Day-91 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | GEOGRAPHY

[WpProQuiz 99]

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS (NOVEMBER 25, 2021)

THE SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. THE 2021 GLOBAL NUTRITION REPORT

THE CONTEXT: According to the Global Nutrition Report (GNR, 2021) released by the World Health Organisation, India has made no progress on anaemia and childhood wasting. The country featured among the 161 countries documented in the report as having made no progress or said to be worsening with regards to reducing anaemia.

Global Nutrition Targets

In 2012, the World Health Assembly identified six nutrition targets for maternal, infant and young child nutrition to be met by 2025.

These require governments to:

Reduce stunting by 40% in children under 5 and prevalence of anaemia by 50% among women in the age group of 19-49 years.
Ensure 30% reduction in low-birth weight and no increase in childhood overweight.
Increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months up to at least 50%.
Reduce and maintain childhood wasting to less than 5%.

THE EXPLANATION:

India is also among 23 countries that have made no progress or are worsening on reducing ‘childhood wasting’. Over half of Indian women in the age group 15-49 years are anaemic.
There has been a rise in anaemic Indian women since 2016. In 2016, 52.6 per cent of Indian women were anaemic. But in 2020, 53 per cent were found to be anaemic.
Over 17 per cent of Indian children under 5 years of age are affected. This figure is much higher than the average for Asia where close to 9 per cent children are affected.
India is ‘off-course’ in meeting 7 of the 13 global nutrition targets, according to the report.
These include sodium intake, raised blood pressure (both men and women), obesity (both men and women) and diabetes (both men and women).
Some 6.2 per cent of adult (aged 18 years and over) women and 3.5 per cent of adult men are living with obesity in the country.
Also, the report stated, India does not have adequate data on prevalence of ‘low birth weight’.

Global Nutrition Report Recommendation:

Poor diets and malnutrition can and should be addressed holistically and sustainably to create a healthy future for all.
There needs to be a step-change in efforts and financial investments to end poor diets and malnutrition.
Better data, greater accountability and systemic monitoring are key to identify the progress needed and ensure we stay on track.

About the Report:

The Global Nutrition Report was conceived following the first Nutrition for Growth Initiative Summit (N4G) in 2013 as a mechanism for tracking the commitments made by 100 stakeholders spanning governments, aid donors, civil society, the UN and businesses.

Value Addition:

What is Malnutrition?

Malnutrition refers to deficiencies or excesses in nutrient intake, imbalance of essential nutrients or impaired nutrient utilization. The double burden of malnutrition consists of both undernutrition and overweight and obesity, as well as diet-related non-communicable diseases. Undernutrition manifests in four broad forms: wasting, stunting, underweight, and micronutrient deficiencies.

Wasting is defined as low weight-for-height.
Stunting is defined as low height-for-age
Underweight is defined as low weight-for-age
Micronutrient deficiencies are a lack of vitamins and minerals that are essential for body functions such as producing enzymes, hormones and other substances needed for growth and development.

Major nutrition supplementation programs in India are:

Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS).
Poshan Abhiyan (National Nutrition Mission).
Mid-day meal Programs (MDM).
Special Nutrition Programs (SNP).
Wheat Based Nutrition Programs (WNP).
Biofortification
Balwadi Nutrition Programs (BNP).
National Nutritional Anaemia Prophylaxis Program (NNAPP).

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2. INDIA & ADB SIGN $300 MILLION LOAN

THE CONTEXT: The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $300 million loan to strengthen and improve access to comprehensive primary health care in urban areas of 13 states that will benefit over 256 million urban dwellers, including 51 million from slum areas.

THE EXPLANATION:

The programme supports the Government of India’s key health initiatives – Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) and Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PM-ASBY) – which has been renamed as Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) – by expanding availability and access to quality primary health care services particularly for vulnerable populations in urban areas.

“Ensuring equitable access to non-COVID-19 primary health care is critical amid challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic to India’s health system,” “The programme complements the government’s efforts to bridge the health care gaps by strengthening institutional capacity, operation, and management of urban health and wellness centers at the central, state, and municipal levels.”

The programme will be implemented in urban areas across 13 states: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and West Bengal. Beside the pandemic response, interventions through the program promote increased utilization of urban HWCs with provision of comprehensive primary health care packages including noncommunicable diseases and community outreach services such as awareness raising activities on health care options, particularly for women.
Delivery and health information systems for primary health care will be upgraded through digital tools, quality assurance mechanisms, and engagement and partnership with the private sector.

