 A very good evening aspirants, welcome to the Hindu Newspaper Analysis brought to you by Shankar IIS Academy. Today's date is 22nd of January 2024, displayed here are the list of news articles that we are going to discuss today. We have chosen articles from yesterday's newspaper as well to cover the Sunday's article. So without much delay, let us get into the first news article discussion. Look at this column article from the editorial page, few days back that is on January 2019, smart lander for investigating moon, in short called as SLIM spacecraft of Japan Yarrow space exploration agency JAXA was expected to soft land on the moon. Here soft land means a controlled descent and down touch of a spacecraft on the moon without causing any damage to it. But according to the reports, the lander has touched down successfully but there is an issue. The issue is that the solar panels of SLIM were not producing enough power, forcing the craft to depend on batteries. Remember with this landing, Japan had became the fifth country to soft land a robotic spacecraft on the moon. This is the crux of the news article given here. So in this news article, let us go through the SLIM project from the prelims perspective. See sometimes in prelims there might be a question related to the space programs of another country. We have various examples for that. That is why we are making an effort to explain this project. Firstly, you know that SLIM is Japan's first lunar surface mission. It was built and launched by JAXA as I said earlier. Remember it was launched together with XRIPS XRISM which is a next generation X-ray space telescope. Here, an interesting fact about SLIM is that it is called moon snipper because of its ability to land within a 100 sq km area and quick ability to explore. The objective of the mission is to demonstrate the precision landing capabilities on the moon. For this, JAXA is targeting a landing within 100 meters of its chosen site near the Sheole crater. Now let me explain the features of the mission one by one. Firstly, the name itself is a feature, we say SLIM because it is SLIM. See, they are lighter in weight and this is the main reason why it carries much lesser fuel. SLIM weights a mere of 590 kg. This is nearly one-seventh of the weight of Chandrayaan 3 which weights around 3900 kg. Secondly, with the orbital mechanisms, see the mission will utilize the gravity of the earth to build its kinetic energy. This will make it align its trajectory with the moon for a slower capture of the moon. This feature is upon soft landing, SLIM will deploy two small rovers called lunar excursion vehicle LEV 1 and 2. These rovers will study the lunar surface near the landing point, they will collect temperature and radiation readings and they will attempt to study the moon's mantle. Finally, Chandrayaan 4 which is planned as a joint India-Japanese mission aims to explore near the moon's south pole. So this planned mission could use SLIM's precise landing technology for its mission. We saw certain important features of the mission that you have to remember. So in this news article discussion, we saw about smart lander for investigating moon or the SLIM spacecraft of JAXA. The main objective of the mission is to demonstrate the precise landing capabilities on the moon. It targets to land within 100 meters of its chosen site near the Sheaoli grater. So this feature will be used in the future for the Chandrayaan 4 mission which is being planned between India and Japan. Chandrayaan 4 aims to explore near the moon's south pole. These are certain important points that you have to remember about SLIM spacecraft. These learnt points, now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article, according to the news article, Chennai Corporation is planning to recline the marshy landforms in Chennai with urban forestry methods. Actually, the corporation has proposed an eco park in Pallikarane marshy land areas but the residents are opposing the project as they fear that it will affect the marshes. Instead, the people are asking more water spread area with the restoration of the marshes. So this is the crux of the news article given here. So in this news article discussion, let us understand about land reclamation. It's methods and advantages. So what is land reclamation? See, land reclamation is a process of creating new landforms by altering the topography of existing water bodies. It is usually done by draining water from marshy regions or elevating the land surface. Historically, it was done to either expand agriculture or for creating new industries. Remember, there are various methods of reclamation which can be broadly classified into two types. They are traditional land reclamation and modern land reclamation. In traditional method, there will be a construction of series of dikes to enclose tidal marshes or shallow offshore water and subsequently the enclosures will be drained to create dryland. An alternative method is to dump the soil and stone along the shore or on the coast to gradually expand the land into the sea. The modern land reclamation includes creating major engineering projects like building kilometers of offshore concrete barrier walls to stop the water and creating a new land. There is also a modern method called hydraulic reclamation where the reclamation site can be filled with dredged soil which is taken from the nearby seafloor mixed with water. Hope now you got an idea about water's land reclamation. So what are the advantages of land reclamation? Firstly, with the rise in population, there is an increasing demand for land. It could be for increasing agriculture, industries or etc. So this can be efficiently met by the land reclamation. Secondly, it could be used to recline the various contaminated areas and make them useful again. These include deserted coal miles, crude oil exploration sites, desertified wastelands and etc. Now remember though there are many advantages, there are various issues like damages to ecology, extinction of species and flooding may also happen during the process. So these are all certain important facts that you have to remember about land reclamation. So with these learned points, now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this article from yesterday's newspaper. The union government has launched a mission to promote tourism at ecologically sensitive wetlands. The focus of the initiative is to shift these fragile wetlands into a normal tourism site. The government is planning to do it by directly supporting the various conservation activities in the site. Apart from this, it aims to tap the local knowledge by letting the various local communities to take the lead. So as a start to the mission, 16 Ramsar sites have been identified for the development. This is the crux of the news article given here. So let us understand about Amrit Darohar initiative