9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – May 22nd, 2023

Mains Oriented Articles

GS PAPER - 2

Judging jallikattu – Verdict upholds cultural sentiment, but animal rights, human safety matter too

Source: The post is based on the article “Judging jallikattu – Verdict upholds cultural sentiment, but animal rights, human safety matter too” published in The Hindu on 22nd May 2023.

Syllabus: GS – 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Relevance: About traditional bull-taming sports.

News: The Supreme Court has recently upheld amendments made by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, to allow the traditional bull-taming sports of Jallikattu and Kambala, and bullock-cart racing.

About the case

A 2014 Supreme Court judgment banned the sport Jalli Kattu and upheld the activists’ statement that any sport involving a physical contest between man and bull violates animal rights. But the State government amended the central Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, in its application to the State, and obtained the President’s assent.

A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has now settled the issue, ruling in favour of jallikattu as a cultural event.

Must read: Jallikattu: cultural practice or cruelty?

About the SC’s decision to permit traditional bull-taming sports

Must read: Supreme Court upholds Tamil Nadu law passed to overturn court’s jallikattu ban

What led to the SC’s decision to permit traditional bull-taming sports?

This is because a) Fresh regulations minimise the game’s potential for cruelty and pain which formed the basis for the 2014 judgment, b) The Court accepted the legislature’s view that jallikattu is a sport conducted every year to follow tradition and culture.

What should be done?

The organisers as well as the respective governments should bear the burden to prevent the infliction of pain and cruelty on animals.

These traditional bull-taming sports pose a danger to both participants and spectators. So, the organisers have to mandate protective gear for the participants and strictly enforce rules for proper barricades to keep spectators safe.

GS PAPER - 3

Why2k Question – Will withdrawing ₹2,000 notes smoke out the crooked? Unlikely. The crooked economy’s much more inventive

Source: The post is based on the article “Why2k Question – Will withdrawing ₹2,000 notes smoke out the crooked? Unlikely. The crooked economy’s much more inventive” published in The Times of India on 22nd May 2023.

Syllabus: GS – 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Relevance: About RBI’s decision to withdraw Rs 2,000 notes.

News: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to withdraw the Rs 2000 denomination banknotes from circulation.

Why has the RBI withdrawn Rs 2,000 notes?

Must read: Why has the RBI withdrawn Rs 2,000 notes?

What are the concerns highlighted by experts on RBI’s decision?

Creates confusion: The circular said the notes “will continue to be legal tender” while also telling the public to “utilise the time up to September 30 to deposit and/or exchange”.

Does not reduce the black market: People who play with very large sums of money does not depend only on bundles of currency notes. Gold is enjoying a superior premium ever since the pandemic. Further, black marketers also prefer dollars.

Does not address unaccounted cash: The recent SBI circular has said that none of its branches will ask for documents and there are reports that deposits/ exchanges by one person can happen several times a day, and any number of times till the deadline. This is not addressing the unaccounted cash holding.

These ‘forests’ are disturbing balance

Source: The post is based on the article “These ‘forests’ are disturbing balance” published in The Times of India on 22^nd May 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Environment

News: The article explains concerns associated with forest development corporations (FDCs) and measures needed to address them.

What are Forest Development Corporations (FDCs)?

FDCs were established by states with the aim to raise industrial plantations of teak, eucalyptus, bamboo etc., to enhance the production of forest produce, to restore the productivity of degraded forest areas, etc.

However, FDCs are using these monoculture plantations for financial exploitation.

Monoculture plantations are not only harmful to tiger conservation, but also play no role in climate change.

What are the concerns with FDCs in different states?

Maharashtra: Maharashtra has leased out 6% of the total forest area to the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM). FDCM commercially extracts about 50,000 cubic metres of timber annually, causing substantial environmental damage.

Moreover, FDCM takes high-quality miscellaneous forests, which act as food security and habitat for tigers, and removes these for teak plantations.

However, the monoculture practice of FDCM has become outdated because dense mixed forests are more important to maintain biodiversity and ecological balance. 

Monoculture practice harms biodiversity in the long run while miscellaneous forests provide maximum food availability for wildlife in fruits, leaves and grass, and shrubby canopy throughout the year.

