9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – December 1st, 2022

Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC IAS Prelims 2022

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

• Has GST reduced inter-state disparities?
• Party Congress over, understanding the China puzzle
• Re-design and deliver – Govt crop insurance scheme needs radical rethink
• Towards a robust triumvirate – on appointment of Election Commissioner
• An Indian recipe to quell micronutrient malnutrition
• India’s agenda during its G20 Presidency will be inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive
• Unseemly conflict – Government’s diatribe does not resolve conflict over judicial appointments

GS Paper 3

• This global water audit should not gather dust
• Are ransomware attacks increasing in India?

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

• Significant Decline in the Maternal Mortality Ratio(MMR) from 130 in 2014-16 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20: Health Minister
• One step closer to a universal flu vaccine?
• Explained | How FIFA is using SAOT for offside decisions
• Over 160-200 million Indians could be exposed to lethal heat waves annually: World Bank
• 16 drones shot down along Pakistan border in 2022: BSF
• Supreme Court floats idea of ‘Project GIB’: What is this endangered bird
• Man-animal conflict mitigation team selected for the Wildlife Trust of India award
• Exercise Yudh Abhyas: India-U.S. exercise near LAC irks China
• Layoffs by IT firms in the U.S. will greatly impact H-1B workers
• United Nations Development Programme to help waste segregation workers access government schemes

Mains Oriented Articles

GS Paper 2

Has GST reduced inter-state disparities?

News– The article explains the performance of GST regime.

Two months, April and October in 2022 have seen the highest GST collection since its introduction in July 2017.

With introduction of GST, there was fear among states that it will lead to lesser revenues. The central government guaranteed a 14% growth in state revenue. It promised to make up for any shortfalls.

This compensation was only for five years till July 2017. It has ended this year.

What was the logic behind GST?

Convergence among states– No state can offer tax breaks or tax incentives to lure investments. It will ensure a level playing field among states.

It will replace local and state taxes. There will be a national standard tax on commodities. The result will be a national market for any good. It would be easier for companies to pick up underdeveloped areas for investment.

Reducing cost– A national tax would reduce compliance and administrative cost. Better enforcement and compliance means higher tax revenues.

Has it led to redistributing investments?

After the introduction of GST, Over half of proposed industrial investments are still accounted for by three states- Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Convergence of income has not happened.

Has it led to higher revenues?

A working paper by National Institute of Public Finance and Policy shows the shift in tax revenues pre and post GST.

The data shows that there is uniform decline across most states, rich or poor in tax to GDP ratio. The exceptions are states like Haryana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

Central government has found other ways like taxes on Petroleum to cope up with the shortfall in revenues.

What is the way out for states?

There is a need for enforcing better tax compliance. States need to crack down on tax evasion, Investment in technology for faster payment of dues and making the entire GST system easier.

States can expand revenues in the longer term by doing two things. They need to reduce transaction costs and other costs of doing business. They need to expand consumption in their states by expanding economic opportunities.

But expanding consumption runs against one of the adverse consequences of the GST regime. It presumes that per capita income and employment are increasing. But worst affected by GST has been the MSME sector. RBI data shows the impact of demonetisation on MSMEs.

Party Congress over, understanding the China puzzle

News– The article explains China strategy in context of the recently held 20th Party Congress of Communist Party of China.

What is the current global situation?

Chinese President Xi Jinping has told the Central Military Commission, “to enhance troop training and combat preparedness”. He also warned of “dangerous storms ahead” and about external interference in Taiwan. All this seemed to convince the West that China is preparing to go to war over Taiwan.

Japan is understood to have already decided to double its defence budget to 2% of its GDP.

Statements like “it was essential to uphold international law and the multilateral system, as today’s era must not be of war” by western leaders  have only increased such concerns. Stalemates in the recent Biden-Xi talks have added to existing concerns. Mr. Xi reiterated that Taiwan “was the first red line” that must not be crossed. Biden told Xi that the U.S. would enhance its security position in Asia.

What can be inferred by careful reading of the 20th Party Congress of Communist Party of China?

Under Mr. Xi, ideology drives policy most of the time. Also, It reinforces Mr. Xi’s Marxist inspired belief that ‘history is irreversibly on China’s side’.

There is a shift to Marxist orthodoxy in the political realm. It does mark a retreat from the Deng era of ‘caution and risk aversion’. References made to changes in the ‘international balance of forces’ and that China has entered the ‘leading ranks of the world’.