The programme is supported by a $2 million technical assistance grant from ADB’s Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction to provide support for programme implementation and coordination, capacity building, innovation, knowledge sharing and application of scalable best practices across the healthcare system.

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

ADB is a regional development bank established in 1966, Headquartered at Manila, Philippines
It has 68 members. India is a founding member. Forty-nine are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside.
It aims to promote social and economic development in Asia and the Pacific.

Voting rights:

It is modeled closely on the World Bank and has a similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with members’ capital subscriptions.
As of 31 December 2020, ADB’s five largest shareholders are Japan and the United States (each with 15.6% of total shares), the People’s Republic of China (6.4%), India (6.3%), and Australia (5.8%).

Roles and functions:

Dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.
This is carried out through investments – in the form of loans, grants and information sharing – in infrastructure, health care services, financial and public administration systems, helping nations prepare for the impact of climate change or better manage their natural resources, as well as other areas.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

3. THE LEGAL MANDATE FOR MSP

THE CONTEXT: Despite the announcement by Prime Minister committing to repeal the three farm laws, farmers have said their protest will continue — and have written to the PM with their six remaining demands, including, most importantly, a legal mandate for minimum support prices (MSP).

THE EXPLANATION:

One of the key demands of the protesting farmers is that MSP be provided for all agricultural produce to every farmer.
A legal mandate for MSP would force the government to purchase all the produce that any farmer wants to sell at the declared MSP. It would also have to procure from all states, and all crops for which MSPs are announced.

What is MSP?

MSP is the minimum floor price at which the government procures from farmers and is calculated on the average cost of production.
The committee proposed by the Centre will have representatives from Union and state governments, farmer groups as well as agricultural scientists and economists. Irrespective of the decision, a statutory guarantee to MSP will be a big step in agricultural marketing and procurement.
The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) recommends MSPs for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane. But effectively, it is maintained only for a few crops like paddy, wheat and soybean since there is no legal provision to implement the pricing. Sugarcane has legal sanction of fair and remunerative prices (FRP). In this case, the FRP is fixed by the government but paid by the mill owner.

Problem with this

MSP guarantee will not work because there are variations in crop type, variations in yields in different regions and variations in support given to farmers across different states. So, if you guarantee something, it will lead to wrong cropping patterns tilted towards high yielding crops; 99 per cent of the farmers will shift to paddy cultivation, like what is already happening, irrespective of environmental factors, soil degradation and other factors.
On the other hand, a guaranteed MSP can have quite a few unintended consequences that might make the attempted cure worse than the disease.
In India, the percentage of people involved in agriculture is far higher, and they are far more economically distressed than any Western country. A legally mandated MSP regime is likely to be neither feasible nor sustainable in the long run. Already grain stocks lying with the government are more than twice its buffer requirement, and sometimes end up rotting.

Possible way forward

The way forward is to ramp up investment in the agriculture sector. This means better irrigation facilities, easier access to credit, timely access to power, and ramping up warehouse capacity and extension services, including post-harvest marketing.
The approach has to be to raise the farmers’ bargaining ability and choices before them. At a fundamental level, the problem is there are just too many people involved in Indian agriculture for it to be truly remunerative.
Agriculture accounts for just 17% of India’s GDP while employing 55% of its population. To a great extent, the solution to the economic distress of Indian farmers lies outside agriculture — in boosting India’s industrial and services sectors. They are poor and indebted, and a large section among those who work in the fields are landless labourers. However, most Indian farmers have small and marginal landholdings, making them uneconomic.

4. THE AUSTRALIA’S BARRIER REEF CORAL SPAWNING

THE CONTEXT: Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is spawning in an explosion of colour as the World Heritage-listed natural wonder recovers from life-threatening coral bleaching episodes.

THE EXPLANATION:

Scientists recorded the corals fertilizing billions of offspring by casting sperm and eggs into the Pacific Ocean off the Queensland state coastal city of Cairns.
The network of 2,500 reefs covering 3,48,000 sqkm (1,34,000 square miles) suffered significantly from coral bleaching caused by unusually warm ocean temperatures in 2016, 2017 and last year. The bleaching damaged two-thirds of the coral.

What is coral spawning?

