Current Affairs for UPSC Civil Services Exam – July 11, 2024

{GS1 – Geo – PG – Geomorphology} Deep Drilling

• Context (TH): India’s deep-drilling mission in Koyna, Maharashtra, aims to understand reservoir-triggered earthquakes and expand geological knowledge.

Scientific Deep Drilling

• Scientific deep drilling involves strategically digging boreholes to observe & analyze deeper parts of the earth’s crust, providing insights into earthquakes, geological history, rock types, energy resources, etc.

Benefits of Deep Drilling

• Enhanced Understanding of Earthquakes:
  • Direct, in-situ observations of fault lines and earthquake behavior.
  • Unique insights from reservoir-triggered earthquakes in the Koyna-Warna region.
• Geological Knowledge:
  • Access to previously unknown data about the earth’s crust composition and structure.
  • Confirmation or rejection of surface study models.
• Understanding Earth’s History: Insights into planet’s geological history, rock types & climate changes.
• Life and Biological Studies:
  • Study of microbes thriving in deep, extreme environments.
  • Potential discovery of new molecules and industrial applications.

Challenges in Deep Drilling

• Technical Difficulties:
  • Increased hook load capacity requirements for deeper boreholes.
  • High-pressure demands to lift drill cuttings from greater depths.
• Geological Complexities:
  • Navigating through fractured rocks and fault zones.
  • Dealing with the loss of drilling mud and potential water inflow.
• Environmental Conditions:
  • High temperatures and pressure in the earth’s interior.
  • Harsh weather conditions for continuous drilling operations.
• Labour and capital intensive nature:
  • Need for highly skilled and trained technical personnel for 24/7 engagement.
• Risk of Abandonment:
  • Possibility of having to abandon the borehole if severe issues arise.
  • Difficulty in ensuring continuous and long-term operations.

Drilling Technique at Koyna

• Borehole Specifications: Approximately 0.45 m wide at the surface and depth of roughly 3 km.
• Hybrid Technique: Combines mud rotary drilling and percussion drilling (air hammering).

Mud Rotary Drilling	Air Hammering
Uses a rotating steel drilling rod with a diamond-embedded drill bit. Drilling mud acts as a coolant and lubricant, bringing up rock cuttings. Debris moves through an annular space due to drilling mud pressure. Credits: University of Toronto	Utilizes compressed air to deepen the borehole and flush out debris. Credits: Research Gate

• Choice of drilling technique is based on site requirements like rock type, fractured rock presence, water inflow zones, and core sample collection needs, though Koyna is capable of both techniques.

Koyna Dam Situated in Koyna Nagar, Satara district, Maharashtra, the Koyna Dam is a prominent rubble-concrete structure built on the Koyna River, which is a tributary of River Krishna. The Koyna Hydroelectric Project is the largest completed hydroelectric power plant in India, boasting a total installed capacity of 1,920 MW, with a crucial role in flood management. Its catchment area impounds the Koyna River, forming the Shivsagar Lake.

{GS2 – Governance – Laws} ANI’s Defamation case against Wikipedia

• Context (IE): News agency Asian News International (ANI) has moved the Delhi High Court against Wikipedia for allowing allegedly defamatory content on ANI’s wiki page.

• ANI alleged that the said content is “palpably false” and its reputation was being tarnished by it.

Why is the suit filed against Wikipedia and not against the individual?

• Wikipedia, which started in 2001, itself does not produce the content for its online encyclopedia. It is a collaborative, open source, nonprofit platform whose users contribute to the content of the website.
• The suit against Wikipedia, rather than the individuals who could have made the edits to the page, is intended to ensure enforcement by holding the intermediary liable.

Laws invoked in the case

• ANI has argued that Wikipedia is a significant social media intermediary under the meaning of Section 2(1)(w) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
• The petitioner has also relied on Sections 79(2) and (3) of the Act, which lay down the requirements for the “safe harbour clause” to come into effect.

Section 2(1)(w) of IT Act: Any person who on behalf of another person receives, stores or transmits that record or provides any service with respect to that record and includes telecom service providers, network service providers, Internet service providers, web-hosting service providers, search engines, online payment sites, online-auction sites, online-market places and cyber cafes.

Safe Harbour Clause

• Section 79 of the IT Act (Exemption from liability of intermediary in certain cases) states that an intermediary shall not be held legally or otherwise liable for any third-party information, data, or communication link made available or hosted on its platform as long it meets certain conditions.