China watns to prevent the ideological decay of the CCP by avoiding the kind of situation that led to the collapse of Soviet Communism and ensure that the West did not succeed in fomenting ‘ideological divisions within China’.

The priority for Mr. Xi and the CCP at present is not embarking on new conflicts but on protecting the ideological purity and integrity of the Party. China has certain clear red lines which cannot be breached. If this happens, it would lead to a major conflict.

China is asserting that today it is more powerful than ever. There is nowhere any clear evidence that China is about to use this power to change the course of history. China may want to assess the situation and the circumstances before embarking on a conflict against strategic entities such as the Quad and AUKUS.

What does it mean for India?

There is a need for better understanding of China’s real intentions. It includes avoiding past mistakes, such as those in the 1950s when the West seems to have overestimated China’s capabilities. India also failed in the 1950s.

The deliberations in the Party Congress do not appear directed at India. Repeated claims by western sources about China’s designs on countries in the Indo-Pacific should not provoke India into taking any hard steps.

Both situations and events tend to change rapidly. For instance, after a constant barrage of charges against China, Mr. Biden has implied that the situation has not changed for the worse, and that there is no ‘new Cold War in the offing’, involving the U.S. and China.

For India, border incursions are a continuing cause for concern. But, they should not be mistaken as precursors to war. A careful study of the border hotspots indicates that China’s concerns are largely regarding Aksai Chin. Its importance for China lies in its proximity to China’s Tibet and Xinjiang.

This does not mean that relations between China and India will remain smooth. Their conflict is more civilisational than territorial in nature. India’s growing closeness to the U.S. and the West annoys China. It sees the U.S.-led West as its principal antagonist. Hence, China has excessive concerns about strategic entities such as the Quad.

Notwithstanding its claims about being stronger than ever before, China continues to nurse serious concerns about its strategic vulnerabilities.

Re-design and deliver – Govt crop insurance scheme needs radical rethink

News: The government has decided to bring changes in the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in the view of increasing climate hazards on farming. This is a great step as the current PMFBY has many lacunae.

What are the issues with PMFBY?

Decline in numbers: This scheme has failed to meet the expectations of farmers and state governments. The number of states implementing the PMFBY has declined from 22 in 2018 to 19 in 2022 and cultivators opting for the insurance cover has dropped from 21.6 million to 15.38 million.

Issues of farmers/insurers: Farmers argue that the compensation paid by insurers is too low and comes too late to help them whereas the insurers argue that farm insurance is a low-profit business with high risk involved in it. Therefore, some insurance companies have also stopped offering farm insurance cover.

Cost of sharing subsidy: PMFBY is a Central-sector scheme but half its cost is required to be shared by the states, and implementation is in the hands of public-sector and private companies. States already face financial issues due to which they find it hard to pay their share of subsidy for PMFBY.

What can be the way forward?

Change in the scheme: PMFBY should be either made a wholly Central scheme with all expenses borne by the Union government or leaving it entirely to the states as agriculture is a state subject under the Constitution.

• This will give autonomy to states to either choose to pay compensation to farmers or offer situation-specific insurance models acceptable to the farmers.
• It will also help the state to look at the level of the risk involved in the agriculture of its state depending upon local agro-ecological conditions.

Addressing reimbursement flaws: Even though the norms and rules for making claims and disbursement of the insurance are clearly given in the PMFBY but it is not followed. Therefore, the issue of delayed settlement of claims and inadequate reimbursement of the losses also needs to be addressed.

So, there is a need to carry out structural and procedural modifications to the PMFBY to make it feasible for insurance firms and financially gainful for farmers.

Towards a robust triumvirate – on appointment of Election Commissioner

News– THe article explains the issue of appointment of CEC and ECs. It also explains the issue of security of tenure for ECS.

A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court is examining a bunch of petitions recommending reforms in the process of appointment of members of the Election Commission.

What are various recommendations for appointment of Election Commissioner?

The Dinesh Goswami Committee in 1990 suggested that the Chief Election Commissioner be appointed by the President in consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the Leader of the Opposition. It said this process should have statutory backing. It applied the same criteria to the appointments of Election Commissioners, along with consultation with the Chief Election Commissioner.

The NCRWC said that the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners should be appointed on the recommendation of a body comprising the Prime Minister, the LoP in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

The 255th Report of the Law Commission said the appointment of all the Election Commissioners should be made by the President in consultation with a three-member collegium consisting of the Prime Minister, the LoP of the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India.

What are various facts related to security of tenure for Election Commissioners?