Coral spawning is an annual event where corals simultaneously reproduce. During this synchronised breeding, coral polyps release millions of tiny egg and sperm bundles into the water. Each bundle must find another bundle from the same species to fertilise.
Coral spawning is an annual event where corals simultaneously reproduce.
During this synchronised breeding, coral polyps release millions of tiny egg and sperm bundles into the water.
Each bundle must find another bundle from the same species to fertilise. By spawning on mass, corals increase the likelihood of finding and fertilising a matching bundle.

When does coral spawn?

This depends on a number of factors including their location, the water temperature and tides.
On the Great Barrier Reef, inshore reefs typically spawn in October, while outer reefs spawn during November or December.
Spawning follows a full moon and water temperatures must have risen enough to stimulate the maturation of the egg and sperm bundles. The timing of spawning is also impacted by the length of the day, the tide and salinity levels in the water.
Spawning only happens at night and lasts from a few days up to a week. Different species of coral spawn on different days to prevent crossbreeding.

About Great Barrier Reef:

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands.
The reef is located in the Coral Sea (North-East Coast), off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms.
The reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. It was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981.

Coral Bleaching:

The stunning colours in corals come from marine algae called zooxanthellae, which live inside their tissues.
This algae provides the corals with an easy food supply thanks to photosynthesis, which gives the corals energy, allowing them to grow and reproduce.
When corals get stressed, from things such as heat or pollution, they react by expelling these algae, leaving a ghostly, transparent skeleton behind.
This is known as ‘coral bleaching’. Some corals can feed themselves, but without the zooxanthellae most corals starve.
Causes for Coral Bleaching include Change in Ocean Temperature, Runoff and Pollution, Overexposure to sunlight and Extreme low tides.

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

5. THE FASTEST SPIN OF WHITE DWARF

THE CONTEXT: In a record-breaking discovery, astronomers have discovered a white dwarf star that completes one rotation in just 25 seconds.

What are white-dwarf stars?

White dwarf stars are the entities that form after stars like the Sun exhaust their nuclear fuel. This type of star expels most of its outer material near the end of its burning stage.
Once the star burns out, only the core remains that reaches temperatures over 99,000 degrees celsius.
According to NASA, a typical white dwarf is half as massive as the Sun, yet only slightly bigger than Earth.

THE EXPLANATION:

White dwarf star that completes a full rotation once every 25 seconds is the fastest spinning confirmed white dwarf, according to a team of astronomers.
They have shown that it is an extremely rare example of a magnetic propeller system: The white dwarf is pulling gaseous plasma from a nearby companion star and flinging it into space at around 3,000 kilometres per second.
It is only the second magnetic propeller white dwarf to have been identified in over 70 years, thanks to a combination of powerful and sensitive instruments.
The new dwarf star is the 20 per cent faster than another confirmed white dwarf that completed a full rotation in just over 29 seconds. For the sake of comparison, one rotation of the planet Earth takes 24 hours.
White dwarf stars are stars that have burnt up all their energy and shed its outer layers and now are undergoing a cooling or shrinking process over millions of years.
The new dwarf star named LAMOST J024048.51+195226.9 — or J0240+1952 —is the size of the Earth estimated to be 200,000 times more massive. It is part of a binary star system. The star’s immense gravity is pulling plasma material from its larger companion star and putting it to spin. The materials in a white dwarf star can no longer undergo fusion reactions, so the star has no source of energy.

New white dwarf more massive than Earth

The researchers were able to analyse this new white dwarf star using the HiPERCAM instrument of the world’s largest optical telescope-the Gran Telescopio Canarias in Spain.
They found that although the star has a size similar to Earth but is nearly 200,000 more massive than our planet.
Moreover, the observations also revealed that the star is pulling material from its nearby stars and scattering it all over space at a speed of about 3,000 kilometres/second.

Gran Telescopio Canarias

Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), the largest optical telescope in the world, with a mirror that has a diameter of 10.4 metres (34.1 feet). It is located in the Canary Islands of Spain. The mirror consists of 36 hexagonal pieces, which can be moved separately from each other, and the shape of each piece can be changed.
These two types of movements can compensate for the changes in the observed light that are caused by turbulence in Earth’s atmosphere.

THE GOVERNMENT SCHEMES/ INITIATIVES IN NEWS

6. THE ‘BHARAT GAURAV’ SCHEME

THE CONTEXT: To promote and attract tourism business, the Indian Railways launched Bharat Gaurav trains that will be operated by private players and run-on theme-based circuits.

What is the Bharat Gaurav policy?

