Current Affairs – July 17, 2024

{GS2 – Governance – Police} Extra-judicial killings

• Context (TH): Demand grows for an independent investigation into Tamil Nadu ‘Encounter’ Killings.

• Extrajudicial killings, also known as encounter executions, are deliberate and targeted killings of an individual by state or non-state actors without due process of law.

Recent Incidents

• Hyderabad Rape and Murder Case (2019): Four accused in the gang rape and murder of a veterinarian were killed by Telangana police during a purported escape attempt during a crime scene reconstruction.
• Vikas Dubey Encounter (2020): Vikas Dubey, a wanted gangster, was killed by Uttar Pradesh police after allegedly attempting to flee following a car accident.
• Hathras Case (2020): Uttar Pradesh police faced criticism for their handling of protests following the gang rape and murder of a Dalit woman, with allegations of information suppression.
• Kanpur Encounter (2020): During an operation in Kanpur against criminals, eight police personnel were killed, leading to an encounter where Vikas Dubey’s associates were also killed.
• Maoist Encounter in Chhattisgarh (2021): Encounters between security forces and Maoist insurgents in Bijapur resulted in casualties on both sides.
• Encounter in Manipur (2022): Manipur saw encounters involving security forces targeting suspected militants, raising allegations of extrajudicial killings and calling for impartial investigations.

Read more > Debate on Encounter Killings

{GS2 – IR – India-Russia} Rupee in India – Russia trade

• Context (IE): India aims to increase bilateral trade with Moscow to $100 billion by 2030 to reduce its growing oil import costs and reliance on the US dollar.

• Continued imbalance in India-Russia trade dynamics due to the 2022 Ukraine war forces India to use the Chinese yuan, which counters efforts to internationalise the rupee.
• Russia became India’s primary oil supplier, while Indian exports to Russia faced challenges (a $57 Bn trade deficit in FY24). However, India saved over $10 Bn by importing cheaper Russian oil in last two years.

Challenges of using Rupee in India-Russia trade

• Private banks hesitate to trade with Russia due to fears of Western sanctions affecting global operations.
• The lack of SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for settlement mechanisms by RBI is a significant issue.
• The volatility of the Russian Ruble and Rupee hinders the trade.
• Sino-Russia trade and acceptance of Chinese Yuan
  • China seized export opportunities in Russia (unlike India). Chinese exports to Russia grew by 47% in 2023 (two-way trade crossed $240 billion in 2023).
  • 95% of China-Russia trade occurs in domestic currencies, making the yuan more popular in the Russian stock market than the US dollar.
  • Due to this, Russian oil exports request payments from Indian refineries in yuan.

To know more > India-Russia Relations

{GS2 – MoE – Initiatives} Project ASMITA

• Context (TH | PIB): Ministry of Education & University Grants Commission (UGC) launched three projects.

Project ASMITA

• Project ASMITA (Augmenting Study Materials in Indian Languages through Translation and Academic Writing) aims to create a robust ecosystem for translation and original book writing in Indian languages across various disciplines within higher education.
• It is a collaborative effort of the UGC and the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, a high-powered committee under the ministry, to promote Indian languages in education.
• The goal is to produce 1,000 books in 22 scheduled languages within five years, resulting in 22,000 books in Bharatiya bhasha.
• It aligns with the NEP and will bridge the linguistic divide, foster social cohesion and unity, and transform youth into socially responsible global citizens.

Bahubhasha Shabdakosh

• It is a single-point reference for all the words in all Indian languages and their meanings.
• It will be developed by the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) in collaboration with the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti.
• It will help use Bharatiya words and sentences for various new-age domains like IT, industry & education.

Real-time Translation Architecture

• Led by the National Education Technology Forum (NEFT) and Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti.
• To create a technological framework to enhance real-time translation capabilities in Bharatiya Bhasha.

{GS2 – Polity – IC – Elections} Technical SOP for EVM verification

• Context (IE): ECI released the technical standard operating procedure (SOP) for checking and verifying the burnt memory or microcontrollers of EVMs and VVPAT.

• The SC introduced the verification option for losing candidates (2nd and 3rd placed candidates) in the Association for Democratic Reforms vs. Election Commission of India, 2024 case.

Details of Technical SOP

• A mock poll of up to 1,400 votes per machine would be conducted in the presence of the candidates or their representatives.
• If the results of the machines’ and VVPAT slips are the same, it would indicate no tempering.
• Trained engineers from the EVM manufacturers would check Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL).

{GS2 – Vulnerable Sections – Women} Menstrual Leave in India **

• Context (IE): SC directed the Centre to frame a model policy on menstrual leave for women employees.

