 A very good evening aspirants, welcome to the Hindu newspaper analysis brought to you by Shankara IAS Academy. Today's date is 29th of December 2023, displayed here are the list of news articles that we are going to discuss today. So with that much delay, let us get into the first news article discussion. Take a look at this news article. Recently, All India Sociological Conference 2023 was held in VIT Vellore. In this conference, Minister PTR Palanivel Diyaarajan spoke about the positives and negatives of hyperglobalization. He also stressed the sociologist to research about global warming, climate change, rising inequality and polarization and etc. This is the crux of the news article given here. So in this news article discussion, let us understand about what is hyperglobalization, their characteristics and their impacts on the Indian economy. First, let us understand about globalization. See, in simple words, globalization means a free movement of capital, goods and labour across the various nations. It also means an increasing three eyes. The three eyes include interdependence, interconnectedness and integration of various economies and societies around the world. See, in a properly globalized world and even in one part of the globe will affect the people in other part of the world. For example, a war in Donetsk which is in Ukraine will result in decreasing fuel price in Madurai. At the same time, a war in Gulf will result in exodus of migrants and poverty for a family in Trivandrum. So this is what the phenomenon globalization means. And remember, it is not something a new phenomenon for our world. There are many phrases of globalization in our human history. Let us see them one by one. See, the globalization 1.0 was in the era of pre-World War I. This era was an era of mercantilism and historic drop in trade cost. Note that globalization 1.0 had no government support and there was no global governance to regulate it. Subsequently, in the post-World War II era, globalization 2.0 was started. This was marked by an establishment of various institutions like United Nations, IMF, World Bank, WTO to regulate the trade. An important feature of this era is the trade in goods wars combined with complementary domestic policies of the government. The globalization 3.0 or hyper globalization is used to describe the drastic increase in the size, scope and velocity of globalization. Remember that it began in the late 1990s and it continues in the 21st century. For example, note that between 1990 and 2008, global trade in goods increased from 15.3% to 25.2% of world GDP. So this is the reason why we denote this period as the hyper globalization period. A unique feature of hyper globalization is an unprecedented moment of capital and of people across the world. It created a new world of manufacturing in which high technology like internet of things, big data and artificial intelligence that is AI is employed to lower the production wages. So this is about the definition of hyper globalization. Now let us see the characteristics of hyper globalization. Firstly, in this hyper globalized world, countries produce the things in which they have comparative advantage and import other things. For example, Indonesia and Malaysia produce palm oil and Ukraine and Russia produce sunflower oil as they have comparative advantage in the palm oil and sunflower oil respectively. Secondly, this phenomenon covers all the dimensions of integration of the world. This includes an integration in economic, cultural and political spheres. So these are all the characteristics. Now let us see the current position of hyper globalization. So this trend of hyper globalization is under attack nowadays. Remember the world of hyper globalization or happy age as termed by Keynes is on declining trend. It is evident from the various signs which describe a decreasing global trade. As we all know the trade had peaked in 2008. Since then the trend has been declining. In 2020 world merchandise trade has dropped to 20.8% of GDP. Apart from this, the increasing protectionist tendencies across the world, the decreasing global order, the war also marks the end of hyper globalization. So having seen all the basics about hyper globalization. Now let us see the impacts of this phenomenon on Indian economy and society. See India has missed the first two phases of globalization. In fact, it lost so much of its resources to the first phase due to the British rule. But in hyper globalized phase, India was a friend-trender of development. Its economic growth has increased manifold in this era. The traditional Indian society also witnessed a sea change due to the hyper globalization. A unique fact is both hyper globalization and India's trust with globalization started at the same time that is in 1990s. Now let us see the impacts on Indian economy. Firstly, it has contributed to the growth of Indian economy. As of now India is the fifth largest economy and will become the largest by 2027. This phenomenal development owes a large to globalization. Secondly, socially it has led to the proliferation of Indian glass and increasing the standard of living of the people. Culturally it led to increasing participation of women in the workforce thus changing the structure of family marriage and etc. On the flip side, that is on the opposite side, it also led to insecurities of job, nuclearization of families, increasing inequality, neglect of agriculture and rural economy and etc. So these are all certain important points that you have to remember about globalization. It is a very important topic. There might be a main question. So just make a note of it and revise it whenever you get time. So these learnt points. Now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this text and context article. I hope you all remember a merchant vessel named Chimpluto was hit by a projectile. Chimpluto had 21 Indian crew members and it was heading to Mangalore. After the preliminary investigation, it was concluded that the projectile that hit Chimpluto might have come from a drone. Now this is a worrisome fact because in response to Israel's attack on Gaza, the Houthi rebels of Yemen have increased their attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea. They are particularly attacking the ships