According to the Bharat Gaurav policy, any operator or service provider, or virtually anyone, can lease trains from Indian Railways to run on a theme-based circuit as a special tourism package.
The tenure of the arrangement is a minimum of two years and maximum of the codal life of the coach. The operator has the freedom to decide the route, the halts, the services provided, and, most importantly, the tariff.
The Bharat Gaurav operator will also have to propose a similar business model wherein it takes care of local transport, sightseeing, food, local stays, etc. along with operating the trains.
The IRCTC runs such theme-based tourist trains, for instance, the Ramayana Express, which goes on a tour of several places connected to Lord Ram.
These trains cannot be used as ordinary transport trains between an origin and destination.

‘Right of Use’ charge

The annual ‘Right of Use’ charges calculated on the basis of the type of coach taken and the duration. In Bharat Gaurav scheme, the first year’s Right of Use charges have to be paid upfront and the second years have to be paid 15 days before the completion of the preceding year.
Delay in payment would result in a penalty equivalent to the bank’s prevailing interest rate plus 3 per cent as administrative fee. If it is not paid within 30 days, the Right of Use may be terminated.

Do you know?

Tejas Express: India’s first train operated by private operators, IRCTC, a subsidiary of Indian Railways.
Rani Kamlapati railway station (MP) is the India’s first private station.

7. THE EXTENSION OF PRADHAN MANTRI GARIB KALYAN ANN YOJANA (PMGKAY)

THE CONTEXT: Union Cabinet has approved the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY-Phase V) for a period of another 4 months i.e. December 2021 till March 2022.

THE EXPLANATION:

In the wake of economic disruptions caused by the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 in the country, the Government in March 2020 had announced the distribution of additional free-of-cost foodgrains (Rice/Wheat) to about 80 Crore National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries at the scale of 5 Kg per person per month under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY).

Phase-I and Phase-II of this scheme was operational from April to June 2020 and July to November 2020 respectively. Phase-III of the scheme was operational from May to June 2021. Phase-IV of the scheme is currently operational for July-November 2021 months.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) under the Ministry of Finance is a scheme as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat to supply free food grains to migrants and poor.

Eligibility

Families belonging to the Below Poverty Line – Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Households (PHH) categories will be eligible for the scheme.
PHH are to be identified by State Governments/Union Territory Administrations as per criteria evolved by them. AAY families are to be identified by States/UTs as per the criteria prescribed by the Central Government:
Households headed by widows or terminally ill persons, or disabled persons or persons aged 60 years or more with no assured means of subsistence or societal support.
All primitive tribal households.
Landless agriculture labourers, marginal farmers, rural artisans/craftsmen such as potters, tanners, weavers, blacksmiths, carpenters, slum dwellers, and persons earning their livelihood on daily basis in the informal sector like porters, coolies, rickshaw pullers, hand cart pullers, fruit and flower sellers, snake charmers, rag pickers, cobblers, destitutes and other similar categories in both rural and urban areas.
All eligible Below Poverty Line families of HIV positive persons.

8. THE CONTINUATION OF “OCEAN SERVICES, MODELLING, APPLICATION, RESOURCES AND TECHNOLOGY (O-SMART)”

THE CONTEXT: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister gave its approval for continuation of the umbrella scheme “Ocean Services, Modelling, Application, Resources and Technology (O-SMART)” of Ministry of Earth Sciences, for implementation during the period from 2021-26 at an overall cost of Rs. 2177 crore.

THE EXPLANATION:

The O-SMART scheme encompassing oceanographic research activities is being implemented with the objectives for providing forecast and services based on the continuous observation of our oceans, development of technologies and exploratory surveys for sustainable harnessing of our oceanic resources (both living and non-living) and promotion of front-ranking research in ocean sciences.
Several major milestones have been achieved through the activities of the scheme, the most significant is India’s recognition as Pioneer Investor with International Seabed Authority (ISA) for conducting extensive research on deep sea mining of Poly Metallic Nodules (PMN) and hydrothermal sulphides in the allotted area of the Indian Ocean.
The technology development for desalination using low temperature thermal desalination installation of such facility in Lakshadweep islands is also a significant achievement.
Moreover, India’s ocean related activities are now extended from the Arctic to Antarctic region covering large ocean space which have been monitored by through in-situ and satellite-based observation. India has taken leadership role in implementing Indian Ocean component of Global Ocean Observing System in Intergovernmental.