Miscellaneous/mixed forests have the highest capacity to hold herbivore populations and carnivores.

Kerala: Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) used to focus on community-based ecotourism and earned revenue through pulpwood and teak. However, it had to discontinue pulpwood plantations after the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.

Therefore, for KFDC, it would be better to focus on carefully planned ecotourism and impart proper training to the dependent community.

Along with these initiatives, riverine vegetation must be promoted near the water bodies, and trees must be replaced with timber.

Telangana: In Telangana, eucalyptus dominates most of the plantations. Out of 33,000 hectares of forests leased out to Telangana State Forest Development Corporation (TSFDC), eucalyptus is spread over 22,000 hectares.

This monoculture practice has depleted the soil health. Therefore, to overcome the issue, KFDC has opted for other plantations like red sanders and sandalwood.

TSFDC is also focusing on ecotourism including botanical gardens in Hyderabad, resorts in backwaters and national parks.

What can be the way ahead?

Various state Forest Development Corporation (FDCs) are focusing on monoculture practices which are harmful for both the ecosystem and the environment.

According to the experts, deadly monoculture plantations act as ‘green deserts’ that have the least capability of mitigating climate change.

Therefore, FDCs should focus on growing trees on wastelands to increase forests area along with opting diversification of plantations. It should also plant those trees which can be economically as well as environmentally useful for the state.

Understanding a human pangenome map

Source: The post is based on the article “Understanding a human pangenome map” published in The Hindu on 22^nd May 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Science and Technology

News: A pangenome reference map has been built using genomes from 47 anonymous individuals from Africa, the Caribbean, Americas, East Asia, and Europe. The article explains its relevance.

What is genome and genome sequencing?

Read Here: Explained: The complete human genome, and what it tells us and Genome sequencing

The genome is an identity card like Aadhaar, which is unique for every individual.

What is a reference genome?

When genomes are newly sequenced, they are compared to a reference map called a reference genome. This helps to understand the regions of differences between the newly sequenced genome and the reference genome.

Reference genome was first built in 2001. It helped scientists discover thousands of genes linked to various diseases and better understand diseases like cancer at the genetic level and design novel diagnostic tests.

However, the reference genome had many gaps and errors. It was also not representative of all human beings as it was built using mostly the genome of a single individual of mixed African and European ancestry.

Therefore, to address these gaps and errors, scientists have developed the pangenome map.

What is a pangenome map?

The pangenome is a graph unlike the earlier reference genome which was a linear sequence. 

The graph of each chromosome resembles a bamboo stem, with nodes where sequences from all 47 individuals come together, indicating similarity.

The internodes, which have different lengths, represent genetic variations among individuals from different ancestries.

The researchers used long-read DNA sequencing technologies to create complete and contiguous chromosome maps in the pangenome project.

Longer reads technology helps to assemble the sequences with minimum errors and read through the repetitive regions of the chromosomes which are hard to sequence with short-read technologies used earlier.

However, even though pangenome map is error free, it does not represent all of human diversity.

Why is a pangenome map important?

Even though two humans are more than 99% similar in their DNA, there is still about a 0.4% difference between them.

Hence, a complete and error-free human pangenome map will help understand these differences and explain human diversity better.

It will also help understand genetic variants in some populations, which result in underlying health conditions.

The present map does not contain Indian genome sequences. However, it will help in mapping Indian genomes against the error-free and full reference genomes known till date.

Future pangenome maps incorporating high-quality genomes from diverse Indian populations, including endogamous and isolated groups, will provide insights into disease prevalence, facilitate the identification of new genes associated with rare diseases, and aid in the discovery of novel drugs to combat these diseases.

Undo The Un-Liberalised Remittance Policy

Source: The post is based on the article “Undo The Un-Liberalised Remittance Policy” published in The Times of India on 22nd May 2023.

Syllabus: GS – 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Relevance: About the tax on international credit card transactions.

News: The Centre has amended rules under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to bring international credit card spending outside India under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS).

What is Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)?

Read here: Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)

About Tax on international credit card transactions and its advantages

Must read: Tax on international credit card transactions: rationale and challenges – Explained, pointwise

A 20% (presumptive) tax deducted at source will only be levied on credit and debit credit card purchases of non-medical and non-educational purchases of over ₹7 lakh per person per year.