• Menstrual Leave offers time off for those experiencing period pains, akin to sick leave.
• Menstrual leave is not covered under standard sick leave policies nor legislated in India.
• Bihar implemented a menstrual leave policy in 1992, granting two days of paid leave each month.
• Kerala introduced menstrual leave across universities and institutions in 2023.

Need for Menstrual Leave Policy

• Supports women’s health: Women suffering from severe menstrual cramps experience workplace performance challenges due to the discomfort accompanying their menstrual cycles.
• Workplace inclusivity: It normalises discussions around menstruation, reduces stigma, and supports gender equality initiatives like closing the gender pay gap. Studies indicate that menstrual leave can enhance productivity and employee retention.
• Constitutional perspective: Provisions like Article 15(3) support special considerations for women, and Article 42 ensures fairness and humane work conditions.

Arguments Against

• Biased hiring practices: It may decrease women’s labour force participation. For example, Taiwan and Zambia have implemented menstrual leave policies, but implementation faces challenges.
• Health complication: In Maharashtra’s Beed district, female sugarcane cutters face discrimination; more than 10,000 have undergone uterine removal surgery to secure employment.
• Implementation challenges: Poses challenges like verifying legitimate use and preventing misuse. For example, Indonesia’s menstrual leave policy requires a medical examination, thus low uptake.
• Period shaming: For example, Spain was the first European nation to introduce paid menstrual leave in 2023, but few women have used it due to administrative hurdles and discrimination fears.
  • In Bhuj and Muzaffarnagar, girls were humiliated to verify their menstruation status.

Way Ahead

• Provide adequate rest breaks and clean toilet facilities, especially for menstruating women. For example, a menstrual hygiene policy could be implemented.
• Encourage menstrual leave policies by offering tax exemptions to companies and promoting gender-neutral leave policies. For example, Zomato announced a 10-day paid leave period per year in 2020.
• Offer free emergency period products and access to medical advice for severe menstrual symptoms.
  • For example, the Scotland Period Products (Free Provision) Bill was introduced to create a universal right to free period products for everyone in Scotland.
• Enhance global minimum standards for labour conditions and rights to eliminate the necessity for separate menstrual leave policies.
• Offer a work-from-home facility, offering comfort and flexibility tailored to their needs.

{GS3 – Envi – CC Impacts} Climate change causing Earth to spin slowly

• Context (IE): The melting of the polar ice caps is causing the Earth to spin more slowly, extending the days at an ‘unprecedented’ rate.

• A 2021 study found that melting glaciers worldwide redistributed enough water to cause the location of the North and South Poles to move eastward since the mid-1990s.
• From 1900 to the present, climate change has caused days to lengthen by about 0.8 milliseconds.
• Under the worst-case scenario of high emissions, climate alone could extend days by 2.2 milliseconds (ms) by 2100, compared to the baseline.
• Currently, Moon’s gravitational pull causes a deceleration of 2.40 ms per century through “tidal friction.”

Impact of slowing down of earth’s rotation speed

• It can affect the accuracy of navigation systems or throw off calculations for satellite launches.
• A decrease in rotation speed will lead to longer days and nights, which means that the Earth’s surface will heat up more during daylight hours and cool down more during the dark.
• Slowing down the Earth’s rotation would disrupt the distribution of heat and energy around the planet, leading to more intense storms, heatwaves, and other extreme weather phenomena.

Factors affecting Earth’s rotational speed

• Tidal pull of the moon
• Rapidity of a planet’s initial formation (faster collapse means more angular momentum conserved)
• Impacts from meteorites
• Movements in the planet’s inner molten core, Seismic activity
• Wind speed, Shifting atmospheric gases
• Melting of glaciers and polar ice caps

Also, read> Slowing down of Earth’s inner core rotation

{GS3 – Envi – CC} Decline in Fish biomass

• Context (DTE): The FAO report predicts a 10 to 30 per cent or more decline in exploitable fish biomass by the century’s end if emissions are not stopped.

Impact on the Indian Fisheries Sector

• Job Loss: Fisheries sector employs over 14.5 Mn people & supports the livelihood of over 28 Mn people.
• Dampens Growth: The sector has shown a high growth rate of 10.87% since 2014-15, with a record production of 175.45 lakh tons in FY 2022-23.
• Vulnerability as a Major Producer: India, the second largest fish-producing country in the world (8% of global production), will face multifaceted economic ramifications.
• Impact on Food and Nutritional Security: Marine fishes are rich in sodium and potassium, while small indigenous fishes are rich in calcium, iron and manganese (ICAR Report).

Way Forward

• Boost the inland fishing sector (which accounts for 65 per cent of the fish production) by addressing the productivity gaps, introducing innovation, and developing infrastructure.
• Sustainable exploitation of fisheries and a holistic plan for resource consumption as suggested by the Meenakumari committee.