Objective of O-SMART Scheme:

The Scheme generates and regularly update information on Marine Living Resources and their relationship with the physical in Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Periodically monitors water levels of sea pollutants for health assessment of the coastal waters of India. To develop shoreline change maps for the assessment of coastal erosion.
Develop a wide range of state-of-art ocean observation systems for the acquisition of real-time data from seas around India.
Develop High-resolution models for the ocean forecast and reanalysis systems.

O-SMART is implemented by the following five institutes of the MoES.

National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad
National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), Chennai
Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE), Kochi
National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa.

What is the Significance of the O-SMART Scheme?

OSMART being a multidisciplinary continuing scheme, the ongoing extensive research and technology development activities would augment capacity building of the nation in the oceanographic field at the international level. The present decade has been declared as the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development by the United Nations (UN) and continuation of the scheme would strengthen our stand in the global oceanographic research and technology development.
This continuation of the scheme would contribute significantly towards national policy on blue economy for effective and efficient use of the vast ocean resources in a Sustainable way. Efforts towards achieving United Nations sustainable Development Goal-14 to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources are being covered through the coastal research and marine biodiversity activities.
Significant contribution to the national GDP is being made and to be continued through the ocean advisory services and technologies developed benefiting communities and several sectors working in the marine environment, particularly in the coastal states of India.

In the next five years (2021-26) this scheme would provide further comprehensive coverage through strengthening the ongoing activities towards delivering cutting edge technology applicable for marine domain, forecast and warning services to various coastal stake holders, understanding biodiversity towards conservation strategy for marine living organisms and understanding coastal processes.

9. THE PROACTIVE GOVERNANCE AND TIMELY IMPLEMENTATION (PRAGATI)

THE CONTEXT: Prime Minister chaired the meeting of 39th edition of PRAGATI, the ICT based multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, involving Centre and State governments

THE EXPLANATION:

In the meeting, nine agenda items were taken for review including eight projects and one scheme.
Among the eight projects, three projects were from the Ministry of Railways, two projects each were from the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and Ministry of Power and one project was from the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
These eight projects, having a cumulative cost of about Rs. 20,000 crores are concerning seven states viz., Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and West Bengal. Prime Minister stressed upon timely completion of projects to avoid cost overruns.
During the interaction, the Prime Minister also reviewed Poshan Abhiyaan. He said that Poshan Abhiyan should be implemented in mission mode in each state with a whole of government approach. He also talked about participation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and other local organizations in promoting awareness about children’s health and nutrition at the grassroot level, which will help in improving the reach and uptake of the Abhiyaan.

About PRAGATI:

PRAGATI is an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) platform existing in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), that reviews and monitors various Government Projects across the country.
It was launched in 2015, designed by PMO with the help of National Informatics Centre (NIC).

The three objectives of PRAGATI are:

Grievance Redressal
Programme Implementation
Project Monitoring

Importance:

The PRAGATI platform uniquely bundles three latest technologies: Digital data management, video-conferencing and geo-spatial technology.
It promotes cooperative federalism as it brings on one platform the Secretaries of Government of India and the Chief Secretaries of the States.
However, the direct interaction of the PM with the state secretaries without involving the political executives of the states is undermining the State political executive. It is also said that this is leading to a concentration of power in the extra-constitutional office of PMO.
It is a robust system for bringing e-transparency and e-accountability with real-time presence and exchange among the key stakeholders.
It is an innovative project in e-governance and good governance.

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q 1. Legislation that confers on the executive or administrative authority an unguided and uncontrolled discretionary power in the matter of the application of law violates one of the following Articles of the Constitution of India?

a) Article 14 b) Article 28

c) Article 32 d) Article 44

ANSWER FOR NOVEMBER 24th, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. ANSWER: A

EXPLANATION:

The ‘Common Carbon Metric’, supported by UNEP, has been developed for assessing the carbon footprint of building operations around the world.

