Current Affairs – March 19, 2024

{GS2 – Vulnerable Sections – Women} Gender Inequality Index, 2022

• Context (ANI): The Gender Inequality Index (GII) for the year 2022 has been released within the Human Development Report 2022.
• India made significant progress, leaping 14 ranks in the Gender Inequality Index 2022. It now stands at 108^th place out of 193 countries, with a GII value of 0.437.

What is the GII?

• Published by: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• India’s Rank: 108 (2022) out of 193 countries (Earlier 122 with a score of 0.490(2021)).
• Top ranking country: Denmark
• The Gender Inequality Index (GII) is a composite metric that measures gender inequality across 3 dimensions:
  • Reproductive Health: The GII considers maternal mortality rates and adolescent fertility rates.
    • Higher maternal mortality rates and early pregnancies contribute to a higher GII value, indicating greater gender inequality in reproductive health.
  • Empowerment: It evaluates women’s participation in political decision-making and their educational attainment.
    • It includes indicators such as the percentage of parliamentary seats held by women and the proportion of women with at least secondary education.
  • Labour Market: The GII examines labour force participation rates for both men and women.
    • Disparities in employment opportunities, wage gaps, and the share of women in professional and technical roles impact this dimension.
• It reflects the loss in potential human development due to gender-based inequality.
• Interpretation: Each dimension is assigned a value between 0 and 1, where 0 represents perfect gender equality, and 1 signifies maximum inequality.
• Calculation: The GII combines the 3-dimension scores using a geometric mean.

• Comparison with neighbouring countries: Bangladesh fares better, standing at 59th place on the index.
  • Bhutan (103), China (107), Sri Lanka (115), Nepal (116).
  • Pakistan ranks 142nd on the GII, indicating higher gender inequality.
• Impressions:
  • Maternal mortality ratio (deaths per 100,000 live births) – 103 (remains the same from 2020).
  • Adolescent birth rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15–19) – 16.3 (17.23 (2021))
  • Share of seats in parliament (% held by women) – 14.6 (13.4 (2021))
  • Population with at least some secondary education (% ages 25 and older)- Female-41.0(40.51 (2021)) Male- 58.66(58.71(2021))
  • Labour force participation rate (% ages 15 and older)- Female- 28.3(27.04(2021)), Male- 76.1(75.1(2021))
• The GII serves as a vital tool for policymakers and organizations to track progress and identify areas where interventions are needed to achieve gender equity.
• Long-Term Improvement: Over the years, India’s GII rank has consistently improved, reflecting the nation’s commitment to advancing gender equality. (From 127 in 2014 to 108^th rank).

{GS3 – Envi – CC Impact} Missing Spring in India

• Context (TH): Indian states have been experiencing a gradual withdrawal from spring.

• Spring, characterized by weather between the winter of January and the scorching summers of April, is showing signs of disappearing.
• The analysis of meteorological records spanning 50 years reveals that every region in India has witnessed a net warming during winter.
• This warming trend during the winter months is impacting traditional seasons and potentially leading to the disappearance of spring.
• Human-caused climate change is a significant factor behind the dramatic warmer temperatures observed in February.
• Global mean temperatures have risen by more than 1.3 degrees Celsius since 1850, setting a new record in 2023.
• This warming trend affects the timing and characteristics of seasons, including spring.

What are the effects of missing spring?

• Ecological Disruptions: The missing spring disrupts the natural cycles of plants, animals, and insects.
  • Flowering Plants: Many flowering plants rely on spring for pollination and seed production. The absence of spring affects their reproductive success.
  • Bird Migration: Spring is when migratory birds return to their breeding grounds. The missing spring can impact their arrival timing and availability of food.
  • Insects and Pollinators: Insects, including bees and butterflies, depend on spring for their life cycles. Delayed or absent spring affects their survival.
• Agricultural Challenges:
  • Crop Timing: Spring is crucial for planting crops. Delayed spring affects sowing schedules, leading to yield losses.
  • Pests and Diseases: Spring warmth helps control pests and diseases. Without it, farmers face increased challenges in pest management.
• Human Health Implications:
  • Allergies: Spring is associated with pollen release. Missing spring may alter pollen patterns, affecting allergy sufferers.
• Cultural and Social Impact:
  • Festivals and Traditions: Spring festivals celebrate renewal, growth, and new beginnings. Their absence affects cultural practices.

How does this affect global climate change?