CEC can only be removed by impeachment. Election Commissioners do not enjoy this protection.

SC in Sheshan case have conferred equal powers on the Election Commissioners as those enjoyed by the Chief Election Commissioner. It has even offered majority power, whereby any two can overrule even the Chief Election Commissioner. Yet, it did not afford the Election Commissioners the same constitutional protection from arbitrary removal.

The 255th Report of the Law Commission suggested measures to safeguard Election Commissioners from arbitrary removal, in a manner similar to what is accorded to the Chief Election Commissioner.

What Election Commissioners should be provided with security of tenure?

Without this, they may hesitate to act independently.

In the absence of full constitutional security, an Election Commissioner could feel they must keep on the right side of the Chief Election Commissioner. They might also feel they must favour the government.

With such misgivings, an Election Commissioner can never be sure whether they will automatically be elevated to the top post because nowhere has elevation been mentioned in any statute.

What is the way forward?

Chief Election Commissioner should be appointed by a collegium. This must apply equally to the Election Commissioners. The collegium should be wide based.

The Election Commission must now equally be protected from arbitrary removal by a constitutional amendment that would ensure a removal process that currently applies only to the Chief Election Commissioner.

An Indian recipe to quell micronutrient malnutrition

News– The article explains the benefits of food fortification in checking malnutrition

What does the statistics say about malnutrition in India? As per NFHS-5 data, every second Indian woman is anaemic, every third child is stunted and malnourished, and every fifth child is wasted.

According to an FAO Food Security Report for 2021, India ranks 101 out of 116 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2021. It has a 15.3% undernourished population, the highest proportion of stunted children (30%), and wasted children (17.3%).

Global Nutrition Report 2021 says that stunting among children in India is significantly higher than the Asian average of 21.8%.

What are the benefits associated with food fortification?

Pilot projects on the distribution of fortified rice have been taken up in Maharashtra (Gadchiroli district) as part of a targeted Public Distribution programme for the masses. The programme has been a success in terms of preventing cases of anaemia from 58.9% to 29.5% within a span of two years.

It has prompted the central government to declare the scaling up of the distribution of fortified rice through the existing platform of social safety nets such as the PDS, ICDS and PM-POSHAN.

In Gujarat, an eight-month long study on multiple micronutrient fortified rice intervention for school children, as part of the Midday Meal Scheme took place in 2018-19. It found increased haemoglobin concentration, reduction in anaemia prevalence, and more improved average cognitive scores.

What is the effectiveness of food fortification?

According to the World Health Organization, Iron deficiency anaemia is a major public health concern. It is responsible for 3.6% of disability-adjusted life years or DALYs.

According to NITI Aayog a rice fortification budget of around ₹2,800 crore per year can save 35% of the total or 16.6 million DALYs per year with no known risk of toxicity. In India, the cost of one DALY lost due to iron deficiency anaemia is approximately 30000 Rs.

The health benefits accruing from food fortification have made 80 countries to frame laws for the fortification of cereal flour, and 130 countries with iodised salt. 13 countries have mandated rice fortification.

What is the way forward?

Food fortification is a cost-effective complementary strategy to address multiple micronutrient deficiencies.It can help in reducing micronutrient deficiencies and address overall health benefits.

The intervention should be carried out with precaution. Activists have expressed concern that excess iron overload from fortified rice has been dangerous for Jharkhand’s tribal population suffering from sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia.

India’s agenda during its G20 Presidency will be inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive

News: Today, India commences its G20 Presidency.

The world remains trapped in the same zero-sum mindset even today. This is visible by a) Countries fighting over territory or resources, b) Supplies of essential goods are weaponised such as vaccines are hoarded by a few, when billions remain vulnerable.

What will be India’s G20 agenda?

-India can present its experiences, learnings and models as possible templates for others, particularly the developing world.

-India will encourage an honest conversation among the most powerful countries — on mitigating risks posed by weapons of mass destruction and enhancing global security.

-India will seek to depoliticise the global supply of food, fertilisers and medical products, so that geopolitical tensions do not lead to humanitarian crises.

-India will encourage sustainable and environment-friendly lifestyles, based on India’s tradition of trusteeship towards nature.

Overall, India’s G20 agenda will be inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive.

How India’s G20 agenda will promote a universal sense of one-ness?

Unique theme: India sees all living beings, and even inanimate things, as composed of the same five basic elements (panch tatva of earth, water, fire, air and space). India’s G20 Presidency will work to promote this universal sense of one-ness.