Ethics Through Current Developments (25-11-2021)

One life manifests itself In all creation READ MORE
Freedom To Die: A Look At Active Euthanasia’s Position In The Indian Legal System READ MORE

Today’s Important Articles for Geography (25-11-2021)

Explainer series: Tracking climate crisis in North East India READ MORE
Human disturbance alters parasite communities, increases infectious disease: study READ MORE

Today’s Important Articles for Sociology (25-11-2021)

We need a multi-pronged approach to end child marriage READ MORE
India has made no progress on anaemia, childhood wasting: Global Nutrition Report READ MORE
How A Renewed Focus Can Improve Maternal And Child Nutrition Scenario In India READ MORE

Today’s Important Articles for Pub Ad (25-11-2021)

A unified regulatory framework: As there is competition between telcos and Internet companies, regulatory parity between them is required READ MORE
Isn’t right to privacy a fundamental right? READ MORE
Freedom To Die: A Look At Active Euthanasia’s Position In The Indian Legal System READ MORE

WSDP Bulletin (25-11-2021)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main

PM chairs 39th PRAGATI Interaction READ MORE
Cabinet approves extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) READ MORE
Cabinet approves continuation of the umbrella scheme “Ocean Services, Modelling, Application, Resources and Technology (O-SMART)” READ MORE
India, ADB sign $300 million loan to improve primary health care in India READ MORE
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef erupts in colour as corals spawn READ MORE
Railways announces ‘Bharat Gaurav’ scheme to tap huge potential of tourism READ MORE
White dwarf with fastest spin: one rotation every 25 seconds READ MORE

Main Exam

GS Paper- 1

The legacy of the division of India READ MORE
We need a multi-pronged approach to end child marriage READ MORE

GS Paper- 2

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

A unified regulatory framework: As there is competition between telcos and Internet companies, regulatory parity between them is required READ MORE
Isn’t right to privacy a fundamental right? READ MORE
Freedom To Die: A Look At Active Euthanasia’s Position In The Indian Legal System READ MORE

SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

India has made no progress on anaemia, childhood wasting: Global Nutrition Report READ MORE
How A Renewed Focus Can Improve Maternal And Child Nutrition Scenario In India READ MORE

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

India at the heart of Asian power matrix READ MORE
S-400s, CAATSA Complicate India-US Ties READ MORE
New Quad may bolster India’s Gulf presence READ MORE

GS Paper- 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Farm Laws: Is MSP guarantee really the elixir that Indian agriculture needs? READ MORE
Go for smart regulation: Banning cryptos totally will be counterproductive. Allow room for asset trading & tech innovation READ MORE
What $650 billion can buy READ MORE

ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

Explainer series: Tracking climate crisis in North East India READ MORE
Human disturbance alters parasite communities, increases infectious disease: study READ MORE

TECHNOLOGY

5G technology is also more energy-efficient READ MORE

GS Paper- 4

ETHICS EXAMPLES AND CASE STUDY

One life manifests itself In all creation READ MORE
Freedom To Die: A Look At Active Euthanasia’s Position In The Indian Legal System READ MORE

Questions for the MAIN exam

‘With the rise of China and reconfiguration of international relations; India is going to be a critical player in the great power games of Asia’. Analyse the statement.
Do you think government should regulate Big Tech companies? What are the issues involved with government regulation? Comment.

QUOTATIONS AND CAPTIONS

There is nothing stable in the world, uproar’s your only music.
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic poses an increased threat to maternal and child undernutrition and compels us to reflect on the causes of maternal and child nutrition and reaffirm the focus to improve the status.
Asian politics is bound to see a flurry of activity, with the rise of China and the reconfiguration of international relations in Asia and elsewhere. India is going to be a critical player in the great power games of Asia.
If the problems of overfishing and depleting marine resources continue, it can badly impact the catch by small fishermen and their livelihood.
It is high time we develop a nation-wide common law controlling the functioning of private schools and colleges, for education is common for everyone, irrespective of class, gender, or racial discrimination.
Afghanistan is set for a long period of instability, volatility and violence, including on its borders.
The Data Protection Bill is only the start of a long and complex journey. It would be a pity if a flawed belief that arming oneself with powers to do as one wishes when in power will be the same as arming the government with the same powers when one is not.
The original Bitcoin was limited in supply but innovation has created a variety of cryptocurrencies with different attributes and functions.
Decentralising birth and marriage registration to gram panchayats will protect women and girls with essential age and marriage documents, thus better enabling them to claim their rights.

50- WORD TALK

The mini-multilateral Middle-East-Quad challenges India to build on its close bilateral economic ties with both Israel and the United Arab Emirates. All the more so because its refusal to join the Indo-Pacific’s Regional Comprehensive and Economic Partnership makes it look economically isolated and gives the impression that it cannot cope with competition from China.