near the Bab El Mandab Strait. It is in this context the article is written here. Now the article here covers two important aspects. One is the impacts of the attacks by Houthi rebels and steps that are being taken to address the crisis. So in our discussion today, we will look at the points given in the article in detail. Now look at this main question. Recently, the MN based rebel group Houthi has started attacking commercial ships passing through the Red Sea. In this context, what are the possible impacts of the Houthi action? Discuss various steps taken to counter the actions of the Houthis. See this question can be asked in GS Paper 3 under the syllabus, security challenges and their management in border areas. Talking about how to approach this question. See the question is very clear. It has two parts. First we have to write about the impacts of Houthi action. And then we have to write about the steps that are being taken to counter the Houthi actions. So let's start answering the question. In the introduction part, you can write one of the two things. You can either write about the Houthi in general or you can write about the strategic significance of the Bab El Mandab Strait. Here choosing the second option is the vice of one. So you can write that Bab El Mandab is situated between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. It is an important maritime choke point. The strait links the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. It is a crucial maritime route for vessels travelling between Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Around 12% of global trade and about 30% of world's container shipping passes through the Bab El Mandab Strait. This makes the strait economically significant. The strait is also strategically important. This is because the Bab El Mandab Strait controls the access to the Suez Canal. In addition to this, the strait is very narrow. This narrowness makes the ship pass through it vulnerable to attack, smuggling and other illegal activities. So you can highlight these points in the introduction part. Now in order to connect the introduction part to the question, you can link by mentioning that the Houthis who are currently controlling Northern Yemen are attacking the merchant vessels moving along the Bab El Mandab Strait to hurt Israel and its allies. This way you can finish the introduction. Moving on to the main body of the answer. Here first you have to write about the impacts of Houthi attack along the Bab El Mandab Strait. Here you can write the points under two subheadings. For example, you can write under the subheadings, economic impacts and impacts on global geopolitics. Remember you have to add one or two Indian specific points under the subheadings. Now let us see the economic impacts. The first impact is the disruption to the global supply chain. See a ship travelling from Europe to Asia has two options. One is the Suez Canal and another one is the Cape of the Good Hope route. As you can see in this map, the Cape of Good Hope route is longer than the other route. The distance from Singapore to Rotor Dam is 8301 nautical miles along the Suez Canal route. And in the case of the Cape of Good Hope route, it is 11758 nautical miles. A round trip through the Red Sea last 34 days, a round trip means going up and down. While the Cape route extends to 43 days for a round trip. Now as the Haudis are attacking the container vessels along Bob L. Mandep Street, the container traffic through the Red Sea has dropped by some 35% in recent weeks. And the shipping companies are preferring the longer Cape of Good Hope route. This is acting as an hurdle to global supply chains. The next impact is inflation. As the shipping companies are choosing the longer route, the shipping cost and the insurance cost will go up. This will lead to inflation like condition in the global economy. This is the second impact. Then you can write that Europe is one of the major export destination for India. And the Suez Canal route is the preferred route. The crisis created by the Haudis will create problems for Indian exporters. Also, if the Haudis action is creating global inflationary pressure, the US Federal Reserve might increase the interest rates. This might lead to foreign investors pulling their dollars away from the Indian market. This might lead to rupee depreciation. So we can write these points in the economic impacts. Now coming to the geopolitical impacts. Firstly, you can write that the Haudis action might trigger other countries to get into action and make it a global conflict. See, one of the reasons why Hamas attacked Israel is to transform the Israel-Palestine bilateral issue into a global issue. But the countries bordering Israel and Palestine like Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt have shown their support for Palestine but they did not get into the conflict. The other major Islamic powers like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran have largely stayed out of the conflict. This is because the war in Gaza doesn't impact the world economy. The Haudis action might impact the global economy. So it is possible that the issue might turn into a global scale. Secondly, as far as India is concerned, the biggest challenge would be to stay balanced. This is because India has good relationship with Israel and Iran who is backing the Haudis. So you can write these points in the impacts of Haudis actions. Now moving on to the second part of the answer. Here you have to mention about the steps taken to counter Haudis action. See, first is the Operation Prosperity Guardian. That is, OPS has been established by the US. It is a multinational US-led military operation to respond to Haudi-led attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. This operation is taken up by combined Task Force 153 which is also a US-led initiative. In addition to this, the US has been shooting down the missiles and the drones launched by the Haudis. The US also mentioned that it might take offensive action against Haudis if need persist. Then the Indian Navy for its part has increased surveillance in the area. India also deployed a number of destroyers to be specific. Project 15B and Project 15A class, aircrafts. Then see Guardian unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters