9 PM Daily Current Affairs Brief – October 5th, 2023

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Mains Oriented Articles

GS PAPER - 1

How Gandhi crafted his own public image

How Gandhi crafted his own public image

Source: The post is based on the article “How Gandhi crafted his own public imagepublished in The Indian Express on 5th October 2023.

Syllabus: GS 1 – Modern Indian History – Famous Personalities

Relevance: About Mahatma Gandhi

News: The article explores Gandhi’s willingness to be photographed.

What are some of the details of Gandhi’s fondness for being photographed?

Gandhi was one of the most photographed people of the 20th century. He understood the power of images and used them to his advantage in the fight for Indian independence.

Gandhi was willing to make his private life as accessible as his public actions if it served the purpose.

For instance, he deliberately created a photo opportunity by collecting salt granules three days after making salt at Dandi in 1930, which became an iconic image associated with the salt march.

When did the documentation of Gandhi’s life through photographs start?

Gandhi’s life began to be documented in photographs while he was still in South Africa.

Initially, he was photographed as a practicing lawyer, and later, as an advocate for Satyagraha, fighting against the Black Act that restricted Indian entry into Transvaal.

When he returned to India in 1915, the camera continued to capture his journey, starting from his arrival with his wife Kasturba at Apollo Bunder in Bombay.

Gandhi allowed his life and work to be documented in pictures throughout his life. In his later years, he started charging Rs 5 for autographs, to raise money for the underprivileged.

Gandhi’s interaction with the camera evolved from a formal relationship to a more intimate one by the 1930s.

Swiss photojournalist Walter Bosshard noted in his book “Indien kämpft!” (1931) that Gandhi had sworn not to pose for photographers anymore. However, he was lucky to take some pictures by just being around Gandhi.

This resulted in a collection of photographs showing a relaxed and unguarded Gandhi engaged in various activities like shaving, reading, spinning the charkha, etc.

Which photographer had a closer relationship with Gandhi?

Gandhi’s grandnephew, Kanu, was one of the most privileged photographers to document his life. Kanu closely followed Gandhi until his death. However, he was absent from Birla House on the day of Gandhi’s assassination.

Kanu began working at Gandhi’s ashram in Sevagram in the mid-1930s, when he was still a teenager. He had the unique privilege of being able to take pictures of his grand-uncle at any time.

The only rules were no flash photography, no posing of Gandhi, and no funding from the ashram for his photography.

Kanu became Gandhi’s photo-biographer, documenting both everyday moments and significant events, such as Gandhi’s 1940 meeting with Rabindranath Tagore in Santiniketan.

Moreover, Margaret Bourke-White was one of the last journalists to interview Gandhi before he was assassinated.

GS PAPER - 2

MDB reforms off the block

Source: This post has been created based on the article “MDB reforms off the block”, published in the Business Standard on 5th October 2023.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2 – International Relations – Important International institutions, agencies and fora– their structure, mandate.

News: This article discusses the reforms in Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) as an important outcome of G20’s Delhi Summit under India’s leadership. The role of MDBs such as World Bank and ADB in addressing global challenges such as climate change and maximising developmental impact is also highlighted.

Growing Role of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs)

Firstly, there is an urgent need for mobilizing financial resources for combating climate change. For example, IMF has estimated the requirement of $5 trillion annually by 2030 for achieving Net-Zero by 2050.

Secondly, since governments have found themselves short of funds for implementing big projects, private investment is required to augment efforts. MDBs can attract private funds and work with other financial institutions.

Thirdly, the shortage of resources in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDE) to finance their climate transition and developmental projects can be supplemented by MDBs.

What should the MDBs do?

Work on a new operating model to increase their capacity to serve as “Climate Banks” and emerge as a solutions-provider for developing countries.

It is important for MDBs to catalyse private capital through the innovative use of risk transfers and blended finance.

MDBs will have to be innovative in mobilising capital from commercial banks as well as institutional investors, including pension funds, asset managers and insurance companies.

What should be done?

Trillions are needed to meet investment needs for climate adaptation and mitigation, disaster resilience, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, which is becoming increasingly difficult and costly. In this regard, MDBs will have a crucial role to play in assisting governments around the world. G20 Delhi Summit’s reform agenda for MDBs can help address issues in their functioning and augment their capacities.

Nanded Horror – on the deaths of children in Maharashtra

Source: This post has been created based on the article “Nanded Horror” published in the Times of India on 5th October 2023.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: Social JusticeIssues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health

News: Recent deaths in a Nanded hospital point to the prevailing issues with the health sector in India, especially the challenge of medicine shortage.

