaching the precise point without disturbance.
- Key Features:
- Privacy Listening: Audio is only heard by the person within the sound beam intersection, ensuring confidentiality.
- Virtual Headset Effect: Users can listen without headphones, with no sound leakage to others.
- Indoor and Outdoor Usability: Tested in reverberant spaces, classrooms, vehicles, and open environments.
- Directional Sound Control: Can direct sound beams to targeted locations even behind barriers.
- Limitations:
- Short Range: Currently functional only up to 1 meter from the sound source.
- Low Sound Intensity: Output is limited to around 60 decibels, equivalent to a normal conversation.
- Power Limitations: Increasing range or volume requires higher ultrasonic beam intensity.
- Environmental Dependence: Effectiveness may reduce in noisy or unpredictable outdoor conditions.
PEPSU Muzhara Movement
Source: IE
Context: The PEPSU Muzhara Movement, observed on March 19, marks a significant agrarian struggle in Punjab, where landless tenant farmers fought for ownership rights of the land they cultivated.
About PEPSU Muzhara Movement:
- What was the Muzhara Movement?
- A tenant farmers’ uprising where landless muzharas demanded ownership of the land they cultivated.
- It challenged the exploitative landlord system (biswedari) prevalent in pre- and post-independence Punjab.
- Year and Region:
- Started in the 1930s with small protests in the Patiala princely state.
- Reached its peak between the 1940s–1950s, spreading to 784 villages across Patiala, Barnala, Mansa, Sangrur, Bathinda, Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, and Jind (Haryana).
- Causes of the Movement:
- Feudal Exploitation: Muzharas were forced to surrender one-third of their produce to landlords, leaving them impoverished.
- Colonial Revenue Chain: Landlords paid a share to princely rulers who, in turn, paid revenue to the British, continuing exploitation.
- Loss of Land Ownership: Many small landholders were reduced to tenant status, losing control over their ancestral land.
- Post-Independence Oppression: After 1947, feudal landlords continued demanding produce, triggering intensified resistance.
- Key Leaders:
- Jagir Singh Joga: Organised and united tenant farmers, leading mass mobilisations.
- Buta Singh: Strong voice for land redistribution and tenant rights.
- Teja Singh Sutantar: Brought revolutionary ideology and connected the movement with wider peasant struggles.
- Sewa Singh Thikriwala: Inspired the movement through his anti-feudal activism.
- Forms of Movement:
- Peaceful Protests: Initially, the movement involved peaceful demands for land rights.
- Armed Resistance: As landlords and the administration turned violent, muzharas armed themselves for self-defense.
- Mass Mobilisation: Large gatherings, conferences, and collective actions were organised to resist exploitation.
- Outcome:
- Land Reforms: By 1952, land reforms were implemented, granting ownership rights to tenant farmers.
- Symbol of Resistance: The movement became a symbol of peasant resilience against feudal and state oppression.
- Annual Commemoration: March 19 is observed annually to honor the martyrs of the movement.
Rashtriya Gokul Mission
Source: TH
Context: The Union Cabinet has approved a revised outlay of ₹3,400 crore for the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM).
- Additional ₹1,000 crore has been allocated for the period 2021–22 to 2025–26, with new initiatives for cattle development.
About Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM):
- What is Rashtriya Gokul Mission?
- It is a flagship scheme for development and conservation of indigenous bovine breeds in India.
- The mission aims to enhance milk production and productivity in a sustainable manner.
- Launched In: The scheme was launched in December 2014.
- Ministry: Implemented by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying.
- Funding Pattern:
- The scheme is implemented on a 100% grant-in-aid basis, except for certain components:
- ₹5,000 subsidy per IVF pregnancy.
- 50% subsidy for sex-sorted semen cost.
- 50% subsidy up to ₹2 crore for establishing breed multiplication farms.
- Aim of Rashtriya Gokul Mission:
- Boost bovine productivity and increase sustainable milk production using modern technology.
- Promote the use of high genetic merit bulls for breeding improvement.
- Expand Artificial Insemination (AI) services at farmers’ doorsteps.
- Preserve and promote indigenous cattle and buffalo breeds through scientific methods.
The Customs Act of 1962
Source: BS
Context: Kannada actor Ranya Rao was caught smuggling 14.8 kg of gold at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport.
- The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) uncovered this major gold smuggling operation, invoking provisions under the Customs Act of 1962.
About the Customs Act Of 1962:
- What is the Customs Act of 1962?
- The Customs Act, 1962 regulates the import and export of goods in India.
- It safeguards the economy, controls smuggling, and promotes legal international trade.
- Implementing Agency: Administered by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) under the Ministry of Finance.
- Key Provisions of the Act:
- Customs Duty: Imposes duties on imported and exported goods based on the Customs Tariff Act, 1975.
- Prohibitions and Restrictions: Empowers the government to ban or restrict certain imports/exports for national security and public health.
- Clearance Procedures: Mandates proper documentation, duty payment, and adherence to customs protocols before clearance.
- Warehousing Provisions: Allows imported goods to be stored without immediate duty payment until released for consumption or export.
- Exemptions Allowed for Passengers (International Arrivals):
- General Duty-Free Allowance: ₹50,000 worth of goods for international passengers.
- Gold Allowance:
- Male passengers: 20 gm of gold (value up to ₹50,000).