• Feedback Loops: The disruption of spring affects natural feedback loops. For example:
  • Snow and Ice Albedo: Delayed spring leads to prolonged snow cover. Reduced albedo (reflectivity) due to snow and ice amplifies warming by absorbing more sunlight.
  • Vegetation Changes: Altered spring timing affects vegetation growth and carbon sequestration. Delayed greening can impact the global carbon cycle.
• Regional Climate Patterns:
  • Indian Monsoon: Spring influences the onset of the Indian monsoon. Changes in spring dynamics can alter monsoon patterns, affecting agriculture and water availability.
  • Temperature Extremes: The absence of spring contributes to more extreme temperature shifts, impacting weather events globally.
• Ocean Circulation and Heat Transport:
  • Thermohaline Circulation: Spring affects ocean currents. Disrupted spring patterns may impact the thermohaline circulation, which plays a crucial role in heat transport worldwide.
• Shifts in Phenology and Biodiversity:
  • Mismatched Timing: Spring cues various biological events (flowering, migration, breeding). Disruptions can lead to mismatches (e.g., flowers blooming before pollinators arrive).
  • Species Vulnerability: Some species may struggle to adapt to altered spring conditions, affecting biodiversity.
• Permafrost Thaw and Methane Release:
  • Warmer Winters: Prolonged winter warmth accelerates permafrost thaw. Thawed permafrost releases stored methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

{GS3 – S&T – BioTech} Genetic Modification of Fruit Fly

• Context (TH): Scientists have genetically modified a sexually reproducing fruit-fly species, Drosophila melanogaster, to reproduce asexually.

• Parthenogenesis was induced in the fruit fly species Drosophila melanogaster.
• The researchers identified genes responsible for parthenogenesis in another fruit fly species, Drosophila mercatorum, and modified the D. melanogaster genome to express these genes.
• This genetic manipulation resulted in 1.4% of the fruit fly eggs being parthenogenetic, with offspring surviving to adulthood.
• In regular fertilization, polar bodies, which are by-products of chromosome transmission, are discarded.
• Altering protein levels of specific genes likely affected polar body disposal, allowing them to substitute for the missing male pronucleus and initiate embryonic development in unfertilized eggs.

Implications

• The findings have implications for controlling insect pests by releasing sterilized males or males with edited genomes to disrupt progeny development.
• This approach may inadvertently select facultatively parthenogenetic individuals, limiting its long-term effectiveness.

{Prelims – In News} Shillekyata Tribe

• Context (TH): The Shillekyata fishers, a tribal community, are asserting their fishing rights in Kundapura taluk.

• The Shillekyatha community migrated from Maharashtra to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, particularly during the era of Shivaji.
• Also addressed as the Killekyata community, they are nomadic in nature.
• They commonly find shelter in various places such as temples, bus stands, railway stations, schools, college fields, and charity chathras.
• Language: Marathi is spoken at home, but Kannada is used for interaction with other communities. The script used for writing is Kannada.
• Artisanal Traditions: Known for their craftsmanship in leatherwork, including making dolls, puppets, and whistles.
  • The tradition of leatherwork is traced back to ancient times and is found in various regions like China, Thailand, and Java.
• Religion: Hinduism.
• Food: Their diet consists of rice, chapati, roti, fish, chicken, mutton, and other items.
• They prepare their remedies using Ayurvedic plants for various ailments, including snake and scorpion bites. They also provide medicines for animals.
• Economic Activities: In addition to their nomadic lifestyle, they are involved in hunting and fishing activities, which supplement their livelihoods.
• Traditional Occupation: The primary traditional occupation of the Killekyatas is “Togalubombeyata,” a form of puppetry and storytelling.

{Prelims – S&T – Defence} 25T Bollard Pull (BP) Tug ‘Baljeet’

• Context (PIB): The 25T Bollard Pull (BP) Tug, Baljeet, was launched at M/s Shoft Shipyard Pvt Ltd in Gujarat.

• These Tugs are being built under the classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS).
• The availability of these Tugs will provide impetus to the Indian Navy’s operational commitments by assisting naval ships and submarines during berthing, un-berthing, turning, and manoeuvring in confined waters.
• The Tugs will be capable of conducting limited Search and Rescue Operations and providing afloat firefighting assistance to ships alongside and at anchorage.

• The contract for constructing and delivering three 25T BP Tugs was awarded to M/s Shoft Shipyard Pvt Ltd (M/s SSPL), an MSME, aligning with the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative.

Indian Register of Shipping

• It is an internationally recognized, independent ship classification society.
• It is a not-for-profit entity was founded in 1975.
• It operates as a public limited company incorporated under the Indian Companies Act 1956 (now the Indian Companies Act 2013).
• It is a member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), which represents classification societies worldwide.
• IRClass provides ship classification and certification services, conducting technical inspections and environmental and quality standards encompassing structural integrity, safety equipment, and environmental protection measures.

{Prelims – S&T – Defence} Exercise Tiger Triumph

• Context (PIB): A bilateral tri-service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), Exercise Tiger Triumph– 24 between India and the USA is scheduled for the Eastern Seaboard.

• The exercise aims to enhance coordination and interoperability between the armed forces of both countries for conducting HADR operations.
• By refining Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), they intend to enable rapid and smooth coordination during disaster relief efforts.