from the previous perspective under which these activities are going to be undertaken. So let us know about the initiative now. See the initiative was launched to promote the unique conservation values of Ramsar sites in the country. It also aims to generate employment opportunities and support local livelihoods around the site. Remember the initiative was launched as a part of the 2023-24 budget. Talking about the features of the scheme, firstly it will be implemented jointly by Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, MOE, FCC. Under this initiative, the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management, IITTM, will build the capacity of local community members around the various Ramsar sites. Secondly, the scheme will be implemented in convergence with various central government ministries, state wetland authorities and a network of various civil society organizations. Thirdly, five priority sites were identified in the first phase of the initiative to train local communities under the Alternative Livelihood Program, ALP. They are firstly Sultanpur in Haryana, Bitharkanika and Chilika site in Odisha, and Yashwant Sahar and Sirpur in Madhya Pradesh. Talking about the significance of the mission, see the scheme will be implemented over the next three years to encourage optimal use of wetlands. It will enhance the biodiversity, build carbon stocks, echo tourism opportunities and help in income generation for the local communities. So, these are all certain relevant facts that you have to remember about Amrit the Rohir initiator. See, it was launched as part of 2023-24 budget. It will be jointly implemented by Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It has twin objective, firstly strengthening natural tourism in the Ramsar site, secondly providing alternative livelihood to the local community around the region. So, with these learnt points, now let us move on to the next news article discussion. This news article talks about the importance of India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor. The project is in short called as IMEC. IMEC aims to connect Al-Haditha in Saudi Arabia to Haifa in Israel. This will provide an alternative trade route to Suez Ganon, but the feasibility of a major trade link between Saudi Arabia and Israel and the geopolitical changes in West Asia after the Gaza war adds uncertainties to the vision of the project. So, this is the crux of the news article given here. So, in this context, let us understand the importance and significance of this IMEC project through our usual mains answer writing approach. Let me read out the question for you. What is the significance of the recently announced India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor IMEE for India and the world? Discuss the challenges associated with the successful implementation of the SET corridor. See, this question demands two things. One is significance of IMEC corridor. Another one is challenges associated with its implementation. So, we are going to divide the body of the answer into two halves based on these two subheadings. So, let us start with the introduction part. You can write that the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor IMEC is a trade and transit corridor that will connect India, Middle East and Europe. The IMEC is still in the planning stage and the Government of India, Iran, Russia and the European Union has all expressed support for the project. It consists of two corridors. One is the Northern Corridor that connects Middle East with Europe and another is East Corridor that connects India with the Middle East. The corridor would be built on the existing infrastructure of the International North-South Transport Corridor INSTC. This INSTC connects India to Iran and Russia. So, you can write these points in the introduction part and you can move on to the body of the answer. Here firstly you have to write about the significance of the project. So, let us start with the geopolitical significance. Firstly, this project is seen as a counter to China's BRI. It can serve to counterbalance China's growing economic and political influence especially in the region with historically strong ties to the US. Secondly, it helps in breaking Pakistan's overland connectivity veto. See, IMEC bypasses Pakistan. So, India no longer requires the consent of Pakistan to have overland connectivity with the West Asian countries. Thirdly, it helps in enhancing strategic engagement with the Arabian Peninsula. The corridor depends India's strategic engagement with the Arabian Peninsula by establishing enduring connectivity and elevating political and strategic link with nations in the region. Fourthly, it promotes intra-religious connectivity and peace and it could help in reducing political tensions in the Arabian Peninsula. It even holds the prospect of becoming infrastructure for peace in the region. Lastly, the corridor's model could be extended to Africa as well. This is by aligning with the US and EU's plan to develop a trans-African corridor. This signifies India's intent to strengthen its engagement with Africa and contribute towards infrastructure development. So, these are certain geopolitical significance. Moving on to the economic significance. Firstly, it will enhance trade opportunities. See, the route could significantly reduce transit time and it will make trade with Europe 40% faster compared to Suez Canal, Maritam route. This is the reason why it can boost economic growth by enhancing its trade connectivity with key areas. Secondly, it stimulates industrial growth. See, the corridor will create an effective transport network for the seamless movement of goods. This will encourage industrial growth, particularly in the regions connected to the corridor, as companies will find it easier to transport raw materials and finished goods. Thirdly, there will be surge in job opportunities across the sectors. The growth in trade, infrastructure, and allied industries will necessitate skilled and unskilled labour, thereby promoting employment. Fourthly, energy security and resource access. See, the corridor can facilitate secure energy and resource supplies, especially from the Middle East. Reliable access to these resources will stabilize India's energy sector and support its growing economy. So, these are all certain important significance of the project. Now, coming to the challenges associated with the implementation of IMEC project. See, the first issue is regarding missing infrastructure links and logistics standardization issue. See, of the total rail route length of 2009-15 km, 1095 km is still missing, of which more than 500 km has to be built new. Along with this, there is the issue of standardization of the gorge engines for intercontinental cohesion. Secondly, Chinese resistance and presence in the region. See, China has heavily invested