{GS3 – Envi – Pollution} Plastic Recycling **

• Context (DTE): Evidence shows that current plastic recycling practices are often counterproductive.

Issues with the current recycling process

• Downcycling: Plastics are converted into lower-quality, less valuable products like plastic lumber.
• Energy-intensive: Requires significant fossil fuel energy and releases chemicals and greenhouse gases.
• Toxicity: Toxins in recycled plastics make them unsuitable for uses like food and beverage packaging.
• Environmental degradation: Recycling generates waste and contaminates water, forming microplastics.
• Ineffective recycling: The incorporation of virgin plastics (the purest form of plastic produced using natural gas or crude oil and does not contain any recycled materials) and toxic chemicals in the recycling process reduces its effectiveness.
• Environmental injustice: Exporting plastic waste to the Global South often shifts the burden of managing plastic waste. For instance, Malaysia imports more plastic waste than it can recycle.
• Chemical recycling: This method has not provided environmental benefits and causes pollution.

Way forward

• Reducing Production and Reuse: Emphasizing the reduction of plastic production and promoting reuse can significantly mitigate the plastic crisis.
  • For instance, Ghana has effectively replaced 30-40% of virgin plastics in production by using recycled Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), which is utilised to manufacture waste bins and storage containers.
• Effective Policy Making: Sweden‘s strict regulations and promotion of reusable alternatives have significantly reduced plastic waste.
• Sustainable Alternatives: Sustainable alternatives like paper and jute bags can help reduce plastic usage.
• Indigenous Knowledge: Emphasizing sustainable living practices rooted in indigenous knowledge can offer valuable insights into reducing plastic dependency.
• Individual Efforts: Adopting plastic-free habits, such as avoiding single-use plastics, can mitigate the plastic crisis.
• Waste to wealth: India has utilised plastic waste in constructing roads, building approximately 21,000 miles of roads using this method.

{GS3 – Envi – RE} Water Surface Solar Energy Park

• Context (DTE): With floating panels, Karnataka will harness solar energy from 40 lakes.

• This eco-friendly initiative promises to reduce electricity costs and enhance water resource management by generating 2,500 MW of renewable energy across 10,000 acres of waterbodies.
• Nationally, only 1 gigawatt of electricity is generated through floating solar panels.

  

  Credits: DTE

Benefits

• No additional land is required, making them an optimal method for solar power generation.
• Return on Investment- The cost could be recovered within the first five years of operation.
• Harnesses renewable energy to achieve self-sufficiency in micro-communities and helps develop these waterbodies into water tourism destinations.

{GS3 – Envi – Species} Indian Leopard

• Context (DTE): Indian leopard population may have declined by 24.5% over the last three generations.

• As per the assessment of IUCN, the known range of the subspecies has increased.
• IUCN Status: Near Threatened (Criterion A2cd)
• Criterion A2cd: “A2” means a reduction in population size, “c” means the population is still decreasing and “d” indicates that human activities directly cause the decline.
• According to the Status of Leopards in India 2022 Report, Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of leopards (3,907), followed by Maharashtra (1985), Karnataka (1879), and Tamil Nadu (1070).

More Info > Indian Leopard

{GS3 – IE – Securities} New asset class by SEBI

• Context (IE): SEBI proposed introducing a new asset class or product category to bridge the gap between mutual funds (MFs) and portfolio management services (PMS).

• The minimum investment threshold under it has been proposed at Rs 10 lakh per investor.
• The new asset class will likely provide investors with a regulated investment product featuring higher risk-taking capabilities and ticket size.
• It will curb the proliferation of unregistered and unauthorised investment products.
• Under the new asset class, investors may also have the option of systematic plans, such as a SIP.

{GS3 – S&T – AI} Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture

• Context (DTE): The Central Institute for Cotton Research runs a pilot project using Artificial Intelligence for pest management of pink bollworms.

AI-Powered Pest Monitoring

Working

• Deployment of AI-Powered Pheromone Traps: Pheromone traps emitting ‘gossyplure’ in cotton fields attract male pink bollworms, which are captured when they land on the traps.
• Real-Time Image Capture: Each trap has a camera that captures images of moths caught on its sticky surface. The images are transmitted to a cloud-based server using mobile network connectivity.
• Image Analysis with Machine Learning: Identifies & counts number of pink bollworm moths in a trap.
• Alerts and Advisory System: It generates real-time alerts for farmers regarding moth count and activity on mobile phones, indicating infestation severity and recommending necessary actions.
• User Accessibility and Data Sharing: It allows farmers, agricultural scientists, and extension officers access via secure mobile phone login, facilitating coordinated pest management efforts.