What are the reasons behind the Nanded tragedy in Maharashtra?

Government hospitals are in crisis not only in remote areas of a poor state but also in Maharashtra – the state with the largest economy.

Hospitals in Maharasthra have been facing many challenges off lately. Following are some of those challenges:

1) Nurses transferred without replacement and vacancies of doctors’ posts.

2) Non-functional CT scanners.

3) Garbage pileups and filthy toilets.

4) An immense shortage of essential medicines.

Government hospitals across Maharashtra are facing medicine shortages as a result of a faulty system of procurement and supply of medicines. Government’s inability to replace it with a new nodal body created under the recently passed Medical Goods Procurement Act is making the issue worse.

What should be done?

Accountability of governments towards healthcare has to be ensured to control the deep crisis in public health as seen in the sharp spikes in hospital deaths.

In this regard, Bombay High Court’s decision to review the details of the state’s allocation to health as well as details of the deaths is an important step.

Drawing lines in Cauvery waters

Source: The post is based on the article “Drawing lines in Cauvery waterspublished in The Indian Express on 5th October 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Indian Polity – Issues & Challenges Pertaining to the Federal Structure

Relevance: concerns with Cauvery water dispute

News: The Cauvery dispute has resurfaced, the first time since the Supreme Court’s 2018 re-adjudication of the dispute and the establishment of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to enforce the verdict.

What has been the history of the Cauvery water dispute?

Read Here: Cauvery Water Dispute and Interstate River Disputes

What are the reasons behind the current dispute?

Court Order: The recent dispute started in August when Tamil Nadu asked the Supreme Court to instruct Karnataka to release Cauvery waters at a rate of 24,000 cusecs. Karnataka opposed this due to insufficient rainfall.

Further, the court ordered Karnataka to release water at 3,000 cusecs, leading to widespread protests, including a statewide bandh. The dispute caused civic unrest, violence and significant economic losses.

Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA): The recent Cauvery dispute escalation is partly attributed to the effective role of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA)

Despite low river water levels causing tensions this year, the CWMA has successfully mitigated the issue by fostering dialogue and facilitating problem-solving between the two states, showing its effectiveness.

Must Read: Cauvery Water Dispute: An analysis and Cauvery Water Dispute: All You Need to Know

What are the concerns with involvement of the Supreme Court in inter-state water dispute?

The Supreme Court’s 2016 decision asserting appellate jurisdiction in interstate river water disputes contradicted its past stance of having no such jurisdiction.

This change was driven by the expectation that states would be more inclined to comply with the Court’s decisions. However, even the court order didn’t prevent disputes from resurfacing and escalating, hampering its image.

This underscores the need to acknowledge the recurring nature of these disputes and respect Article 262 of the Constitution and the Interstate River Water Disputes Act of 1956, which prohibit court involvement in such matters.

What can be the way ahead?

First, recent escalations reveal that river water disputes remain unresolved over time. In transboundary water-sharing, both conflict and cooperation will coexist.

Hence, to address this, we must complement legal solutions with institutional responses to promote cooperation and reduce conflict.

Second, Institutions like the CWMA needs improvement.

Models like the National Council of the Cauvery (NCA), established through consensus, and the Supreme Court-mandated CWMA present distinct approaches. Hence, a renewed focus on consensus-building is required.

University is where India imagines a common future — it needs to have academic freedom

Source: The post is based on the article “Pulapre Balakrishnan writes: University is where India imagines a common future — it needs to have academic freedom” published in “Indian express” on 5th October 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Governance- Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education,

News: The author explores the debate over academic freedom in India, focusing on potential political interference in universities. They emphasize the necessity of freedom for genuine knowledge pursuit, contrasting with certain functional aspects of higher education that can operate without such academic liberty, and ponder its implication for the future.

Why is the debate on academic freedom important now?

The debate on academic freedom in India’s universities is crucial now due to several factors:

Expansion of Universities: There has been a notable growth in the university sector, especially the establishment of new private universities.

Public Spending: UNESCO data shows India has the highest public spending per student in higher education compared to primary schools, indicating a substantial investment in the sector.

Focus on Liberal Arts: Many newly established private universities emphasize liberal arts, and there’s a debate whether genuine liberal arts education can exist without robust academic freedom.

Political Interference: Concerns about political interference stifling academic freedom are prevalent, potentially inhibiting unbiased pursuit of knowledge and research.

Global Relevance: Academic freedom is not just a national issue but has global relevance, impacting the country’s international academic and research collaborations, and global image.