Hence, India decided “One Earth, One Family, One Future” to be the theme for the upcoming G20 meet. With this, India will focus on healing our “One Earth”, creating harmony within our “One Family” and giving hope for our “One Future”.

Indian democracy and economic growth: India is housing one-sixth of the human population. Along with its immense diversity of languages, religions, customs and beliefs, India is a microcosm of the world. Today, India is the fastest-growing large economy. Hence, India is better positioned to revamp the agenda of the G-20.

India’s past achievement: India has leveraged technology to create open, inclusive, and interoperable digital public goods. These have delivered revolutionary progress in fields as varied as social protection, financial inclusion, and electronic payments.

India can be a voice of the unheard: India can help in shaping G20 priorities in consultation with both G20 partners and the Global South, whose voice often goes unheard.

For all these reasons, India’s experiences can provide insights into possible global solutions.

Unseemly conflict – Government’s diatribe does not resolve conflict over judicial appointments

News: Recently, the government returned 20 names proposed by the Supreme Court collegium for judicial appointments. Among them, ten names were reiterated after being returned earlier

What are the major challenges hampering the functioning of the judiciary?

One, Union Law Minister is targeting the Collegium system with its inherent challenges. The collegium is a demonstrably poor system where the individual biases of judges can affect who gets selected or dropped and there’s too much opacity in its ways of functioning.

The second is the Government’s strategy of delaying appointments recommended by the Collegium is seen as a counterblast to its loss of primacy in the matter. For instance, a Supreme Court Bench questioned whether Government’s inaction is a retaliation against the Court as it did not permit the implementation of the National Judicial Appointments Commission.

Third, the Government is also violating the prevailing legal position that a recommendation reiterated by the Collegium, after due consideration of its objections, is binding on it.

What are the implications of the conflicts on the functioning of the judiciary?

Withdrawal of eminent lawyers: The uncertainty over the fate of a recommendation for appointment is resulting in eminent lawyers withdrawing their consent or declining invitations to join the Bench. This is a tragic waste of judicial talent.

Favours government-chosen candidates: The Government ignoring the reiterations results in the Government having a particular candidate in the position. In future, they might support the government in judgements.

Widen the rift between the government and the judiciary: In counter-retaliation, the judiciary might hold a major verdict that may go against the Government. This will in turn be portrayed by the political leadership as stemming from the hostility of the judiciary.

Above all, litigants will face collateral damage in the fight between judiciary and the government.

What should be done to ensure the smooth functioning of the judiciary?

Every week there are high court judges retiring and vacancies are growing. Existing judges can dispose of more cases. But they cannot make amends for vacancies.

Only if the two sides are willing to address each other’s concerns, the relations between the judiciary and the executive will be back on track. This can be done by

a) The Government clearing the pending recommendations, b) The judiciary must agree to a process of reforms in the way the Collegium functions. The judiciary should expand the range of consultation and widen the zone of consideration, c) The Government must bring a new constitutional mechanism to make appointments without undermining judicial authority. For instance, The Centre can unveil a new NJAC after consultation with political parties and SC, which is acceptable to all sides, d) The judiciary must make public criteria used to select judges, like assessments of judgments written or cases argued.

GS Paper 3

This global water audit should not gather dust

News: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has released a water audit report that can guide global climate adaptation.

What are the findings of the report?

The report offers an overview of river-flow volumes, major floods and droughts, and identifies hotspots of change in freshwater storage with the vulnerability of the cryosphere. The findings of the reports are –

1. A large part of the Earth in 2021 was dry due to the rising global warming.
2. India may also face water scarcity in the future.
3. 6 billion people have insufficient access to water for at least one month per year which is expected to exceed 5 billion by 2050. This means that more than three people would be short of water by 2050.
4. African rivers, rives in some parts of Russia and Central Asia were all affected by weak stream flows last year while Chinese and North Indian rivers are becoming more prone to floods.
5. There was a rainfall deficiency in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia last year.
6. Even though India did not suffer much dryness, but monsoon coverage is increasingly becoming uneven which may pose a threat in the future.
7. There has been severe groundwater depletion in North India and Pakistan and these regions are categorized as below average compared to their 2002-2020 average.
8. The Gangetic and Indus systems also feature on the WMO’s ‘hotspot’ list of rapid deterioration.

The findings of the report highlight the future concerns. Even though India has its own water audit but WMO’s report should also be taken into consideration and actions should be adopted by the World including India accordingly.