in the region through its Belt and Road Initiative. So, that is the issue of pushback from China. Also, Paris Port in Greece is controlled by Chinese state companies, which is an important part of IMEC. Thirdly, potential pushback by Egypt. Since IMEC bypasses the Suez Canal of Egypt, Egypt stands to lose billions of dollars in loss of revenue due to lowered traffic through the Suez Canal. Lastly, the issue of rising logistics cost. See, the number of times the cargo will get offloaded as it changes hands from ships to rail. It will increase the handling cost, including terminal handling cost, container yard charges, and so on. So, these are all major challenges for the successful implementation of the project. So, now moving on to the conclusion, here you can write that, the IMEC signifies a transformative step for India, offering trade diversification, logistical efficiency, and a stake in the global hydrogen economy. Globally, it promotes alternative trade routes, supports de-carbonization effort, and fosters diplomatic cooperation. However, challenges like geopolitical tensions, regional cooperation, complexities, and infrastructure development poses hurdles. So, the successful implementation demands diplomatic finesses and sustained commitment. So, if navigated efficiently, IMEC has the potential to reshape global trade dynamics and contribute to a more interconnected and sustainable economic landscape. So, this way, you can give a way forward conclusion. So, in this news article discussion, we saw about IMEC, then we saw about the significance of the project, and then we saw some of the challenges or the hurdles in implementing the project successfully. So, these are the points. Now, let us move on to the next news article discussion. This news article from yesterday's newspaper reports about a political excitement in Darjeeling. People are demanding for a local BJP candidate, Harshav Ardhan, to be considered for the Lok Sabha seat due to his local connections and involvement in the region. The people regard him as the son of the soil candidate in Darjeeling. This is the crux of the news article given here. So, let us understand about the son of the soil theory from the prelims perspective. So, what is son of soil theory? It is a doctrine argues that the state belongs explicitly to the main linguistic group inhibiting it, either known as the sons of the soil or local residents. For example, Sivasena of 60s and 70s and the Assam movement, which culminated in 1985, they belong to this January. So, here comes the question, how this concept become popular in India? See, at the time of independence, only a few areas around Calcutta, Bombay and Madras had undergone modern industrial development, rest were backward. So, the central government adopted a whole range of policies to influence the rates of growth in poorer states and regions, so as to reduce their economic distance from the richer states and regions. The government adopted the trickle-down effect, but it failed to bring results. Due to the low rate of economic growth, regional inequalities did not dissipate even after steps taken by the government. This unequal access to resources and competition led to the rise of the concept of sons of the soil. So, the impact of the movement is massive. Mostly, the theory is used by the majority linguistic group to put pressure on the government to get reservations on employment and educational avenues and opportunities. Some groups even take the advantage of the sons of the soil sentiment for gaining political power. Let me give you some examples. Firstly, Maharashtra, a big campaign was fought by the Sivisena, which is a Maharashtrian focused group in the western part of the country. They were chiefly upset because of three other groups of Indians living in Maharashtra. The first group were the Velthi, Gujaratis, secondly the professional South Indian group and finally the labourer class of Northern India. This is the manifestation of the sons of the soil theory. Next, in the northeast in India, there has been an issue both in the plains area and the hilly regions of northeast India. See in the river plains, the majority of the people, they depended on agriculture. So, when the population increased at an alarming rate, the competition over cultivable lands also increased. This issue became highly contentious. Also, due to the scarcity of land in the plain areas, some migrants from other states have also moved into the hilly regions, which are the traditional tribal areas. This led to loss of land by tribals and gazed into the concept of sons of soil. Remember this theory disrespects article 19 clause 1 E of the Indian constitution and it is also an up and sander section 153 A of the IPC as it leads to inciting enmity between groups of people. So, these are all certain points that you have to remember about sons of the soil theory. So, in this news article discussion, we saw about the sons of the soil theory, their impacts and some of their manifestation in the past. So, with these learned points, now let us move on to the next part of the news article discussion, which is the preliminary practice question discussion. Now, look at this first question. This question is about smart lander for investigating moon slim. Three statements are given and you have to find how many statements given here are correct. See here, the first statement is incorrect because the spacecraft has been developed by JAXA, that is Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency and not NASA. Now, the second statement given here is correct. The main objective of the program is to demonstrate the soft landing capacity on the moon. Now, the third statement says the potential of the mission will be useful for the Chandrayan 4 mission of India. The statement is also correct. So, the correct answer for the question is option B only 2. Moving on to the next question, consider the following steps for the conservation of landforms and soil. Four statements are given and you have to find how many statements are correct. Here, except the first statement, all other are correct. Expanding the irrigation cover is not a conservation effort of landforms and soil, except that reclamation of land regulating the use of fertilizers and checking on over placing all or conservation of landforms and soil. So, the correct answer here is option C only 3. Moving on, which of the following is the objective of Amrit Darohar initiative, the correct answer here is option D conservation of wetlands. So, the question displayed here is the main practice question for you today. Just go through the question, try to answer it in the comment section. With this, we came to the end of the news article discussion. If you like the video, hit like, do comment and don't forget to subscribe to Shankar IAS Academy YouTube channel. Now, thank you so much for listening.