Note: The LRS allows for each individual to send (spend) abroad ₹205 lahks ($250,000) per year.

What are the expert’s opinions about imposing Tax on international credit card transactions?

Read here: International credit card spends outside India will attract 20% TCS: How cardholders may be impacted

What are the concerns associated with the tax on international credit card transactions?

Revenue to government and loss to citizens: If one spends ₹1,000 on travel, then this expenditure is deemed income. The government collects ₹200 immediately as the presumptive tax on the person’s presumed income.

As per the fixed deposit rate of 7%, the government gained(₹200 x 0. 07 = ₹14) certain amount prior to the tax return. Indians spent close to ₹1. 1 lakh crore on foreign travel in 2022-23. For the extra 0. 7% tax, that is a revenue gain of ₹770 crore.

Not the only way to track individuals: Not help in The government said that the taxation of foreign travel expenses would help track individuals with “expenditures disproportionate to income”. But among the global leaders in fintech, the government already has the expenditure information on foreign card travel, from which they can compute and assess whether expenditures are disproportionate to income.

No need to save forex: India’s reserves to imports ratio is at around nine months of imports. This is among the top 5% of non-oil economies in the world. In other words, there is a zero case for a TDS policy on LRS for “saving” foreign exchange.

What should be done?

The LRS policy was first introduced in 2004 with the short-term goal of decreasing the pressure of exchange rate over-valuation by creating a demand for dollars, and the longer-term goal of capital account convertibility.

But the proposed amendment to LRS is an ultra-regressive policy change and is against India’s goals and ambitions as a society and the economy. So, the government should revert the modified LRS policy.

Adopt a single-window e-portal to ease land acquisition in India

Source: This post is created based on the article “Adopt a single-window e-portal to ease land acquisition in India”, published in Live Mint on 22^nd May 2023.

Syllabus Topic: GS paper 3 – Land reform in India

Context: The global shift towards a China-plus-one strategy and the Indian government’s push for industry diversification align well with the current economic landscape.

Progressive schemes like the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) and the construction of state-of-the-art infrastructure are accelerating industrial growth.

With India being one of the fastest growing major economies, the domestic demand is booming, and the economy appears to be on solid ground.

What is the Role of Manufacturing in Economic Transformation?

Manufacturing is key to India’s prosperity. Experience from every advanced economy in the world clearly shows that manufacturing delivers high quality, well-paying jobs for large numbers of people.

Currently, about 40% of India’s workforce is engaged in agriculture, which contributes only around 16% of the total GDP. It’s essential to transition this excess labour into the expanding manufacturing sector.

The potential for India to become a global manufacturing hub is high, however, challenges like land acquisition are hurdles.

What are the steps taken for land reforms in India?

1. The Indian government has made significant strides in digitizing land records and related documentation, which provides a strong foundation for further improvements.
2. A unified online portal for land transactions, minimizing the role of intermediaries, can simplify the process significantly.
3. Speeding up the land acquisition process is also crucial for operationalizing auctioned mines, thereby ensuring a domestic supply of raw materials for the manufacturing sector.
4. The implementation of a digital land sale system, appreciating the importance of speed and scale, would be a significant step forward for the nation.

India as a Quad-led biomanufacturing hub

Source: This post is created based on the article “India as a Quad-led biomanufacturing hub”, published in The Hindu on 22^nd May 2023.

Syllabus Topic: GS paper 3- Science and technology –

News: The Quad (Australia, India, Japan, and the United States) created a Critical and Emerging Technology Working Group in March 2021. However, the potential for Quad cooperation in biotechnology is not yet fully utilized.

The creation of a Quad-led biomanufacturing hub in India could bolster this cooperation​.

What is Bio-manufacturing?

Biomanufacturing involves the use of living systems, especially microorganisms and cell cultures, to generate molecules and materials on a commercial scale.

This technology can revolutionize the global industrial system. An estimated 60% of the physical inputs to the global economy are potentially producible by this method.

Challenges in creation of Quad-led biomanufacturing hub in India?

Dominance of China in small-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is a concern.