Advantages

• Real-Time Monitoring and Early Detection: Farmers receive immediate alerts on their mobile phones.
• Precision: It accurately identifies and counts the moths, enabling precise timing and intensity of pest control measures.
• Reduced Labor Requirements: Automated AI monitoring replaces labour-intensive manual checks.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: AI analyses long-term pest activity data, providing insights into seasonal trends for pest management strategies.
• Accessibility and Scalability: Easy to use as it is designed for basic mobile phone access.

Challenges

• Initial Investment and Infrastructure: Setting up an AI-powered system can be expensive for small-scale or remote farmers.
• Data Accuracy and Reliability: The precision of data collection and analysis can be influenced by environmental conditions such as weather, which impact image quality and pest identification accuracy.
• Training and Technical Support: Farmers and extension officers need training to effectively utilise and interpret AI system data. Other connectivity issues.
• Privacy and Data Security: Secure data handling is crucial to protect against unauthorised access.

{Prelims – Envi – Species} Yellow legged buttonquail (Turnix tanki)

• Context (TH): The Yellow-legged Buttonquail bird was recently spotted in urban areas of Ahmedabad.

• The yellow-legged buttonquail is a small family of birds resembling, but unrelated to, true quails.
• Physical description: Plump and rounded shape, giving a compact and stocky appearance. Its body is covered in vibrant shades of brown, grey, and black, aiding camouflage within its natural habitat.

Credits: Birda

• Distribution: Endemic to the Indian subcontinent, East Asia and Southeast Asia. It also migrates to and breeds in the Korean peninsula and the southernmost parts of southeast Russia.
• Habitat: They prefer open sandy ground with short, rough grass patches.
• The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, i.e. the female is the more dominant and colourful sex, reversing the typical avian pattern.
• Behavior: It opts to run rather than fly when faced with danger.
• Diet: Green plant material, seeds, and various insects, including beetles, ants and grasshoppers.
• Conservation status: IUCN: Least Concern

{Prelims – In News} Asia’s 1^st Pre-clinical Network

• Context (PIB): Asia’s first and globally ninth health research-related “Pre-clinical Network Facility” under the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) was inaugurated.

• The other labs are in the USA, Europe, and Australia.

Genetically Defined Human Associated Microbial Culture Collection Facility

• The facility will serve as a nodal resource center under the aegis of the Translational Health Science & Technology Institute (THSTI) in Faridabad.
• It will also serve as a repository of genetically characterised specific pathogen-free animals (including cryopreserved embryos and sperm) for researchers within the country.

{Prelims – In News} Tehri Hydro Power Complex

• Context (PIB): A 2400 MW Hydro Power Complex is under construction in Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand.

• It is a multipurpose scheme on river Bhagirathi, a tributary of river Ganges and consists of Tehri Hydro Power Plant, Koteshwar Hydro Electric Project and Tehri Pumped Storage Plant (Tehri PSP).

{Prelims – In News} Tirzepatide – A weight loss drug

• Context (IE): Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) of India, has proposed the approval of tirzepatide, an antidiabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and for weight loss.

• Tirzepatide is administered via subcutaneous injections (under the skin).

{Prelims – In News} World Heritage Young Professionals Forum (WHYPF) 2024

• Context (PIB): The Ministry of Culture is hosting the 2024 World Heritage Young Professionals Forum under the UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme.

• It is part of UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage Committee meeting hosted by India.
• Theme of WHYPF 2024: “World Heritage in the 21st Century: Building Capacities and Exploring Opportunities for Youth.”
• This year’s sub-themes will focus on tackling climate change along with sustainable development.

{Prelims – Sci – Bio} Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA)

• Context (TH): In a new study, scientists have said the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) could have formed just 300 million years after the earth formed.

What is LUCA?

• The Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) has been normally considered the ancestor of cellular organisms that originated in the three domains of life: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.
• It is the node on the tree of life from which the fundamental prokaryotic domains diverge.
• Genes in all main branches of life may have been passed down in an unbroken line from LUCA.

Key findings of the recent study

Credits: CK-12

• LUCA could have originated around 4.2 billion years ago, just 300 million years after the earth formed. Previous studies have suggested that life on the rocks emerged around 3.4 billion years ago.
• LUCA may have had a small genome of some 2.5 million bases and encoding around 2,600 proteins, all just enough to help it survive in a unique environmental niche.
• Metabolites produced by LUCA — compounds produced due to their metabolism — could have created a ‘secondary’ ecosystem in which other microbes could have emerged.

Molecular clock/ Evolutionary clock

• The molecular clock concept was first put forward in 1962 by chemist Linus Pauling and biologist Emile Zuckerkandl.
• The molecular clock is a method that uses biomolecular data (generally mutation rates) to estimate the time needed for a certain amount of evolutionary change.
• The theory argues that DNA and protein sequences mutate constantly over time among different organisms and that the number of genetic differences between organisms can give us an estimation of the last common ancestor.
• It can be used to put a series of evolutionary events chronologically.