Current Affairs Capsule for 11th October 2024

1. South Korea’s Kang wins literature Nobel fo her ‘intense prose’

Key Highlights:

• Recipient: South Korean author Han Kang.

• Award: For her faint poetic prose which meditates on histories of suffering and vulnerability.

Notable Works:

• The Vegetarian (2007) – Her best known work to date that became an international bestseller after its translation in 2015. For this work, it was awarded the Man Booker International Prize in the year across 2016.

• This movie Is Human Acts (2016) – revolves around the real-life event of the cruel South Korean dictatorship supernatural military regime.

• The White Book (2017) – is a poetry for those people who have lost someone or, at least, something important in their life.

• Greek Lessons (2023) – Describes a love affair between a mute woman who is a patient in aGreek Lessons (2023) – Shows an affair between a woman who became a victim of loss of voice and a man who lost his sight, teacher.

Themes:

• Suffering of women, male domination, topical and past violence, and people’s pain.

• Writing in poetic manner, Han Kang evoke dark times in human history but still retains feeling and individuality in the narrative.

Relevance for UPSC/SSC Exams:

• Knowledge of Literary awards and their Importance is important for SSC CGL and UPSC GS Paper 1 ( Art & Culture).

• Concerning themes, Gatsby and Han Kang’s narratives prove helpful for essays and an ethics paper focusing on human frailty and historical prejudice needs.

2. India, ASEAN nations to look at linking payments systems

Historical Overview:

• 2012: India ASEAN Dialogue Partnership enhanced to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

• 2018: Special emphasize laid on divisions related to maritime issues.

• 2022: Commemorated 30 years of ASEAN India Relation and upgraded the Relation to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Economic Impact:

• Asean is important for India’s trading relationship – currently, Asean accounts for 11 % of the entire Indian trade globally.

• Commitment under the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement has result into the bilateral trade that reached USD 110391 million in 2021-2022.

• Challenges: Some infrastructure development schemes such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway slow down trade.

Strategic Cooperation:

• Focus on fintech, cyber security and digital identities forming the digital public space like UPI and Aadhaar to increase network.

Relevance for UPSC/SSC Exams:

• Helpful in the SSC CGL sections of questions on the international organizations and trade relations.

• Sub theme of the second section of UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 (International Relations) is the place of India in Southeast Asia.

3. Delhi MLA LAD Fund Increase

Key Points:

• The AAP government enhanced the MLA Local Area Development (LAD) fund from ₹10 crore to ₹15 crore per annum.

• The rise is due to infrastructure maintenance that resulted from heavy rainy season in Delhi.

Fiscal Impact:

• The move translates into the additional burden of ₹350 crore to the state. This idea was resisted at first by the Finance Department because of financial problems that were likely to be encountered.

Relevance for Exams:

• For SSC, the questions can be based on the government schemes and policies while UPSC can sit to question on state and centre budgetary system or architectures of the local self-governance (GS Paper 2).

4. World Mental Health Day: India’s Mental Health Crisis

Current Scenario:

• More than 197 million Indians are afflicted with mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety (According to ‘The Lancet Psychiatry Commission).

• Such factors may include: The current financial crisis, individual demands, and early effects of the COVID-19 on various companies.

Government Initiatives:

• Kiran Helpline: A suicide prevention hot line.

• National Tele-Mental Health Programme: It launched in 2022 has the goal of offering distant psychological aid.

Relevance for Exams:

• Two options related to health awareness days could be included in SSC CGL and UPSC Prelims.

• Analyzing the syllabus of the UPSC GS Paper 2 (Governance) The topics that could be testing in this domain may be related to the mental health policies, social welfare schemes.

5. 2024 Living Planet Report: Global Wildlife Decline

Key Findings:

• Global Wildlife Population: It was reduced by 73% over the past five decades from 1970 to 2020.

• Regions Hit Hard: Latin America and the Caribbean – 95 percent, Africa – 76 percent, Asia-Pacific – 60 percent.

• Causes: Deforestation, hunting, fishing, pollution, and natural enemies.

Conservation Efforts:

• Examples are mountain gorillas population that increases by 3% annually in East Africa and European bison that should have a population of 6800 by 2020.

Relevance for Exams:

• SSC and UPSC include reports on the environment sometimes.

• UPSC GS Paper 3 Environment needs special focus on conservation measures and threats to Biodiversity.

6. National maritime heritage complex NMHC Lothal

Overview:

• The NMHC is being built at Lothal, Gujarat, an archaeological site belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization age.

• Using modern technology the project shall focus on elaborating India’s maritime culture and history.

Importance:

• It is expected to be the biggest maritime museum globally while it will also spur tourism and raise the awareness of India’s naval force from the pre-historic age to the contemporary world.

Relevance for Exams:

• Useful for SSC topics related to the Indian heritage.

• From cultural perspective for UPSC GS Paper 1 in form of Art & Culture, it is very important to understand the context of Lothal in the ancient Indian civilization and port culture.