Are ransomware attacks increasing in India?

News: The recent massive ransomware attack has crippled the e-hospital services of AIIMS, Delhi for seven days.

What is ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malicious software, used by cyber criminals, to infect a computer system by blocking access to the stored data by encrypting the files. A ransom is then demanded from the owner in exchange for the decryption key.

A Cybersecurity firm, in its third-quarter global report, has identified 25 major ransomware in circulation. According to Interpol’s first-ever Global Crime Trend report, ransomware was the second highest-ranking threat after money laundering, at 66%. It is also expected to increase the most (72%).

Why AIIMS is targeted by ransomseekers?

Many countries consider the health and medical sector as critical information (CI) infrastructure. But in India, health is not specified directly as a CI. However, an organisation like AIIMS is a natural target for cyber attackers and ransom seekers because,

a) AIIMS databases contain the personal information of patients – including political leaders, senior administrators and judges – and their healthcare records, b) AIIMS handles and stores very sensitive medical research data, and c) AIIMS New Delhi could be counted as a “strategic and public enterprise” as it deals with crores of patients.

How did India handle the AIIMS ransomware attack?

The Delhi Police used the provisions of section 66 (F) of the Information Technology Amendment Act 2008. Thereby identifying AIIMS incident as a case of cyber terrorism. This is significant and indicates a much larger ambit than a typical ransomware case.

Which agencies in India deal with cyber-attacks?

Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In): It is the national nodal agency that collects, analyses and circulates inputs on cyber-attacks; issues guidelines, advisories for preventive measures, forecasts and issues alerts; and takes measures to handle any significant cyber security event.

National Cyber Security Coordinator: It functions under the National Security Council Secretariat. It coordinates with different agencies at the national level on cybersecurity issues.

National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre: It has been set up for the protection of national critical information infrastructure.

Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre): It has been launched for detection of malicious software programmes and to provide free tools to remove the same.

National Cyber Coordination Centre: It works on creating awareness about existing and potential threats.

What should be done to protect India’s critical infrastructure?

AIIMS incident is a wake-up call for organisations across sectors to shore up cyber security measures. This can be done by

Announcing a national cyber security strategy: This will be a guiding document to motivate and monitor the preparedness of cyber readiness of institutes and also enhance capacity on many fronts including forensics, accurate attribution and cooperation.

Increased budget for cyber security measures: Significant budgets have to be allocated by various ministries to ensure cyber security measures.

Capacity enhancement: The capacity enhancement for the National Critical Information Infrastructure Centre (NCIIPC) and CERTIn has to be undertaken to address the emerging sophisticated nature of threats and attacks. Further, sectoral CERTs have to be set up for many areas including health.

International cooperation: This will help India to gain more knowledge and power. For this, India has to move beyond the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) meetings and the US-led Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI) of 37 countries and the European Union.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Significant Decline in the Maternal Mortality Ratio(MMR) from 130 in 2014-16 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20: Health Minister

Source: The post is based on the article “Significant Decline in the Maternal Mortality Ratio(MMR) from 130 in 2014-16 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20: Health Minister” published in PIB on 1st December 2022.

What is the News?

The Office of the Registrar General of India has released a Special Bulletin on the Maternal Mortality Ratio(MMR) of India.

What is the Maternal Mortality Ratio(MMR)?

The Maternal Mortality Ratio(MMR) is defined as the number of maternal deaths during a given time period per 100,000 live births.

What are the key highlights from the Special Bulletin on MMR?

Maternal Mortality Ratio(MMR): It has declined from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20.

– Upon achieving this, India has accomplished the National Health Policy(NHP) target for MMR of less than 100/lakh live births and is on the right track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) target of MMR less than 70/lakh live births by 2030.

Sates with lowest MMR: Kerala has the lowest MMR of 19 per lakh live births followed by Maharashtra at 33 and Telangana at 43.

States with highest MMR: Assam has the highest Maternal Mortality Ratio(MMR) of 195 followed by Madhya Pradesh with an MMR of 173 per lakh live births and Uttar Pradesh with 167. 

States which have achieved SDG MMR Target: The number of states which have achieved SDG MMR targets has risen from six to eight. These eight states are Kerala, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Karnataka.

Which are the steps taken by the Government to reduce the MMR in India?

Since 2014, under the National Health Mission(NHM), India has made a concerted effort to provide accessible quality maternal and newborn health services and minimize preventable maternal deaths. 