These aspects make the debate on academic freedom timely and significant in the current Indian educational and political landscape.

What is the difference between academic freedom and free speech?

Scope of Application: Academic freedom pertains to the educational and research contexts within universities, while free speech has a broader, more general application in society.

Purpose: Academic freedom is specifically tied to the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge within an academic setting, whereas free speech refers to the expression of ideas, beliefs, or opinions in the public sphere.

Restrictions: While the article contends that academic freedom should arguably have no boundaries, free speech can have reasonable restrictions to prevent issues like hate speech, privacy violation, defamation, and threats to national security.

Legal Implications: The author mentions that, in India, restrictions on free speech might sometimes involve the charge of “sedition”, which could be interpreted as causing disaffection against the government.

What are the challenges to academic freedom?

Political Interference: In India, there’s worry about political interference in universities, impacting the free pursuit of knowledge and potentially guiding research and teaching towards certain ideologies.

Religious and Social Resistance: Historical examples like Galileo Galilei and Charles Darwin illustrate how religious forces have opposed scientific revelations in the past, showcasing societal resistance to academic explorations.

Governmental Pushback: The case of Jay Bhattacharya, who faced opposition from the US government for questioning COVID-19 lockdowns, shows how state mechanisms can sometimes try to suppress academic viewpoints.

Private University Focus: The debates regarding academic freedom in India have recently zoomed in on new private universities, especially those focusing on liberal arts, posing questions on whether they can truly engage in liberal arts without sufficient academic freedom.

These challenges collectively pose a threat to the authentic pursuit of knowledge and academic integrity in global educational settings.

What are the impacts of academic freedom?

Knowledge Advancement: Academic freedom enables unbridled exploration and progression in knowledge, as seen in historical developments through figures like Galileo and Darwin.

Imagining the Future: Universities, with academic freedom, can critically evaluate current societal and global structures and imagine alternatives, which is vital for societal advancement.

Investment Justification: Considering India’s high public spending per student in higher education, ensuring academic freedom is critical to justify the investments and avoid creating institutions that merely echo prevailing narratives.

Global and National Reputation: The state of academic freedom reflects on a nation’s image and can influence international academic and research collaborations, impacting a country’s global standing in the educational sector.

What should be done?

Uphold and prioritize academic freedom to facilitate unbiased research and teaching in universities.

Develop robust policies that secure the right to explore and share knowledge without fear of backlash or suppression.

Reassess the allocation of educational spending, ensuring both higher and primary education are adequately and effectively funded.

Safeguard the autonomy of universities, particularly those focusing on liberal arts, to enable an unhindered exploration of various disciplines without yielding to external pressures.

Retribution for the south, accolade for the north

Source: The post is based on the article “Retribution for the south, accolade for the north” published in “The Hindu” on 5th October 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- polity- Delimitation; issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure

News: The article discusses how India’s political and financial systems, which are based on population size, put southern states at a disadvantage due to controlled population growth. At the same time, they favor northern states with larger populations in terms of political representation and financial allocations, leading to a policy dilemma.

How does population size affect political representation?

Lok Sabha Seats and Article 81: Article 81 of the Indian Constitution says that Lok Sabha seats should be allocated based on population size, aiming for equal representation across constituencies.

Decisions Based on Old Census: Historically, seats were distributed based on the 1971 Census data, which, through amendments like the 42nd in 1976 and the 84th in 2001, was intended to be utilized until at least the first census after 2026.

Population Control Consequences: Southern states in India, having effectively controlled their populations, risk losing 23 seats if 2023 population projections are applied, while northern states might gain 37.

Inequality in Representation: MPs from northern states represent more people (around 18 lakh) compared to those from southern states (around 16 lakh). However, interestingly, electing an MP requires only about 12 lakh voters in both regions.

What happens when population control is penalized?

Losing Representation: The five southern states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana) will witness a decrease of 23 seats, while the Hindi-speaking northern states will gain 37 seats. Consequently, the proportion of political representation for the northern states will increase by 6.81%, while that of the southern states will decline by 4.24%.

Decreased Fiscal Share: These states could also get a smaller piece of the Union government’s tax revenue. The share of five southern states dropped from 21.1% to 15.8% from 2000-05 to 2021-26.

Political Incentive: Penalizing population control by reducing representation and financial allocations might discourage states from prioritizing such initiatives in the future.

Societal Impact: States which successfully implemented population control through social development efforts, like the southern states, might face unintended negative consequences, altering their societal and economic development trajectories.