Conditions for Safe Harbour

• The intermediary does not initiate transmission of the message in question, select the receiver of the transmitted message, or modify any information contained in the transmission, as per Section 79(2)(b).
• The intermediary adheres to the Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code that mandated setting up a grievance-redressal mechanism, along with a resident grievance officer, a chief compliance officer, and a nodal contact person.
• The intermediary immediately removes or disables access to the material in question, on being informed by the government or its agencies, failing which it would lose protection.
• The intermediary does not tamper with any evidence of these messages or content on its platform.
• Rule 7 of the IT Rules, 2021 states that if “an intermediary fails to observe these rules, the provisions sub-section (1) of section 79 of the Act shall not be applicable”, and the intermediary shall be liable.

Learn more about the Right to Free Speech and IT Rules.

Previous rulings of SC

• In 2022, SC dismissed a batch of petitions filed by the Ayurvedic Medicine Manufacturers Organisation of India, alleging that an article published on Wikipedia about them was defamatory and asked the petitioners to avail “any other remedy available to them” under the law.
• In 2023, in Hewlett Packard India Sales vs. Commissioner of Customs, SC acknowledged the utility of online sources such as Wikipedia but cautioned about the misleading information as it is based on crowd-sourced and user-generated editing model that is not completely dependable.

{GS2 – IR – Issues} Hannibal Directive

• Context (IE): Israel Defence Forces (IDF) allegedly activated “Hannibal Directive” post-October 7 attack.

• Allegedly initiated from early hours of the attack in at least three military facilities that Hamas infiltrated.
• Hannibal Directive refers to a purported IDF operational policy that aims to pre-empt politically painful prisoner swaps by immediately eliminating everyone in the vicinity of a captive Israeli soldier, even if it poses a risk to the soldier himself.

Evolution of Hannibal Directive

• It is believed to be named after the Carthaginian general Hannibal. He apparently chose to kill himself when faced with the possibility of capture by the Romans in c. 181 BCE.
• The Hannibal Doctrine was formulated as a response to the Jibril Agreement of 1985.
• In 1985 agreement 1,150 Palestinian prisoners were exchanged for three Israelis who had been seized in Lebanon by the Syria-based militant group.
• One of the released Palestinians Sheikh Ahmed Yassin founded Hamas in 1987.
• In mid-1986, to counter the abduction of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah, Yossi Peled, then head of the IDF’s Northern Command, drafted the operational order behind the Hannibal Doctrine.
• In its original form, the Hannibal Doctrine endorsed the use of lightarms fire to stop the abductors or their vehicles, to prevent them from escaping.
• In the current iteration, it allows a division commander to assume extraordinary authority to block an enemy raid, even employing heavy fire inside Israeli territory if necessary.

• The full text of the purported doctrine has never been published.

Hannibal directive: Ethical concerns involved Restriction on discussion: Israeli military censorship forbade discussion on it in press until 2003. Human dignity: The Directive did not attract criticism from Israelis due to the lack of dignified treatment towards prisoners of war. Human life: The Hannibal Doctrine has been criticized by legal experts for its disregard for human life. Alleged abuse: Asa Kasher, the philosopher who framed the IDF’s Code of Conduct, called out the alleged abuse of this policy by the IDF on October 7.

{GS3 – Agri – Dairy} National Gopal Ratna Award

• Context (PIB): Nominations for the National Gopal Ratna Award for the year 2024 are invited.

• Since 2021, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has been conferring the National Gopal Ratna Award every year under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission.
• It is one of the highest national awards in the field of livestock and dairy, instituted for farmers rearing indigenous livestock.
• Objective: To encourage the Milk producing farmers, dairy cooperative societies/MPC/FPOs, and Artificial Insemination Technicians (AITs).
• It is awarded for the following categories:
  • Best Dairy farmer rearing indigenous cattle/buffalo breeds.
  • Best Dairy Cooperative Society (DCS)/ Milk Producer Company (MPC)/ Dairy Farmer Producer Organization (FPO).
  • Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT).
  • Special award for North–Eastern Region (NER) States (conferred from 2024 onwards)
• The award consists of a Certificate of merit, a memento, and monitory prize in the first two categories i.e Best Dairy Farmer and Best DCS/FPO/MPCs as under:
  • 1^st rank: Rs. 5,00,000
  • 2^nd rank: Rs. 3,00,000
  • 3^rd rank: Rs. 2,00,000
  • Special Award for North-Eastern Region (NER): Rs. 2,00,000
• In the case of the Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT) category, consists of a Certificate of merit and a memento only. No cash prize is provided.
• The awards will be conferred on the occasion of National Milk Day on 26^th November.