Government schemes such as “Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram” and “Janani Suraksha Yojana” have been modified and upgraded to more assured and respectful service delivery initiatives like Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan(SUMAN). 

Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan(PMSMA) is particularly lauded for its focus on identifying high-risk pregnancies and facilitating their appropriate management. 

LaQshya and Midwifery initiatives concentrate on promoting quality care in a respectful and dignified manner ensuring the choice of birthing to all pregnant women.

One step closer to a universal flu vaccine?

Source: The post is based on the article “One step closer to a universal flu vaccine?” published in Economic Times on 1st December 2022.

What is the News?

Researchers are working on a universal flu vaccine that works against 20 known influenza A and B viruses.

How is this universal vaccine different from the current vaccine?

Broadly speaking, there are 20 subgroups of influenza that each represents thousands of viruses. 

Current vaccines can target four subgroups at most. These current vaccines also need to be updated every year to ensure they are a good match for flu viruses in circulation.

But the experimental vaccine includes 20 different types in the hope of getting the immune system to recognize any flu virus it might encounter in the future.

Hence, the idea here is to have a vaccine that will give people a baseline level of immune memory to diverse flu strains so that there will be far less disease and death when the next flu pandemic occurs.

What is the significance of this development?

This universal flu vaccine is based on the same mRNA technology used in the highly successful Covid jabs. 

But it has only been tested in animals to date, and it will be important to investigate its safety and efficacy in humans.

But this development is a very promising approach to the goal of producing a universal flu vaccine as well as vaccines that protect against multiple members of other viral families such as rhino and corona-viruses.

Explained | How FIFA is using SAOT for offside decisions

Source: The post is based on the article “Explained | How FIFA is using SAOT for offside decisions” published in The Hindu on 1st December 2022.

What is the News?

Federation Internationale de Football Association(FIFA) is using Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) for offside decisions in the ongoing football world cup.

What is Semi-Automated Offside Technology(SAOT)?

Semi-automated offside technology(SOAT) is a support tool for video match officials and on-field officials to help them make faster, more reproducible and more accurate offside decisions.

How do the SOAT works?

There are two parts to the technology — a sensor inside the match ball that is held using suspension technology, and existing tracking tools that are part of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.

Every time the ball is hit, data is sent in real-time (at a whopping 500 frames per second) to a network of antennae installed around the playing field.

Additionally, there are 12 Hawk-Eye cameras set up around the turf that shadow both the ball and the players, with as many as 29 separate points in the human body tracked.

The coming together of the ball sensor and the Hawk-Eye cameras is in effect SAOT.

These two data sets are run through artificial intelligence software which generates automated alerts about offsides to the match officials. This replaces the manual effort taken in poring over replays for minutes on end.

Over 160-200 million Indians could be exposed to lethal heat waves annually: World Bank

Source: The post is based on the article “Over 160-200 million Indians could be exposed to lethal heat waves annually: World Bank” published in The Hindu on 1st December 2022.

What is the News?

The World Bank has released a report titled “Climate Investment Opportunities in India’s Cooling Sector”.

What are the key findings of the report?

Impact of Higher Temperatures on India: By 2030, over 160-200 million people across the country could be exposed to lethal heat waves annually. 

Around 34 million people in India will face job losses due to heat stress-related productivity decline.

Due to this, by 2037, the demand for cooling is likely to be eight times more than current levels. This means there will be a demand for a new air-conditioner every 15 seconds leading to an expected rise of 435% in annual greenhouse gas emissions over the next two decades.

Recognizing this challenge, India is already deploying new strategies to help people adapt to rising temperatures. In 2019, India launched the India Cooling Action Plan(ICAP).

The report proposes a roadmap to support ICAP through new investments in three major sectors: Building construction, Cold chains and Refrigerants.

What is the roadmap suggested by the report in these three major sectors?

Building construction: 

Firstly, adopt climate-responsive cooling techniques as a norm in both private and government-funded constructions. This can ensure that those at the bottom of the economic ladder are not disproportionately affected by rising temperatures.

– The report suggests that India’s affordable housing program for the poor, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana(PMAY) can adopt such changes on a scale.

Secondly, enact a policy for district cooling which could lead to the consumption of 20-30% less power than the most efficient conventional cooling solutions. District cooling technologies generate chilled water in a central plant which is then distributed to multiple buildings via underground insulated pipes. This brings down the cost for providing cooling to individual buildings.