Future Policy Dilemma: This situation creates a policy challenge, potentially impacting the federal structure and solidarity by possibly inciting regional disparities and discontent among states.

What should be done?

Maintain Seat Freeze: It’s essential to persist with the freeze on Lok Sabha seat distribution, as per the 1971 Census figures, until all states stabilize their populations, to ensure fair representation and avoid penalizing southern states, like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Incentive for Population Control: Encourage population management in all states by ensuring policies don’t penalize those, like Kerala or Tamil Nadu, which have effectively controlled their populations through both family planning and social development.

Fair Fiscal Distribution: Reconsider fiscal distribution formulas to ensure that states are not financially penalized for controlling their populations. For instance, protecting the declining share, such as the drop from 21.1% to 15.8% in five southern states from 2000-05 to 2021-26, in Union government’s tax revenue is pivotal.

Promote Equitable Representation: Implement systems that ensure more equal representation per elector across both northern and southern states, maintaining the democratic principle of “one person, one vote.”

Social and Economic Development: Encourage policies that promote balanced social and economic development in all states, ensuring uniform progression and stability across India.

GS PAPER - 3

Flaming Question – On Challenges of EV Sector

Source: This post has been created based on the article “Flaming Question” published in the Times of India on 5th October 2023.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3 – Environment Environmental pollution and degradation

GS Paper 2 – Governance – Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors

News: Recent instances of videos of Electric Vehicles (EVs) going up in flames due to malfunctioning batteries have brought to attention the unique regulatory challenges in the EV sector.

Between 2019-2022, a more than 6-fold increase in the number of EVs registered signifies that EVs have taken root in India. Therefore, it becomes important to tackle all the hinderances to growth faced by this sector.

What are the distinct features of the Indian EV Market?

Firstly, EV adoption in India is being driven by the mass market (as opposed to the luxury market of high-end cars). It mostly consists of two-wheelers, and three-wheelers to an extent. These account for about 96% of the EV market.

Secondly, batteries in EVs are sourced mainly through imports.

Thirdly, advanced chemistry cells are sourced entirely from abroad.

Fourth, All the mechanical systems of the traditional internal combustion engines have been replaced by software in the EVs that oversees their battery management system.

What are the Regulatory Challenges with EVs?

Software to manage batteries in EVs has been out of the purview of the traditional regulatory system.

Since it is an emerging field, having a clear insight into the critical aspects of functioning of EVs has been difficult for regulatory authorities.

Another regulatory challenge is presented by imported components of EVs that haven’t been adapted to domestic operating conditions.

What are the steps taken by the government:

GOI appointed a committee of technical experts to study the problem of EVs catching fire, which led to regulatory changes. Separately, NITI Aayog floated a proposal to develop open-source battery management systems.  

EVs represent the future of mobility. They are set to play an important part in achieving India’s commitments under the Paris Accord and to achieve ‘Net Zero by 2070’. Hence, it’s critical for GOI to set and implement standards that helps build trust amongst present and future customers.

Investment: The Dog That Didn’t Bark – On investment level in India

Source: This post has been created based on the article “Investment: The Dog That Didn’t Bark” published in the Times of India on 5th October 2023.

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

News:  The article discusses the growth of Investment in the post-pandemic Indian economy and the role of the various sectors in fueling this growth.

The growth rate of the First Quarter of FY24 GDP has been calculated at 7.8%. It also means that the gross capital formation, or investment, continued to move upward.

Investment has shown an increase from ₹55 lakh crore in 2020-21 to ₹85 lakh crore in just two years, showing remarkable recovery.

Investment subset of the expenditure component of GDP (which includes consumption (public and private), investments and net trade) has grown at a faster pace compared to the other components since 2020.

What are the driving forces behind revival of Investment in India?

Role of the Industry sector: With a 32% share in total incremental investment, the industry sector is leading the post-pandemic renewal of investments. Initiatives like the PLI scheme have led to growth in investments in the manufacturing sector.

Public, Private and the Household sector:

Public sector: Has shown a reversal of the declining trend of public investments: Since 2021-22, an additional ₹1 lakh crore has been invested, on the back of a push by the government.

Private sector: Private corporate sector investment has already surpassed the pre-pandemic levels.

Household sector showing rising investment trends: Household investment in physical assets is showing a positive trend with housing loans forming the majority of retail loans in the current fiscal. This is good news for overall investment trends in the household sector.
Since this sector reflects conditions in the informal sector to a large extent, it disproves the claim that the informal sector is not doing well.

What is the future of investment in India?