and coast guard ships to protect the merchant ship from moving near the Barb El Mandep. Lastly, the Indian Navy's Information Fusion Centre for Indian Ocean Region, IFC IOR, is actively monitoring the region. Here IFC IOR is a maritime information sharing hub established by the Government of India to promote collaboration in maritime safety. You can write these points in the steps taken to counter the Haudis action. So in the conclusion part, you can write that, This is because years of economic sanctions and years of bombing by the Saudis did not deter the Haudis. So to bring a lasting solution, the world nations must bring the Haudis and their sponsor Iran to the negotiation table. This will provide a long-term solution to the issue. So this way you can conclude your answer. These are also some of the very important points mentioned in the news article. Just make a note of it and revise it frequently. So with these learnt points, now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this image. This image portrays a folk dance of Kerala called Mudhi et al. So we shall learn some of the basics about Mudhi et al in this news article discussion. See Mudhi et al is a traditional ritual theatre and folk dance drama in Kerala. It is a community ritual that involves the entire village. The dance takes place in the four districts of Ernakulam, Trishur, Kothayam and Idiqui. The Marar and Kurupu communities mainly perform Mudhi et al. The dance usually takes place between February and May after the harvesting season. So talking about the theme of Mudhi et al, this ritual dance enacts the mythological tale of a battle between the goddess Kali and demon Dharika. The ritual is a part of the Bahavadi or Badrakali cult. It is performed in temples of the mother goddess in Kerala. Remember there are seven characters in Mudhi et al. Shiva, Narada, Dharika, Dhanavendra, Badrakali, Kuli and Coimbidaar. See to give a supernatural feel, the actors wear extensive makeup and magnificent outfits with traditional facial painting and so on. Talking about the significance of Mudhi et al, mutual cooperation and collective participation of each cast in the ritual instills and strengthens common identity and mutual bonding in the community. Mudhi et al serves as an important cultural site for transmission of traditional values, ethics, moral codes and aesthetic norms of the community to the next generation. In 2010, Mudhi et al was included in UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. This is the second art from Kerala to be included in this list. The first one was Kudi Atam, which is also a traditional ritual dance. If you see Kudi Atam, it is a combination of Sanskrit tradition and Sangam-era Tamil performing art called Kuthu. So these are all some of the very important points that you have to remember about. Mudhi et al, it can be asked in mains as well as problems. Make note of it and revise it. So with these learnt points, now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. We all know that recently there was huge flooding in southern districts of Tamil Nadu. So in order to carry out relief works, Tamil Nadu government is demanding the central government to release funds from NDRF. In this issue, High Court has ordered both the central and state governments to file their statements in the court. This is the cracks of the news article given here. So in today's discussion, we shall see some of the basic things about NDRF. So what is NDRF, National Disaster Response Fund NDRF? In simple terms, it is a financial mechanism to meet the rescue and relief expenditure during any notified disaster. Here notified disaster or nothing but disasters notified by the government of India for the purpose of providing assistance under state disaster response fund. See, NDRF is set up at national level under the Disaster Management Act 2005. So it has a statutory backing as well. Note that every state will have a state disaster response fund. This means that we have an NDRF at national level and the SDRF at the state level. Now we'll see how funds are allocated for NDRF. Know that the NDRF is mainly funded through the National Calamity Condigency Duty NCCD. See, this duty is imposed on some specific goods like tobacco, petroleum products and etc. If more funds are required, then it is met through budget provisions of the parliament. Also remember, the funds under NDRF is managed under public accounts of India and specifically under the category reserve fund not bearing interest. Here the term reserve funds not bearing interest means the government of India is not liable to pay any interest for these funds. Now let's see how the funds are utilized. See, for receiving the NDRF funds, states are required to submit a memorandum indicating the sector-wise damage. The central government assesses the damage and then gives the additional fund to states. Remember, financial assistance from NDRF is only for providing immediate relief and is not compensation for loss or damage to properties or crops. In other words, NDRF money can be spent only for emergency response relief and rehabilitation and it cannot be used for compensating the losses created by disaster. These are certain important points that you have to remember about NDRF. So these learnt points. Now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Look at this news article. According to the news article, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan released a special book to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Vaikom Satyagraha. So in this background, let us understand some of the facts about Vaikom Satyagraha in problems perspective. Firstly, let us begin with the origin of the movement. See, this Satyagraha happened in the princely state of Trivancore. The Trivancore state on that time had a ruthless caste system with rigid social norms and customs. Lower-caste like the Elavas and Pulayas were considered polluting and there were many rules to put them in distance from upper caste. They were prohibited to enter temples and even they were not allowed to walk on the roads surrounding temples. So in order to protest this caste discrimination only, Vaikom Satyagraha was organized. Now moving on to see the important leaders involved in this