Fix Gaps in Cold Chains Network: To minimize rising food and pharmaceutical wastage during transport due to higher temperatures, the report recommends fixing gaps in cold chain distribution networks. Investing in pre-cooling and refrigerated transport can help decrease food loss by about 76% and reduce carbon emissions by 16%.

Refrigerants: India aims to phase out the production and use of ozone-depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) which are used as coolants in air conditioners and refrigerators by 2047. 

– The report recommended improvements in servicing, maintenance and disposal of equipment that use HCFCs alongside a shift to alternative options with a lower global warming footprint. 

– This can create 2 million jobs for trained technicians over the next two decades and reduce the demand for refrigerants by around 31%.

16 drones shot down along Pakistan border in 2022: BSF

Source: The post is based on the article “16 drones shot down along Pakistan border in 2022: BSF” published in The Hindu on 1st December 2022.

What is the News?

Make-in-India technology is helping the Border Security Force(BSF) shoot down drones carrying deadly weapons, ammunition and drugs from Pakistan with greater success.

For instance, in 2022 alone BSF has neutralized 16 drones so far compared to just one in 2021.

What are the steps taken by BSF to enhance border security against drone attacks?

Firstly, it has enhanced the surveillance in border areas in a very big way. This entails the use of surveillance cameras and drones on the western and eastern theatres (Pakistan and Bangladesh fronts, respectively). 

Secondly, BSF has developed some low-cost technology solutions that help them mount effective surveillance in the border areas.

Thirdly, BSF is undertaking a forensic study of the seized drones to get useful information from the chips inserted in them like its flight path, launch pad and destination and the duration of the flight among other things. 

Fourthly, the procurement of many vehicle-mounted anti-drone systems(ADS) is under consideration by the Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA). 

Fifthly, a Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System(CIBMS) exists for the integration of manpower, different sensors and networks so as to facilitate decision-making and prompt process at various levels.

Supreme Court floats idea of ‘Project GIB’: What is this endangered bird

Source: The post is based on the article “Supreme Court floats idea of ‘Project GIB’: What is this endangered bird” published in Indian Express on 1st December 2022.

What is the News?

The Supreme Court has asked the Government if a ‘Project Great Indian Bustard (GIB)’ can be launched on the lines of ‘Project Tiger’.

What is the Great Indian Bustard?

Click here to read

Why is the Great Indian Bustard endangered?

Among the biggest threats to the GIBs are overhead power transmission lines. Due to their poor frontal vision, the birds can’t spot the power lines from a distance and are too heavy to change course when close. Thus, they collide with the cables and die.

According to the Wildlife Institute of India(WII), in Rajasthan, 18 GIBs die every year after colliding with overhead power lines.

About Supreme Court on Great Indian Bustard(GIB) conservation

The Supreme Court in 2021 ordered that all overhead power transmission lines in core and potential GIB habitats in Rajasthan and Gujarat should be made underground.

The court also sought reports from the chief secretaries of Rajasthan and Gujarat in six weeks on the installation of bird diverters (reflector-like structures strung on power cables) in priority areas. 

It also asked them to assess the total length of transmission lines that need to go underground in the two states.

Man-animal conflict mitigation team selected for the Wildlife Trust of India award

Source: The post is based on the article “Man-animal conflict mitigation team selected for the Wildlife Trust of India award” published in The Hindu on 1st December 2022.

What is the News?

The Wildlife Trust of India(WTI) has selected an eight-member team from Chinnakkanal (Munnar forest division in Kerala) for its award this year for reducing incidents of man-animal conflict in the region.

Why was this eight-member team from Kerala selected for the award by WTI?

The team has been selected for its work in ensuring the protection of wild elephants and people in the region.

The team does this by providing information about the movements of wild elephants in Chinnakanal and other regions through WhatsApp groups.

The messages help people to be aware of the presence of wild elephants in the Chinnakkanal area.

They also provide the photos and location of the wild elephants in each region to the Divisional Forest officer(DFO) and other officials.

What is the Wildlife Trust of India(WTI)?

Wildlife Trust of India(WTI) is a wildlife conservation NGO formed in 1998 in response to the many crises confronting India’s wildlife and wild habitats.

Aim: To conserve wildlife and its habitat and to work for the welfare of individual wild animals, in partnership with communities and governments.

Exercise Yudh Abhyas: India-U.S. exercise near LAC irks China

Source: The post is based on the article “India-U.S. exercise near LAC irks China” published in The Hindu on 1st December 2022.

What is the News?

China has expressed concern over the India-US joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas being held in Uttarakhand, about 100 km from the Line of Actual Control(LAC).