Strong Demand Ahead: Order book position of PSUs (which reflects all the orders placed by a company) has shown an increase.

Robust Performance of the Private sector: Private sector announced higher operating profitability.

Positive overall investment trends in the Household sector.

Way Forward:

As highlighted by the author, contrary to widely shared perceptions the public sector has been lagging in capital expenditure compared to the private sector. A coordinated participation of the various sectors will ensure the full recovery of capital expenditure in India, which is crucial for economic growth.

India’s metro rail systems should become financially sustainable

Source: The post is based on the article “India’s metro rail systems should become financially sustainable” published in “Live mint” on 5th October 2023.

Syllabus: GS3- Economy- infrastructure (metro rail systems)

News: The article discusses the financial challenges faced by India’s expanding metro rail networks. It emphasizes the necessity for sustainable funding, regular fare adjustments, and creative non-fare revenue streams such as taxes and land value capture. The article also recommends the establishment of Unified Metropolitan Transport Authorities to oversee and enhance these systems.

What is the current status of India’s metro network?

India’s metro network has significantly expanded in recent years.

In 2014, the network was 229 km across 5 cities.

As of April 2023, it has grown to 860 km spanning 20 cities.

The government released about ₹90,000 crore for these projects from 2014 to 2022.

Despite improving public transport, financial performance and patronage have not been impressive.

What are the challenges facing India’s metro rail system?

Financial Strain: Despite elevating public transport standards, many metro rail systems are incurring large financial losses.

Revenue Issues: Their revenue from both fare collections and non-fare sources, like advertisements and parking charges, often fails to meet total expenses.

Infrequent Fare Updates: The metro systems suffer from sporadic fare adjustments, leading to:

Erosion of real value of fares.

Reduced actual revenues.

Increased necessity for subsidies.

Sudden Fare Hikes: Due to the lack of periodic fare revisions, metros occasionally introduce large fare increases, which;

Results in significant customer dissatisfaction.

Leads to a decline in ridership.

Financial Performance: The overall financial performance and patronage of many metro systems, even the mature ones, have not been impressive.

Reliance on Government Funding: The substantial financial losses may compel greater government funding, potentially offsetting the environmental and social benefits metros offer.

What should be done?

Adjust Fares Regularly: Implement systematic and automatic fare adjustments to prevent sudden large hikes and maintain revenue.

Boost Non-Fare Revenues: Enhance revenue through alternative means, such as parking charges and advertisements.

Establish a Fare Regulation Committee: Create an independent metro fare regulation committee to oversee fare structures and ensure they are adjusted methodically.

Secure Additional Funding: Both central and state governments should seek innovative and justified funding sources to supplement fare and non-fare revenues. Examples include:

Appropriating property value gains.

Allocating funds designated for green investments.

Utilizing savings from eliminating subsidies on personal vehicles.

Promote Equity: Implement new fees or taxes that encourage fairness by rectifying imbalances like free parking and ensuring beneficiaries pay appropriately.

Employ Revenue-Generation Strategies: Leverage efficient and equitable non-fare revenue sources, such as:

Land value capture mechanisms.

Taxes on carbon-intensive transport modes.

Carbon and emission-related taxes.

Establish Unified Metropolitan Transport Authorities (UMTAs): Introduce UMTAs to serve as single entities responsible for planning, owning, building, and operating all transport systems within a city or region.

Adhere to Guiding Principles: Ensure revenue generation adheres to principles like making beneficiaries and polluting urban transport pay and collecting transit funds locally when possible.

Keeping tabs on carbon with an accounting system

Source: The post is based on the article “Keeping tabs on carbon with an accounting system” published in “The Hindu” on 5th October 2023.

Syllabus: GS3- environment- climate change

News: The article discusses the idea of a national carbon accounting system in India. This would track and manage all carbon emissions and transactions in the country, encouraging a more responsible and sustainable approach to dealing with the multifaceted climate crisis by integrating carbon management into the economy and policymaking.

What is the Climate Polycrisis?

The Climate Polycrisis, a term highlighted by Adam Tooze, represents multiple, interconnected crises stemming from climate change, affecting numerous sectors globally and in India, such as:

Physical Impacts: This involves rising temperatures, escalating sea-levels, and increased extreme weather events, which individually and collectively pose challenges across various domains.

Socio-economic Challenges: Sectors including energy, infrastructure, health, migration, and food production in India are intricately linked and impacted by climate change, necessitating comprehensive and interconnected solutions.

Holistic Approach: Addressing the polycrisis requires a holistic strategy that considers all physical impacts and the resulting socio-economic challenges, ensuring solutions are resilient, equitable, and just across all sectors.

