DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

25^th January 2022

No.	Topic Name	Prelims/Mains
1.	ABOUT IRRAWADDY DOLPHIN	Prelims & Mains
2.	PROCESS OF RENUNCIATION OF INDIAN CITIZENSHIP	Prelims & Mains
3.	ABOUT SUNDERBANS REGION	Prelims & Mains
4.	ABOUT THE NEW QUAD	Prelims Specific
5.	ZIRCON HYPERSONIC CRUISE MISSILE OF RUSSIA	Prelims Specific

 

1. IRRAWADDY DOLPHIN: 

GS III

Topic – Conservation related issues:

• About Irrawaddy Dolphins:
• Irrawaddy dolphins fall under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and mentioned in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Endangered Species.
• Found in coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia, and in three rivers: the Irrawaddy (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo) and the Mekong (China).
• The concentrated lagoon populations are found in Chilika Lake in Odisha, and Songkhla Lake in southern Thailand.
• About Chilika Lake:
• Chilika is Asia’s largest and world’s second largest lagoon.
• It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent and is home to a number of threatened species of plants and animals.
• In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
• Major attraction at Chilika is Irrawaddy dolphinswhich are often spotted off Satpada Island.
• The large Nalabana Island (Forest of Reeds) covering about 16 sq km in the lagoon area was declared a bird sanctuary in 1987.
• Kalijai Temple –Located on an island in the Chilika Lake.
• Source – Down to Earth

2. PROCESS OF RENUNCIATION OF INDIAN CITIZENSHIP:

GS II

Topic – Citizenship related issues:

• Why in News:
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had recently simplified the process for Indians who want to renounce their citizenship
• Provisions have been made for applicants to upload documents online, with an upper limit of 60 days for the renunciation process to be completed.
• About Citizenship:
• In India, Articles 5 – 11 of the Constitution deals with the concept of citizenship. The term citizenship entails the enjoyment of full membership of any State in which a citizen has civil and political rights.
• Termination of citizenship is possible in three ways according to the Citizenship Act, 1955.
• Renunciation: If any citizen of India who is also a national of another country renounces his Indian citizenship through a declaration in the prescribed manner, he ceases to be an Indian citizen.
• Termination: Indian citizenship can be terminated if a citizen knowingly or voluntarily adopts the citizenship of any foreign country.
• Deprivation: The government of India can deprive a person of his citizenship in some cases. It is applicable only in the case of citizens who have acquired the citizenship by registration, naturalization, or only by Article 5 (c)
• Source – The Indian Express

3. ABOUT SUNDARBANS REGION:

GS III

Topic – Conservation related issues:

• About Indian Sundarbans:
• Covers 4,200 sq. km and includes the Sunderban Tiger Reserve of 2,585 sq. km — home to about 96 royal Bengal tigers (as per the last census in 2020).
• It is a world heritage site and a Ramsar site (a wetland site designated to be of international importance).
• It is also home to a large number of “rare and globally threatened species, such as the critically endangered northern river terrapin (Batagur baska), the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris), and the vulnerable fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus).”
• Two of the world’s four horseshoe crab species, and eight of India’s 12 species of kingfisher are also found here. Recent studies claim that the Indian Sundarban is home to 2,626 faunal species and 90% of the country’s mangrove varieties.
• Issues and challenges:
• Small patches of mangroves are being lost gradually and quietly due to their indiscriminate destruction for either coastal development or short-term gains.
• These patches are observed to be enriched habitats of several rare and threatened flora and fauna.
• The continued loss of shoreline mangrove ecosystems has created fragmented and fragile mangrove habitats for rare taxa and framed barriers to their movement and dispersal.
• This irreversible loss of biodiversity is often neglected, which could never be compensated with any ‘cut the established and plant the new’ theory.
• What can be done:
• The Sunderbans are affected due to the polluted discharges from shrimp ponds.
• So, instead of popularising shrimp farming, if more indigenous fishing activities were encouraged, coastal threatened biodiversity could be protected and at the same time livelihood options may be provided to the coastal dwellers.
• Source – The Hindu

4. ABOUT THE NEW QUAD:

GS II

Topic – International relations:

• About the group:
• The group is known as ‘New Quad’ or ‘Middle-Eastern Quad’.
• Objectives and focus areas of the new Quad:
• The group aims to serve as an “international economic forum” that will work to advance economic and political relations between the four countries.
• Significance:
• Experts believe the new group is crucial for greater international cooperation in keeping the Middle East region stable.
• Comparison with Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD):
• QSD, commonly referred to as the ‘Quad’ strategic dialogue is held between the United States, India, Japan and Australia.
• The dialogue was initiated in 2007 in response to an increase in Chinese violence in the South China Sea and was accompanied by the largest joint military exercise of the modern day, the Malabar Exercise.
• While Australia moved out of the discussion as its economic ties with China grow over a decade, the group reunited in 2017.
• What will the new Quad Group focus on:
• Some of the areas that these countries highlighted during their talks included improving trade relations, regional maritime cooperation, joint public health communications around the world, and joint infrastructure projects focusing on transportation and technology.
• Benefits of the new Quad:
• Apart from trade, there are opportunities for India, the UAE and Israel to work together in many areas – from semiconductor construction and space technology development.
• With the new alliance, India can use this platform to take advantage of various opportunities such as Big data, AI, Quantum computing, exporting its products to their market etc.
• The group will help focus on non-military issues such as trade, power, and the environment as well as the promotion of public goods.
• The platform will help India to pursue multi-stakeholder relations in the region.
• With major powers such as France, Russia, and China drawn into the region, the coalition will help India build its position in changing the geopolitics of the region.
• The need and importance of the group:
• Four countries with “different sets of skills, knowledge, and experience” can be used to create a new network of partnerships.
• Countries have also noticed that there is a growing interest in each other. Especially in the field of energy, climate, trade, and regional security.
• Therefore, the new Quad format will help these countries to develop these areas continuously.

5. Zircon Hypersonic Cruise Missile:

Prelims Specific Topic

• Russia has conducted another successful test of its Zircon hypersonic cruise missile, one of the newest additions to President Vladimir Putin’s arsenal of “invincible” weapons.
• Hypersonic Missiles can travel more than five times the speed of sound and manoeuvre in mid-flight, making them much more difficult to track and intercept than traditional projectiles.
• Source – Down To Earth Magazine