Things to Remember:

For prelims-related news try to understand the context of the news and relate with its concepts so that it will be easier for you to answer (or eliminate) from given options.
Whenever any international place will be in news, you should do map work (marking those areas in maps and also exploring other geographical locations nearby including mountains, rivers, etc. same applies to the national places.)
For economy-related news (banking, agriculture, etc.) you should focus on terms and how these are related to various economic aspects, for example, if inflation has been mentioned, try to relate with prevailing price rises, shortage of essential supplies, banking rates, etc.
For main exam-related topics, you should focus on the various dimensions of the given topic, the most important topics which occur frequently and are important from the mains point of view will be covered in ED.
Try to use the given content in your answer. Regular use of this content will bring more enrichment to your writing.

Day-90 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

[WpProQuiz 97]

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS (NOVEMBER 24, 2021)

THE INDIAN SOCIETY AND SOCIAL ISSUE

1. ALL INDIA SURVEY ON DOMESTIC WORKERS

THE CONTEXT: Union Minister for Labour and Employment, flagged off the first-ever All India Survey on Domestic workers being conducted by Labour Bureau.

THE EXPLANATION:

The All-India Survey on Domestic Workers is aimed to estimate the number and proportion of domestic workers at the National and State level, the percentage distribution of domestic workers with respect to Live-in/Live-out, formal/ Informal Employment, Migrant/Non-Migrant, their wages and other socio-economic characteristics.

The survey will also provide the Household Estimates of Live-in/Live-out domestic workers and the average number of domestic workers engaged by different types of households. the main objectives are:

Estimate the number/proportion of DWs at the National and State level.
Household Estimates of Live-in/ Live-out DWs.
The average number of DWs engaged by different types of households.

The Domestic Worker Survey collects information on the following broad parameters:

Household Characteristics such as HH size, Religion, Social Group, Usual Monthly Consumption Expenditure, Nature of Dwelling unit.
Demographic Characteristics such as Name, Age, Relation to Head, Marital Status, General Education Level, Usual Principal Activity Status, Subsidiary Activity Status and Status of DWs.
In addition to this, it also collects information on DWs such as their Age of entry, Social Group, Migrant status, Vocational Training/Education, Number of HHs served by DW, activities performed by them, and the number of days worked, Duration of work, Type of remuneration and its frequency, Type of contract, Distance travelled, Engagement as DW before and after COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on wages and job, living conditions and social security benefits received.
Information on Employer HHs is also collected such as their preferences of DW regarding Gender and marital status, mode of payment of wages, the number of days worked, mode of engagement, whether DW services were availed during ii COVID-19 pandemics, medical support given to DWs.

2. DISCRIMINATION IN ACCESSING HEALTHCARE: OXFAM

THE CONTEXT: Recently Oxfam India released its “Securing Rights of Patients in India”, report, where it’s stated 1 in 4 Indians faced discrimination while accessing health services due to their caste and religion.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT:

Patient’s Rights Survey: In the survey, 30% people said that they have been discriminated against due to an illness or health condition that they have, 12% people felt that they have been discriminated against on grounds of religion, 13% people felt that they have been discriminated against due to their caste. One-third of Muslim people said that they have been discriminated against on the grounds of their religion in a hospital or by a healthcare professional.
Right to Confidentiality, Human Dignity and Privacy: Over a third of women (35%) said that they had to undergo a physical examination by a male practitioner without another female present in the room.
Right to Non-Discrimination: A third of Muslim respondents and over 20% Dalit and Adivasi respondents reported feeling discriminated against on the grounds of their religion or caste in a hospital/by a healthcare professional.

Right to Information: 74% of people said that the doctor simply wrote the prescription or treatment or asked them to get tests/investigations done without explaining their disease, nature and/or cause of illness.
Right to Informed Consent: More than half of the respondents (57%) who were themselves/their relatives had been hospitalised did not receive any information about investigations and tests being done.
Right to Take Discharge of Patient or Receive Body of Deceased from the Hospital: 19% of respondents whose close relatives were hospitalized said that they were denied the release of the dead body by the hospital.

“The surveys show that the basic rights of patients in India are being routinely denied in healthcare facilities, for the poor and middle class alike. Skewed power dynamics with respect to class, caste, religion, and gender between the healthcare providers and patients deepen existing structural inequalities in the healthcare system,”.

Underlining denial of patient’s rights in the country, the report claimed that 74% of respondents said the doctor simply wrote the prescription or treatment or asked them to get tests/investigations done without explaining their disease, nature and/or cause of illness.