Scaling up the biomanufacturing sector in India necessitates improving the quality of its workforce.

While India has many life science professionals, they often lack access to cutting-edge technology and training.

What is the potential of creation of Quad-led biomanufacturing hub in India?

India aims to become a leading biomanufacturing hub and has plans to increase its fermentation capacity tenfold to 10 million litres in the next three to five years.

India’s National Biotechnology Development Strategy envisions the country as a “Global Biomanufacturing Hub” by 2025.

The U.S. has significant funding capability, while all three (Japan, Australia, and the U.S.) have advanced biotechnology innovation ecosystems and intellectual property. India, on the other hand, has skilled manpower and the potential to provide affordable scale.

India is also an ideal choice to host the biomanufacturing hub due to its existing infrastructure, low-cost pharmaceutical manufacturing expertise, and available workforce.

The proposed hub can facilitate technology transfer, connect investors, and establish a biomanufacturing fund administered through the Quad.

The hub can also harmonize language, regulations, and data-sharing regarding biomanufacturing to secure supply chains for Quad nations and facilitate international collaboration.

WMO’s State of the Global Climate Report – Explained, pointwise

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Introduction

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has recently issued a new update to its “State of the Global Climate Report.” The report warns of a surge in global temperatures to record levels within the next five years. It predicts a 66% chance that annual average temperatures will exceed 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels for at least one year between 2023 and 2027.

The forecast combines the effects of human-induced climate change and the expected development of a warming El Niño event. It highlights the urgency of preparedness for the far-reaching impacts on health, food security, water management, and the environment.  

About WMO’s State of the Global Climate Report

Overview: The State of the Global Climate Report 2022 focuses on key climate indicators – greenhouse gases, temperatures, sea level rise, ocean heat and acidification, sea ice and glaciers. It provides scientific evidence of the changing climate and its impact on global weather patterns, ecosystems, and human societies.  

Key Findings in 2022

What are the warnings highlighted by the State of the Global Climate Report?

Accelerated sea-level rise: The report warns that the rate of global mean sea-level rise has doubled between the first decade of the satellite record (1993- 2002) and the last (2022). This rise is attributed to ocean warming, ice loss from glaciers and ice sheets, and changes in land water storage. This acceleration could cause drastic changes in land cover and potentially increase social disparities in coastal areas.  

More frequent and intense extreme weather events: The report indicates that rising global temperatures contribute to more frequent and intense extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, and severe storms. China, for instance, experienced its most extensive and long-lasting heatwave on record in 2022.  

Drought conditions and decreased agricultural yield: The frequency and intensity of droughts are increasing. This results in decreased agricultural yield, negatively impacting food security. An example of this is seen in India and Pakistan, where 2022’s heatwaves reduced wheat crop yield significantly, leading the Indian government to ban wheat exports.  

Anticipated further climate change impacts: The report also anticipates further impacts of climate change, such as an increase in greenhouse gas emissions and the possibility of an El Niño event, which can exacerbate the current climate crisis.  

Read more: State of the Global Climate 2022: The threat of rising sea levels

What will be the consequences of increased temperature?

Sea-level rise: Global warming is causing sea levels to rise at an unprecedented rate. For instance, the rate of global mean sea-level rise doubled between the first decade of the satellite record and the last, contributing to a potential loss of coastal land and greater risk for coastal communities.  

Increased extreme weather events: Increased global temperatures contribute to more frequent and intense extreme weather events, such as cyclones, heavy rain, flooding, and other extreme storms. For example, Nigeria experienced exacerbated flooding during the rainy season due to very heavy rainfall, causing hundreds of deaths.  

Effect on Agriculture: Increased temperatures can have a considerable impact on agricultural yields. For example, in 2021, a heatwave in the Pacific Northwest of the United States led to reduced yields in vital crops such as apples, cherries, and wheat. These events can have a ripple effect on global food markets and security.  

Greater social disparities: As a result of land loss due to sea-level rise, there could be an increase in social disparities. Those who are better off will be able to cope better than marginalized groups, leading to social inequalities among people living in coastal areas.  

Record temperatures in Antarctica: Extreme temperatures are not limited to regions traditionally associated with heat. Antarctica recorded exceptionally high temperatures in March 2022, with two sites measuring 35 °C above the average for March and 15 °C above previous record years.  