What is Carbon Accounting?

Tracking Carbon: Carbon Accounting involves monitoring and managing carbon emissions and transactions.

Individual to National Level: It considers carbon flows from individuals to the entire nation, aiming to measure all emissions and interactions involving carbon.

Carbon Balance Sheets: Karthik Ramanna at Oxford has created methods for tracking carbon balance sheets at the corporate level, which can record and manage a company’s carbon transactions.

National Carbon Accounting (NCA): The concept involves extending carbon accounting to an entire nation, requiring both individuals and businesses to declare their carbon inflows and outflows, making carbon circulation visible and accountable.

What could be the implications of carbon management?

New Financial Structure: Envision a future where carbon tax returns might be filed, potentially alongside or instead of income tax returns, thereby altering public finance dynamics.

Developmental Activities Funding: The method of allocating funds for different developmental activities might experience a shift, with carbon management influencing budget allocations and policy-making.

Influence on Public Finance: By making carbon transactions visible through accounting, public finance and budgeting could integrate carbon management, potentially funding goods and services using carbon surpluses.

Alignment with Sustainability: A National Carbon Accounting (NCA) system could lead to an alignment between development and ecological sustainability, offering a new form of public discourse that transparently highlights the carbon implications of various activities.

How can an NCA system be a solution?

An NCA system can help track and manage India’s carbon usage and emissions.

It makes the carbon transactions of individuals and businesses visible and can influence the economy and policies to reduce overall carbon emissions, helping India reach its goal to become net zero by 2070.

This approach may also create new jobs and organize society and the economy in environmentally sustainable ways.

Prelims Oriented Articles (Factly)

Countries pledge to raise $12 billion to protect coral reefs from pollution, overfishing

Source: The post is based on the article “Countries pledge to raise $12 billion to protect coral reefs from pollution, overfishing” published in “The Print” on 4th October 2023

What is the News?

The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) has launched the Coral Reef Breakthrough in partnership with the Global Fund for Coral Reefs(GFCR) and the High-Level Climate Champions(HLCC). 

What is the Coral Reef Breakthrough Initiative?

Launched by: International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) in partnership with the Global Fund for Coral Reefs(GFCR) and the High-Level Climate Champions(HLCC). 

Aim: To secure the future of at least 125,000 km2 of shallow-water tropical coral reefs with investments of at least US$12 billion to support the resilience of more than half a billion people globally by 2030. 

What is the International Coral Reef Initiative(ICRI)?

International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) is a global partnership between nations and organizations which strives to preserve coral reefs and related ecosystems around the world.

Founded in: The initiative was founded in 1994 by eight governments: Australia, France, Japan, Jamaica, the Philippines, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. 

– It was announced at the First Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity in December 1994, and at the high level segment of the Intersessional Meeting of the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development in April 1995. 

Member countries: 45 Countries.India is also one of the member countries.

Secretariat: The ICRI Secretariat is hosted for a determined term (usually two years) by State members, on a voluntary basis. 

Significance: The initiative is an informal group whose decisions are not binding on its members.But its actions have been pivotal in continuing to highlight globally the importance of coral reefs and related ecosystems to environmental sustainability, food security and social and cultural wellbeing.

This newly discovered fish can change its colour like a chameleon

Source: The post is based on the article This newly discovered fish can change its colour like a chameleonpublished in “Down To Earth” on 4th October 2023

What is the News?

Scientists have discovered a new fish species from the Milak river, Nagaland.It has been named as Badis limaakumi. 

What is Badis Limaakumi?

Source: Down To Earth

Badis limaakumi is a freshwater fish that belongs to the Badidae family.

The fish is commonly found in streams with slow or moderate water flow, in ditches and stagnant water bodies.

The fish is found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Myanmar.

This new species of fish differs from other members of its family due to distinctive features, such as a dark opercular blotch at the base of its opercular spine and the absence of spots on its sides and cleithrum.

– Note: Fish from the Badis family are also known as chameleon fish for their ability to change colour.This helps them blend with the surroundings when under stress.

National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) reviews situation in Sikkim

Source: The post is based on the articleNational Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) reviews situation in Sikkim published in “PIB” on 5th October 2023

What is the News?

The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary has met and reviewed the situation in Sikkim.

What is the National Crisis Management Committee(NCMC)?

NCMC has been constituted in the Cabinet Secretariat.It has been set up for effective coordination and implementation of relief measures and operations in the wake of a natural calamity.