Satyagraha. See, in 1923, Congress party meeting in Kakinada is the place where the issue of caste discrimination was first raised by T.K. Madhavan. Then a committee was formed in Kerala comprising people of various castes to fight untouchability. The committee comprised of K. Keelepan, T.K. Madhavan, Velaayu the Menon and T.R. Krishna Swami Ayer. This committee was formed. Keelepan was the chairman of the committee. So what happened in February 1924 is that the committee decided to launch a struggle called Kerala Pariyatanam in order to urge temple entry and to allow usage of public roads to all Hindus regardless of caste. The Satyagrahaes made the batches of three people together and they tried to enter the temple. They were resistered and arrested by the local police. Important leaders like Gandhi and Srinagarayana Guru supported the movement. Finally, on October 1924, a petition was submitted to the Queen of Trivancore. The petition had about 25,000 signatures for allowing the temple entry. In 1925, except for the eastern gate, all the gates of the temple were opened to Hindus regardless of the caste. In 1928, backward classes also got the right to use public roads around the temple in Trivancore. So it was after the popularity of this Satyagraha, many such movement against untouchability were organised all over India. So these are all some of the very important points that I have to remember about Vaikom Satyagraha. So with these learnt points, now let us move on to the next news article discussion. This news article talks about the crisis in Sudan. See, there has been crisis in Sudan since 2022. The crisis is mainly due to the power struggle between General Abdel Fata Burhan who heads the Sudanese army and General Mohammad Hamdan Dagalu who heads the rapid support force RSF which is a paramilitary group. The news article here is that as the RSF is rapidly expanding south, the citizens of Sudan have been asked to carry weapons. This is the crux of the news article given here. So in this context, let us understand about Sudan in Prillam's perspective. See, as you can see in this map, Sudan is located in northeast in Africa. Sudan shares its border with seven countries that includes Libya, Egypt, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea. In addition to these seven countries, Sudan also borrows the Red Sea. So Sudan is not a landlocked country. Talking about the geographical features of Sudan, Sudan is mainly composed of plain and plateaus. In the west, there is the Darfur Highlands which includes the Mara Mountains and the Taiga Plateaus. In the east, there is Ethiopian Plateaus and the Red Sea Hills. The central and the northern region has flat relief. In the north, there is the Libyan Desert and Nubian Desert. In India, we have a local wind called Loo. Likewise, the dry north regions of Sudan experiences a dust storm. The name of the dust storm is Habub. Remember, the famous Nile River passes through Sudan in the north-south direction. The blue Nile and the white Nile merges and forms the Nile River just north of Khartoum. Khartoum is the capital of Sudan. Sudan has two important national parks. They are the Dinder National Park and the Radon National Park. Dinder National Park is located in the south-eastern part of Sudan and it is drained by the tributaries of the blue Nile River. The random national park is located in the south-western part. Both these national parks are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserve. These are all certain important facts that you have to remember about Sudan. So these learnt points, let us move on to the next part of the news article discussion which is the preliminary practice question discussion. Look at this first question. Three statements about a mediator are given. You have to find how many statements given here are correct. Statement one says it was performed exclusively by men. The statement is wrong. The dance was collectively performed by villagers and not just men. Now the second statement says it is an integral part of Onam celebration in Kerala. This statement is also incorrect. Mudiyehti was generally performed during harvesting season in rural areas and it is not specifically associated with Onam festival. Now the third statement says it is included under UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List. This is a correct statement. So the correct answer for this question is option A only one. Moving on, which of the following is the significant aspect of Vaikom Satyagarka? The correct answer here is option D, protest against caste discrimination. See whenever a question like this comes, you better go from the last option. Most probably the last option would be the correct one. Now the third question is about NDMA. Three statements are given. I have to find how many statements given here is all correct. Statement one says it is a statutory body under the Disaster Management Act of 2005. This statement is correct. The chairman of NDMA is Union Home Minister. This statement is incorrect. It is headed by Prime Minister. Statement three says it implements state specific plans to disaster management across the country. This statement is also incorrect. It does not implement state specific plans. It only provides guidelines and frameworks for disaster management at national level. Moving on, this is a power based question. On the left side dams are given and on the right side rivers are given. You have to find how many paths are correctly matched. First one says grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam White Nile. This path is incorrect. It is across the Blue Nile in Ethiopia. Statement two says Jebel Aulia Dam Blue Nile. This statement is also incorrect. It is constructed across White Nile in Sudan. Third statement says Aswan Dam Nile. This statement is correct. Aswan Dam is built across the Nile River in Egypt. Fourth pair says Kohora Bassa Dam Zambezi River. This pair is also correct. This particular dam is constructed across Zambezi River in Mozambique. So the correct answer here is option B only two. Only two paths are correct here. The main question for today's discussion is displayed here. You can go through it, write an answer and post 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 and share it with your friends.