Rashtriya Gokul Mission

• It was launched in 2014 for the development and conservation of Indigenous breeds through selective breeding in the breeding tract and genetic upgradation of the nondescript bovine population.
• Implemented by: Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.
• Implementing agencies: State Implementing Agency (SIA) viz Livestock Development Boards.
• Participating agencies: Other agencies having a role in Bovine Development like CFSPTI, CCBFs, ICAR, Universities, Colleges, NGOs, etc.

Components

• Availability of High genetic Merit Germplasm
• Extension of Artificial Insemination Network
• Development and Conservation of indigenous Breeds
• Skill Development
• Farmers Awareness
• Research Development and Innovation in Bovine Breeding

Objectives

• To enhance productivity of bovines & sustainably increase milk production using advanced technologies.
• To propagate the use of high genetic merit bulls for breeding purposes.
• To enhance Artificial insemination coverage through strengthening the breeding network and delivery of Artificial insemination services at farmers’ doorstep.
• To promote indigenous cattle & buffalo rearing and conservation scientifically and holistically.

Funding pattern

• All the components of the Scheme will be implemented on a 100% grant-in-aid basis except:
  • Accelerated breed improvement programme under the component subsidy of Rs 5000 per IVF pregnancy will be made available to participating farmers as GoI share;
  • Promoting sex-sorted semen under the component subsidy up to 50% of the cost of it;
  • Establishment of a breed multiplication farm under the component subsidy of up to 50% of the capital cost maximum of up to Rs.2.00 crore of the project will be made available to entrepreneurs.

Initiatives under RGM

• Awards for encouraging farmers/breeder societies to rear Indigenous breeds of Bovines
  • Gopal Ratna awards: For farmers maintaining the best herd of Indigenous Breed(s).
  • Kamdhenu awards: For Best managed Indigenous Herd by Institutions/Trusts/ NGOs/ Gaushalas or best-managed Breeders’ Societies.

• Gokul Gram: To develop indigenous breeds including upto 40% nondescript breeds.
• National Kamdhenu Breeding Centres: Established as Centres of Excellence to develop and conserve Indigenous Breeds holistically and scientifically.
• Pashu Sanjivni: An Animal Wellness Programme encompassing the provision of Animal Health cards (‘Nakul Swasthya Patra’) along with UID identification and uploading data on a National Data Base.
• Advanced Reproductive Technology: Including Assisted Reproductive Technique-In-vitro Fertilization (IVF)/ Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer (MOET) and sex-sorted semen technique to improve the availability of disease-free female bovines.
• National Bovine Genomic Center for Indigenous Breeds (NBGC-IB): For selection of breeding bulls of high genetic merit at a young age using highly precise gene-based technology.

{GS3 – Envi – Species} Invasive Salvinia molesta *

• Context (DTE): An exotic beetle, Cyrtobagus salvinia is eliminating invasive Salvinia molesta from Satpura dam (Madhya Pradesh).
• Salvinia molesta caused a lack of oxygen and light leading to the loss of fish impacting the biodiversity.

Salvinia molesta

• Salvinia molesta, a highly detrimental free-floating aquatic fern, had engulfed the entire Sarani reservoir (Satpura dam) built on the Tawa River in Madhya Pradesh.
• Known locally as “Chinese Jhalaar”, this invasive species was first spotted in 2018 in the Sarani reservoir.
• Also known as Kariba weed after it infested Lake Kariba between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
• It does not attach to the soil, but instead remains buoyant on the surface of a body of water.
• Habitat: Slow-moving nutrient-rich waters found in lakes, ponds, billabongs (oxbows), streams etc..
• Some studies suggest the effectiveness of S. molesta for the treatment of blackwater effluent.

Cyrtobagus salvinia

• This South American insect solely feeds on Salvinia molesta and dies naturally once the food source is exhausted, posing no threat to the environment.

  

  Credits: Wikipedia

• The female lays eggs in the lower leaves and rhizomes of the salvinia plant. It burrows through rhizomes and feeds voraciously on new buds, warping and stunting the plant until it eventually sinks.
• Adults also feed on the buds and leaves of the plant, but do less damage than the larvae.