The committee is headed by Cabinet Secretary.It also includes Secretaries of Ministries / Departments and agencies with specific Disaster management responsibilities. 

The key functions of the committee include 1) oversee the Command, Control and Coordination of the disaster response and 2) give direction to the Crisis Management Group(CMG) as deemed necessary. 

What is Crisis Management Group (CMG)?

Crisis Management Group (CMG) is a group under the Chairmanship of the Central Relief Commissioner comprising the senior officers from the various ministries and other concerned departments. 

Its functions are to 1) review contingency plans formulated by various Ministries 2) review measures required for dealing with a natural disaster and 3) coordinate the activities of the Central Ministries and the State Governments in relation to disaster preparedness and relief.

The CMG meets at least twice a year under the Central Relief Commissioner.In case of disaster, it meets daily or as frequently as the situation demands. 

Govt. eases aircraft recovery rules

Source: The post is based on the article “Govt. eases aircraft recovery rulespublished in “The Hindu” on 5th October 2023

What is the News?

Government has notified that the protection offered to a corporate debtor from recovery of dues under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 will not cover aircraft, helicopters and engines.

This change will make it easier for lessors to recover their planes in case an airline goes bankrupt.

Note: These changes were made after several experts said that earlier rules were in contravention of the Cape Town Convention and Protocol of 2001 to which India is also a signatory.

What is the Cape Town Convention?

Source: Livemint

Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment, or Cape Town Treaty was signed in 2001 and became effective in 2006.

The convention was adopted under the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT).

The convention aims to solve problems of obtaining certain rights to aviation assets such as aircraft engines, helicopters and airframes, which, by their nature, have no fixed location.

The Convention guarantees the rights of lessors to repossess leased high-value equipment such as aircraft, engines, and helicopters in case of payment defaults.

Let there be light

Source: The post is based on the article “Let there be light” published in “The Hindu” on 5th October 2023

What is the News?

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2023 has been awarded to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter.

Why is it difficult to observe electrons?

Electrons, the negatively charged particles within atoms, were not directly observable by scientists initially.Instead, their properties were understood through averages. 

Imagine taking a picture of a fast-moving race car.If the camera’s exposure time is long, the image becomes blurry.But with a shorter exposure time, you get a sharper image. 

Similarly, electrons move so rapidly that they would appear blurred to a camera without the ability to capture images in attoseconds (10^-18 seconds).

How did these three scientists make their contributions?

Electron dynamics are incredibly fast, operating on the order of attoseconds, which are a billionth of a billionth of a second. 

In comparison, the movement of atoms in molecules can be studied using femtosecond pulses, which are a millionth of a billionth of a second.

By the 1980s, scientists had developed technology to create femtosecond light pulses, but they needed even shorter pulses to “see” electrons. 

Anne L’Huillier and her colleagues in France discovered a method in 1987. They passed an infrared laser beam through a noble gas, which generated overtones of light waves with wavelengths that were integer fractions of the original beam’s wavelength.

These overtones of ultraviolet light interacted with each other. When the peaks of two overtones aligned, they created more intense light through constructive interference. Conversely, when a peak aligned with a trough, they canceled each other out through destructive interference.

Researchers realized they could fine-tune this setup to create intense attosecond-long pulses of light through constructive interference. 

Pierre Agostini’s group in France successfully produced 250-attosecond light pulses in 2001, and Ferenc Krausz’s team in Austria isolated individual 650-attosecond pulses.These attosecond pulses enabled rapid experiments and measurements of electron behavior in atoms.

New defence indigenisation list has futuristic weapons, systems

Source: The post is based on the article “New defence indigenisation list has futuristic weapons, systems” published in “The Hindu” on 5th October 2023

What is the News?

The Defence Minister has released the fifth Positive Indigenisation List of 98 items during the plenary session of ‘Swavlamban 2.0’.

What is Swavlamban 2.0?

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What is a Positive Indigenisation List(PIL)?

The concept of the positive indigenization list entails that the Indian Armed Forces, comprising the Army, Navy, and Air Force, will exclusively source the listed items from domestic manufacturers.

These manufacturers may include entities from the private sector or Defense Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).

The fifth Positive Indigenisation List follows four previous PILs that were published in 2021 and 2022.

What does the fifth Positive Indigenisation List contain?

The fifth Positive Indigenisation List of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) comprises 98 items which includes highly complex systems, sensors, weapons and ammunition.

All these items will be procured from indigenous sources as per provisions given in Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 in a staggered timeline. 

What are the other initiatives launched at Swavlamban 2.0?