- Female passengers: 40 gm of gold (value up to ₹1,00,000).
- NRIs: Can bring up to 10,000 gm once in six months (duty applicable beyond exemption).
- Other Allowances:
- One laptop per adult passenger.
- Alcohol: 2 litres.
- Tobacco: 100 cigarettes or equivalent.
- Cash Carrying Limit:
-
- Passengers can carry up to ₹25,000 in Indian currency without declaration.
- Must declare foreign currency if exceeding $5,000 or $10,000 equivalent in total foreign exchange.
- Fines and Punishment for Smuggling:
- Imprisonment: Jail term between 3 to 7 years, based on severity.
- Fines: Penalties may extend up to three times the value of smuggled goods.
Samarth Incubation Program
Source: PIB
Context: The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), an autonomous R&D body under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, launched the ‘Samarth’ Incubation Program.
About Samarth Incubation Program:
- What is Samarth Incubation Program:
- A dedicated incubation program supporting startups and innovators in telecom and ICT fields.
- Bridges the gap from ideation to commercialization, fostering high-impact technology solutions.
- Ministry: Launched by C-DOT under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India.
- Implementing Agency: Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) serves as the official implementation partner.
- Aim of the Program:
- Promotes next-gen technologies like 5G/6G, AI, IoT, cybersecurity, and quantum tech.
- Encourages scalable, sustainable business models and strengthens India’s startup ecosystem.
- Key Features:
- Cohort Size: 18 startups per program, totaling 36 startups across two six-month cohorts.
- Hybrid Model: Delivered in both physical and virtual modes for flexibility.
- Support Offered: Grants up to ₹5 lakh, access to C-DOT labs, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
- Eligibility: Startups must be DPIIT-recognized to apply.
- Significance:
- Strengthens India’s innovation ecosystem in telecom and ICT sectors.
- Creates job-generating businesses and fosters collaborative research and public-private partnerships.
Sonic Weapons
Source: IE
Context: Serbia’s government has been accused of using illegal sonic weapons against protesters in Belgrade.
About Sonic Weapons:
- What are Sonic Weapons?
- Devices that emit extremely loud sounds over long distances to disperse crowds or disorient individuals.
- They can deliver either audible or inaudible frequencies, causing pain or discomfort.
- How Do Sonic Weapons Work?
- Use of Transducers: Hundreds of electronic transducers convert energy to produce focused sound beams.
- Controlled Output: Authorities can adjust frequency, volume, and direction to target specific areas.
- Directional Sound Beam: A narrow beam ensures targeted impact without spreading in all directions.
- Different Types of Sonic Weapons:
- Long-Range Acoustic Device (LRAD):
- Emits sound up to 160 dB with an 8,900-meter range.
- Used for crowd control and voice communication in military and police operations.
- Mosquito Device:
- Produces high-frequency sounds audible only to youth below 30 years.
- Deployed to deter gatherings of teenagers in public spaces.
- Infrasonic Weapon:
- Emits very low-frequency, inaudible sound waves.
- Causes disorientation and discomfort; still experimental and not fully weaponized.
- Applications of Sonic Weapons
- Crowd Control: Used by law enforcement to disperse large protests.
- Military Use: Deployed for security alerts and communication over long distances.
- Property Protection: Mosquito devices prevent loitering around sensitive locations.
- Harmfulness on Health:
- Hearing Damage: Prolonged exposure above 120 dB can cause permanent hearing loss.
- Tinnitus: Continuous loud sound causes ringing in the ears that can last for hours or days.
- Physical Symptoms: Includes headaches, nausea, sweating, vertigo, and disorientation.
- Severe Injury: In extreme cases, may lead to vomiting and bleeding from the ears.
- Indiscriminate Effect: Can harm not just protesters but also bystanders and enforcement personnel.
CURRENT AFFAIRS – 20 March 2025 Mapping:
Betwa River
Source: NDTV
Context: The Betwa River in Madhya Pradesh is drying up due to illegal sand mining, deforestation, and over-extraction through borings.
About Betwa River:
- Origin:
- The Betwa River originates from Jhiri village in Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh. It rises at an elevation of 470 metres in the Vindhya Range.
- States Flow Through:
- Flows through Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, covering districts like Bhopal, Vidisha, Orchha, and Hamirpur.
- The river travels 590 kilometres before meeting the Yamuna.
- Tributaries of Betwa:
- Major tributaries: Halali and Dhasan rivers.
- Halali River is the longest tributary, measuring 32 kilometres in length.
- The basin includes 14 tributaries, with 11 entirely in Madhya Pradesh and 3 partially shared with Uttar Pradesh.
- Betwa is a Tributary of: The Betwa River is a right-bank tributary of the Yamuna River, meeting it near Hamirpur in Uttar Pradesh.
- Causes of River Betwa’s Slow Death:
- Illegal Sand Mining: Rampant sand extraction from the riverbed has disrupted natural water flow and damaged the river’s ecological balance.
- Deforestation in Catchment Areas: Unchecked cutting of forests around the river’s origin has reduced natural water recharge and soil retention.
- Excessive Groundwater Borings: Over-extraction of water through illegal borewells has depleted the river’s natural sources and blocked surface flow.
- Encroachment and Concrete Construction: Cement walls and construction near the river’s origin have choked the natural channels, affecting the river’s ability to replenish itself.