{Prelims – Envi – Species} Disruption in genetic connectivity of Gaur & Sambar

• Context (DTE | TH): Changes in land use patterns and roads in the central Indian landscape are disrupting the genetic connectivity of two large herbivores: the gaur and the sambar.

• The findings revealed that Gaur was most impacted by land use and land-cover changes, roads with high traffic, and dense linear infrastructure intrusion. These fragmented gaur populations also showed low levels of genetic diversity.

Sambar Deer (Rusa unicolor)

• The sambar is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is one of the largest members of the deer family. It is the state animal of Odisha.

Credits: Animalia

• Physical characteristics: They are light brown or dark with a grayish/yellowish tinge. The underparts are paler. Their coat of dark short hair is coarse, and their undersides have creamy white to light brown hair.
• Behaviour: They are crepuscular, meaning they are most active during twilight hours at dawn and dusk. Males live alone for much of the year, and females live in small herds.
• Habitat: Range from tropical seasonal forests (tropical dry forests and seasonal moist evergreen forests), subtropical mixed forests (conifers, broadleaf deciduous and evergreen tree species) to tropical rainforests. They are seldom found far from water.
• Significance: They play an important role in the ecosystem they live in by dispersing seeds throughout their native range.
• Diet: They are herbivores, eating various grasses, foliage, fruits, leaves, water plants, herbs, berries, bamboo, stems as well as a wide range of shrubs and trees.
• Threats: Habitat fragmentation, habitat loss, illegal poaching, etc.
• Conservation Status: IUCN: Vulnerable | WPA, 1972: Schedule I

{Prelims – Envi – Species} Extinction of Key Largo tree cactus in US

• Context (DTE): The Key Largo tree cactus (Pilosocereus millspaughii) is the first U.S. plant to go extinct due to rising sea levels.
• The cactus can still be found in parts of the Bahamas, northern Cuba, and a few Caribbean islands.
• Threats: Environmental challenges, including saltwater intrusion, soil depletion from hurricanes and high tides, and herbivory by local mammals.

• These can reach heights exceeding 20 feet (six meters). It has cream-colored flowers with a garlic scent that gleams in the moonlight.
• This scent draws bat pollinators, and their red and purple fruits are popular with mammals and birds.
• Habitat: Exposed locations such as hilltops in Dry Broadleaf Evergreen Formation-Woodland/Shrublands.
• Distribution: It occurs throughout the Lucayan Archipelago as well as the Greater Antilles and Florida.

Credits: USA Today

{Prelims – Envi – Species} Uropeltis caudomaculata

• Context (TH): New species of shield-tail snake was discovered in Western Ghats.

  

  Credits: TH

• Uropeltis caudomaculata is named in reference to the yellow spot that it has on each side of the base of its tail rather than a stripe in its closest known relative, Uropeltis pulneyensis.

Uropeltis pulneyensis is a shield-tail snake species named after and found in the Palani Hills.

• The new species is distinguished primarily by its increased number of ventral scales.
• Unique distribution: Not found in Palani hills, but exclusively found along the eastern escarpment of the Western Ghats from Meghamalai to east of Munnar.
• Found only in Meghamalai Tiger Reserve (TN), Periyar Tiger Reserve and Yellapetty, Munnar in Kerala.

Shield-tail snakes (Uropeltidae)

• It is a family of primitive, nonvenomous, burrowing snakes native to Peninsular India and Sri Lanka.
• The name is derived from the Greek words ura (‘tail’) and pelte (‘shield’), indicating the presence of the large keratinous shield at the tip of the tail.

{Prelims – In News} Anand Marriage Act

• Context (PIB): The National Commission for Minorities took the initiative to discuss the implementation and registration of Sikh marriages under the Anand Marriage Act with 18 States/UTs.

• The Anand Marriage Act for Sikhs had been initiated during the British Era in 1909 but had not been implemented till 2012.
• The Anand Marriage (Amendment) Bill was passed by India’s parliament in 2012, allowing Sikhs to register their marriages under the Anand Karaj Marriage Act rather than the Hindu Marriage Act.
• The Act aimed to acknowledge and respect the customs and practices of the Sikh community.
• While the central government approved the amendments, it was left for individual states and Union territories to frame respective rules for the registration of Anand marriages.