76 challenges for the industry under the 10th Defence India Start-up Challenges (DISC-10)

INDUS X challenges

SBI NAVeCash Card: It is a one-of-its-kind dual-chip debit card developed by the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Indian Navy. 

– The card can be used in online mode (as a regular debit card) as well as in offline mode while at sea with no direct connectivity with the bank. 

– The card has been developed and tested onboard various Indian Naval ships and is now ready for launch pan-Navy. 

Government of India notifies establishment of National Turmeric Board

Source: The post is based on the article Government of India notifies establishment of National Turmeric Board published in “PIB” on 5th October 2023

What is the News?

The Government of India has notified the constitution of the National Turmeric Board. 

What is the National Turmeric Board?

Aim: To focus on the development and growth of turmeric and turmeric products in the country.

Objectives of the Board:

– To work closely with other government agencies, especially the Spices Board, to enhance the growth of the turmeric sector.

– Increasing awareness and consumption of turmeric, both domestically and internationally, by highlighting its health benefits.

– Exploring new markets worldwide to boost turmeric exports.

– Supporting research and development for innovative turmeric products.

– Focusing on the skill development of turmeric growers to add more value to their produce.

– Promoting quality and food safety standards.

– Ensuring the well-being and prosperity of turmeric growers by enhancing their income through value addition.

Composition: The Board shall have a Chairperson to be appointed by the Central Government.

– It will have members from the Ministry of AYUSH, Departments of Pharmaceuticals, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Commerce & Industry of the Union Government, senior State Government representatives from three states (on rotation basis), select national/state institutions involved in research, representatives of turmeric farmers and exporters.

– The board will also have a Secretary to be appointed by the Department of Commerce.

What is the status of the Turmeric Industry of India?

India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of turmeric in the world.More than 30 varieties of Turmeric are grown in India and it is grown in over 20 states in the country.

The largest producing states of Turmeric are Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

India has more than 62% share of world trade in turmeric.The leading export markets for Indian Turmeric are Bangladesh, UAE, USA and Malaysia.

National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) launches $600 million India-Japan Fund (IJF) with Government of India and Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) as anchor investors

Source: The post is based on the article National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) launches $600 million India-Japan Fund (IJF) with Government of India and Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) as anchor investors published in “PIB” on 5th October 2023

What is the News?

The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund(NIIF) has entered into a collaboration with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation(JBIC) to launch a $600 million India-Japan Fund (IJF).

What is India-Japan Fund (IJF)?

Launched by: National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) in collaboration with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation(JBIC)

This fund is NIIF’s first bi-lateral fund.

Purpose: The Fund will focus on investing in environmental sustainability and low carbon emission strategies and aims to play the role of being a ‘partner of choice’ to further enhance Japanese investments into India.

Contribution: Government of India (GoI) will contribute 49% of the target corpus and the remaining 51% will be contributed by JBIC.

Managed by: NIIF Limited (NIIFL) and JBIC IG (a subsidiary of JBIC) 

Significance: This fund signals a key dimension of collaboration between the two countries in an area that is a shared priority viz. climate and environment.

2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Three share prize for discovery of quantum dots, now used in LEDs

Source: The post is based on the article “2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Three share prize for discovery of quantum dots, now used in LEDs” published in “The Hindu” on 5th October 2023

What is the News?

The 2023 Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded to Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots. 

What are Quantum Dots?

Quantum dots are particles that are a few nanometres wide.They exhibit unique optical  properties due to their small physical size. 

Their structure and atomic composition are the same as bulk materials, but the properties of the latter don’t depend on their size.In fact ,the properties of quantum dots can be changed by changing their size.

What are the applications of Quantum Dots?

Display Enhancement: Quantum dots make computer monitors and TV screens more colorful and brighter.Blue LEDs behind the screen excite these dots, causing them to emit light of different colours.Combining these colours gives rise to even more colours as well as brightness.

Biological Tissue Mapping: Tiny quantum dots are used by biochemists to map biological tissues at a very small scale.

Solar Energy: Quantum dots improve the efficiency of solar panels by helping them absorb and convert sunlight into electricity.

Cancer Treatment: Quantum dots play a role in targeted drug delivery for certain cancer treatments and have broader applications in nanomedicine.

Anti-Counterfeiting: Quantum dots can be used as security markers on currency and documents to prevent counterfeiting.

Fluorescent Tagging: In general, quantum dots serve as bright fluorescent markers for tagging and tracking various objects.

Quantum Computing: Quantum dots are explored as potential qubits or quantum bits for use in quantum computing due to their quantum mechanical properties.

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