Today in History (October 22nd, 1764)
The Battle of Buxar took place on October 22, 1764, between the British East India Company, commanded by Hector Munro, and the united force of Shuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh; Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal; and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II.
Let’s Revise
A) What is the theme of the 2024 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index?
A) Poverty in Urban Areas
B) Poverty Amid Conflict
C) Poverty and Education
D) Poverty Reduction Strategies
Answer: B)
Explanation: The 2024 MPI is published with the theme of “Poverty Amid Conflict.”
B) Who publishes the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index annually?
A) World Bank
B) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative
C) International Monetary Fund (IMF)
D) World Health Organization (WHO)
Answer: B)
Explanation: The MPI is published annually by UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative.
C) How many indicators does the MPI utilize?
A) 5
B) 10
C) 15
D) 20
Answer: B)
Explanation: The index utilizes 10 indicators across three dimensions.
D) What percentage of people live in acute multidimensional poverty across the 112 countries studied?
A) 15.5%
B) 18.3%
C) 20%
D) 25%
Answer: B)
Explanation: According to the findings, 1.1 billion people (18.3%) live in acute multidimensional poverty.
E) Where do the majority of poor people reside?
A) Urban Areas
B) Rural Areas
C) Suburbs
D) Industrial Zones
Answer: B)
Explanation: 83.7% of poor people, or 962 million, live in rural areas.
F) Which region has the highest concentration of poor people?
A) North America
B) Europe
C) Sub-Saharan Africa
D) Australia
Answer: C)
Explanation: 70.7% of all poor people live in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
G) What is the largest number of people living in poverty in India as per the report?
A) 93 million
B) 234 million
C) 86 million
D) 74 million
Answer: B)
Explanation: India has the largest number of people living in poverty, totaling 234 million.
H) How many people under 18 are living in extreme poverty?
A) 584 million
B) 1 billion
C) 1.1 billion
D) 455 million
Answer: A)
Explanation: Approximately 584 million people under 18 are living in extreme poverty.
I) What percentage of children globally live in extreme poverty?
A) 20%
B) 25%
C) 27.9%
D) 30%
Answer: C)
Explanation: 27.9% of all children globally live in extreme poverty.
J) What percentage of the 1.1 billion people living in poverty are in countries experiencing conflict?
A) 30%
B) 40%
C) 50%
D) 60%
Answer: B)
Explanation: Nearly 40% of the 1.1 billion people live in poverty in countries experiencing conflict.
K) What is one major reason for India’s poor performance in the MPI?
A) High literacy rates
B) Adequate nutrition
C) Poor access to safe drinking water
D) Strong economic growth
Answer: C)
Explanation: Poor access to safe drinking water and sanitation continues to push many households into multidimensional poverty.
L) Which organization introduced India’s National MPI (NMPI)?
A) NITI Aayog
B) UNDP
C) World Bank
D) IMF
Answer: A)
Explanation: India’s National MPI was introduced in 2021 by NITI Aayog.
M) What additional indicators were added to the NMPI model?
A) Employment and Housing
B) Maternal Health and Bank Account
C) Health and Nutrition
D) Education and Income
Answer: B)
Explanation: The NMPI retained the 10 original indicators and added two: Maternal Health and Bank Account.
N) What has significantly impacted India’s economy, contributing to its poverty levels?
A) Technological advancements
B) Economic setbacks due to COVID-19
C) Improved infrastructure
D) Increased foreign investment
Answer: B)
Explanation: The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted India’s economy, leading to job losses and increased vulnerabilities.
Summary of Today’s News
Supreme Court Hearing on Minority Institutions and Secularism
• Supreme Court Observation: Laws regulating institutions run by religious or linguistic minorities, for that reason alone do not breach secularism.
• Chief Justice: D.Y. Chandrachud led a three-judge Bench addressing a challenge to the Allahabad High Court’s ruling on the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education Act, 2004.
• High Court Ruling: The Act, which regulated madrasas, was struck down by the High Court for allegedly violating secularism, leading to a transfer of students to regular schools.
• Impact on Students: Petitioners claimed the High Court’s decision affected approximately 17 lakh students across 16,000 madrasas in Uttar Pradesh.
• CJI’s Legal Interpretation:
o Regulating a community’s institution does not inherently violate secularism.
o Cited The Hindu Religious Endowments and Charitable Institutions Act as a similar example.
• State’s Legislative Rights: The Chief Justice emphasized that states have the right to legislate for the improvement of government-aided minority-run institutions.
• Educational Objectives:
o Stressed the need for broad-based education for young madrasa students to become worthy citizens.
• Senior Advocate’s Argument: Menaka Guruswamy contended that the 2004 Act was a regulatory statute and the High Court wrongly conflated regulations with religious instruction.
• Article 30: Chief Justice noted that Article 30 allows minorities to establish and administer institutions without being limited to teaching only their religion.
• Petitioners’ Claims: Argued that the High Court found madrasas in violation of Article 28, which prohibits religious instruction in state-funded educational institutions.
• Next Hearing: The court will continue the hearing on October 22.
Easing the tensions, India-China reaches a deal
• India and China reached a deal on patrolling arrangements and resolution of tensions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• Includes resolution of remaining friction points at Demchok and Depsang.
Official Announcements
• Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed the agreement during a press briefing.
• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar noted that the disengagement process has been completed, returning the situation to pre-2020 conditions.
Context of Agreement
• Ongoing discussions between Indian and Chinese diplomats and military negotiators occurred over several weeks.
• The agreement marks a resumption of patrolling arrangements that had ceased in 2020 due to military stand-offs.
Details of the Agreement
• No specifics provided about the continuation of buffer zones affecting patrolling routes.
• The government indicated that normalcy at the LAC would require further troop de-induction and demobilization.
Timing and Implications
• The announcement came a day before the BRICS summit, where PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet.
• Speculation about a potential bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi has increased.
Past Interactions
• Modi and Xi met 18 times between 2014 and 2020 but have spoken publicly only twice since the Galwan Valley clashes.
Chinese Government Response
• The Chinese government has not commented on the border agreement.
• Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated they would inform about any developments regarding a meeting.
Future Meetings
• Discussions are ongoing regarding potential bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.
• Foreign Secretary Misri noted multiple requests for bilateral engagements during the summit.
Key Recent Meetings
• Significant recent negotiations included:
o Meetings between Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
o Meetings of the WMCC mechanism involving diplomatic and military officials.
o A meeting between National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Wang Yi in September.