Marine heatwaves and impacts on sea life: Marine heatwaves, caused by increased ocean temperatures, can have disastrous impacts on marine life and ecosystems. The Mediterranean Sea, for instance, suffered from marine heatwaves from March to December 2022, potentially threatening marine biodiversity.  

Increased wildfires: Increased temperatures and droughts can lead to a rise in wildfires. While the report did not specifically mention wildfires, global trends show that higher temperatures are often associated with an increased risk of wildfires, which can cause the destruction of ecosystems, homes, and human lives.  

Read more: Global Sea Level Rise: WMO Report – Explained, pointwise

What are the challenges in limiting the impacts of climate change?  

Challenges in policy enactment and enforcement: Despite extensive data on climate change, policies and laws aren’t keeping up with the rapidly changing conditions. For example, faster sea-level rises can cause major changes in coastal ecosystems before rehabilitative policies have a chance to mitigate the impacts.  

“Common but Differentiated Responsibilities”: This principle can create challenges, particularly in balancing fairness and efficiency in distributing responsibilities and resources to combat climate change. Negotiations often become complex as countries debate their respective obligations to reduce emissions or finance climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.

For example, developed nations like the US and EU have historically contributed more to global warming but emerging economies like China and India are now significant contributors too. Balancing this dynamic while achieving consensus on climate policies is a substantial challenge.  

Managing extreme weather events: With climate change leading to more frequent and extreme weather events, managing these disasters poses a significant challenge. For instance, Madagascar was battered by three consecutive tropical storm systems in early 2022, causing extensive damage and loss of life. The ability to predict, prepare for, and respond to these events is a huge challenge.  

Economic and social disruption: Climate change impacts can lead to significant social and economic disruptions, especially in vulnerable communities. As an example, the intense droughts in the Horn of Africa led to poor crop yields, triggering food shortages, and socio-economic instability. Balancing economic growth with sustainability efforts is a significant challenge, especially for developing countries.  

Managing resource scarcity: Climate change can also exacerbate resource scarcity. Rising sea levels can increase groundwater salinity, thereby affecting agriculture and worsening water crises in coastal areas. For instance, as the Global Mean Sea-Level continues to rise, more seawater could seep into the ground, leading to groundwater turning saline and exacerbating water crises in coastal areas.  

Read more: Climate Justice: Meaning, Challenges and Way Forward – Explained, pointwise

What should be done to limit the impacts of climate change?

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions: One of the most crucial steps to limit climate change is cutting greenhouse gas emissions significantly. With human-emitted greenhouse gases at a record high, countries should transition to more sustainable, low-carbon energy sources and promote energy efficiency in various sectors.  

Improving climate adaptation and resilience: To deal with climate change’s impacts, it is important to invest in and implement adaptation measures to increase resilience against extreme weather events. This includes developing early warning systems, better infrastructure, and implementing climate-smart agriculture.  

Promoting sustainable practices: Governments, businesses, and individuals should promote sustainable practices in their daily operations and routines. This can range from waste management, and water conservation, to the promotion of circular economies that reduce waste and overconsumption.  

Global cooperation and commitment: Addressing climate change requires global cooperation. All countries should commit to ambitious climate goals in line with the Paris Agreement and ensure these commitments are met. Wealthier nations should also provide support to developing nations, particularly those most affected by climate change, to enable them to adapt and transition to a low-carbon economy.  

Investing in climate research and innovation: There’s a need to continually invest in climate science research to better understand the impacts of climate change and develop innovative solutions. Research institutions and governments should support advancements in clean energy technologies, carbon capture techniques, and other breakthroughs that can mitigate climate change.  

Education and awareness: Raising awareness about the impacts of climate change and educating the public about sustainable living practices can also play a significant role in mitigating climate change. Individuals can make a difference by adopting more environmentally-friendly lifestyles and advocating for climate action.  

Read more: Express View on new climate change report

Source: Livemint, UNFCCC, Down To Earth (Article 1 and Article 2), Outlook India, Indian Express, ORF and The Hindu

Syllabus: GS 3: Environment and Bio-diversity: Conservation

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