What is Exercise Yudh Abhyas?

Exercise Yudh Abhyas is a military exercise between India and the US.

Aim: To enhance understanding, cooperation and interoperability between the armies of India and the US with a number of complex drills being planned.

The exercise was started in 2004 under the US Army Pacific Partnership Program. The exercise is hosted alternately between both countries.

What is the condition at LAC between India and China?

Since the beginning of May 2020, Chinese and Indian forces have faced off in clashes with rocks, batons, and clubs wrapped in barbed wire at multiple locations along the LAC. Differing perceptions of border demarcations along the LAC is the reason behind.

The disengagement of troops is still under process after several rounds of talks between India and China.

Each country seeks the withdrawal of the other’s forces and a return to the pre-stand-off conditions, but neither China nor India agreed to the conditions.

Moreover, since the stand-off began, both sides have undertaken massive upgradation of infrastructure and building of habitats and support to house thousands of additional troops along the LAC. 

India has also constantly stated that the relationship cannot go back to normal as long as the situation along the LAC continues and has repeatedly called for the restoration of the status quo along the LAC.

Layoffs by IT firms in the U.S. will greatly impact H-1B workers

Source: The post is based on the article “Layoffs by IT firms in the U.S. will greatly impact H-1B workers” published in The Hindu on 1st December 2022.

What is the News?

The layoffs by the IT Firms in the US will significantly impact the Indian H-1B workers.

Why have there been layoffs by IT firms in the US?

In 2020, the number of people employed by Meta was about 58,000. Despite two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the employee count increased to 87,000 in 2022. Tech giants Amazon, Microsoft and Apple also recorded a similar increase. 

The idea was to cash in on the increased online presence of Internet users due to COVID-19-related movement restrictions by widening operations.

However, as the intensity of the pandemic declined, the time spent online also reduced. Dependence on online platforms reduced for activities such as shopping and studying. Over 95% of people were already using social media and messaging platforms.

Hence, as the expectation that online usage will continue to grow did not materialize, the net incomes of tech companies fell resulting in layoffs. 

What is the impact of these layoffs on Indian IT workers working in the US?

Indian workers who have been laid-off have a big worry. If they are unable to find a new employer within 60 days, they are faced with the prospect of leaving the U.S. and re-entering later. 

But the average waiting time for an interview appointment in the U.S. Embassy in cities in India is over a year. This is a problem that only Indian workers face as the waiting time in other countries is less by at least 100 days; in a majority of them, it is less than 15 days. 

To make matters worse, the prospects of these Indian workers back home are also weak. Most Indian IT companies have frozen or slowed down hiring as recessionary fears in the U.S. and high inflation in Europe have kept demand low.

United Nations Development Programme to help waste segregation workers access government schemes

Source: The post is based on the article “United Nations Development Programme to help waste segregation workers access government schemes” published in The Hindu on 30th November 2022.

What is the News?

United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) is implementing Plastic Waste Management Programme in India.

What is Plastic Waste Management Programme?

Objectives of the programme: Create a socio-technical model for taking plastic waste management from the informal to formal economy by helping them access government welfare programmes. 

– Establish Material Recovery Centres for sustained practices in waste management

– Institutionalize Swachhta Kendras within governance framework structures and improve the socio-economic conditions of waste pickers. 

Achievements under the programme: The project is currently operational in 36 cities with 22 Material Recovery Centres (Swachhta Kendras) established for sustainable waste management practices.

— The plastic collected and processed so far has already crossed 66,000 metric tonnes.

— The programme ensures the well-being and financial inclusion of the `Safai Sathis’ or waste-pickers by linking them to the social protection schemes like the `Jan Dhan’ accounts, `Ayushman Bharat’, pension schemes, and scholarships for children among others.

Who are Safai Sathis, and what are the issues faced by them?

Safai Sathis or waste-pickers are the backbones of traditional waste management in most Indian cities. They are predominantly women.

UNDP survey has shown that the ‘Safai Sathis’ are employed mainly on the margins of the urban informal sector. 

Their low income and job security are compounded by the fact that nearly 70% come from socially- backward groups and over 60% have no formal education.

More than 90% of workers reported owning an Aadhar card but only a tiny subset has an income, caste, or occupation certificate. This thwarts any attempts at formalizing their work and limits their access to government social security schemes.

Moreover, less than 5% of those surveyed had any health insurance, indicating very high degrees of health-shock vulnerabilities.