THE GEOGRAPHY

3. LA NIÑA PHENOMENON HAS BEGUN

THE CONTEXT: Australia has said a La Niña event has developed for a second consecutive year, meaning there is a greater risk locally of floods and cyclones.

THE EXPLANATION:

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is yet to declare a La Niña but has warned one may re-emerge.
This year’s event could be weaker, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).
Climate models suggest this La Niña will be short-lived, persisting until the late southern hemisphere summer or early autumn 2022.
La Niña is described as one of the three phases of the weather occurrence known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). This includes the warm phase called El Niño, the cooler La Niña and a neutral phase.

What is La Nina?

La Niña is a weather pattern that occurs in the Pacific Ocean. In this pattern, strong winds blow warm water at the ocean’s surface from South America to Indonesia. As the warm water moves west, cold water from the deep rises to the surface near the coast of South America.

What happens during La Nina?

During the La Nina period, sea surface temperature across the eastern equatorial part of the central Pacific Ocean becomes lower than normal by 3–5 °C.

Impact of La Nina:

La Nina has an extensive effect on weather worldwide, especially in North America. It also impacts the Atlantic and Pacific hurricane seasons, in which the number of tropical cyclones increases in the Atlantic basin because of low wind shear and warmer sea surface temperatures. It also reduces tropical cyclogenesis in the Pacific Ocean.

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

4. INDIA-US TRADE POLICY FORUM

THE CONTEXT: India and United States have agreed to look after ways of resolving differences on issues like market access and digital trade besides reviving the Trade Policy Forum after four years.

THE EXPLANATION:

The India-US Trade Policy Forum has five focus groups – agriculture, investment, innovation and creativity (intellectual property

rights), services, and tariff and non-tariff barriers.
This agreement was made at the start of a two-day visit by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai.

Negotiators from both countries struggled for more than a year to sign a trade package as India and US spar over different issues like tariffs.
During a two-day visit, the US Trade representative raised market access restrictions, unpredictable regulations, high tariffs, and restricted digital trade between both countries.

India-US Trade Relations

The United States is the second-largest trading partner of India, while India is its 9th largest trading partner.
Major items of import from India include information technology services, machinery, textiles, gems & diamonds, iron & steel products, chemicals, tea, coffee, and other edible food products.
American items imported by India are fertilisers, aircraft, hardware, computer medical equipment and scrap metal. The US is also India’s largest investment partner.

Trade Policy Forum

Trade Policy Forum programme was created in July 2005 by US President Bush and then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It is run by a representative from both nations.
This programme was created with the goal of increasing bilateral trade and investment flow.

5. PAKISTAN TO ALLOW INDIA TO SEND WHEAT TO AFGHANISTAN THROUGH ITS TERRITORY

THE CONTEXT: Pakistan Prime Minister announced his government will allow India to send a humanitarian shipment of 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat to neighbouring Afghanistan through its territory after the finalisation of the transit modalities.

THE EXPLANATION:

Currently, Pakistan only allows Afghanistan to export goods to India but doesn’t allow any other two-way trade through the border crossing.
India has contributed to the humanitarian requirements of the Afghan people. This included providing more than 1 million metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan over the past decade.
In 2020, India assisted Afghanistan with 75,000 metric tonnes of wheat, the external affairs ministry had said at the United Nations high-level meeting on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan in September 2021.
However, there were reports that Pakistan has blocked India’s efforts to provide wheat to the Afghan people, amidst the chill in relations between New Delhi and Islamabad over the Kashmir issue.
Pakistan PM ordered that the facility of free COVID vaccination for all Afghans entering Pakistan from land borders be continued.

Afghan Food Crisis:

The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that, tens of millions of Afghans, including children, could die of starvation if urgent action is not taken

WEP is calling to release the frozen funds without delay to provide humanitarian aid.
Around 22.8 million people, accounting for half of entire population of Afghanistan, are facing an acute food crisis.
This figure is greater than 14 million, which was reported in August 2021, before Taliban took over.
As per WEP, around 220 million U.S. dollars would be required as winter nears, to meet the food demand.

THE ECONOMY

6. INDIA TO RELEASE 5 MN BARRELS FROM RESERVES

THE CONTEXT: The stocks will be sold to Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) which are connected by pipeline to the strategic reserves.

THE EXPLANATION:

India is set to release 5 million barrels of crude oil from its strategic reserves as part of a coordinated move along with the US, China, Japan, and South Korea aimed at lower international prices. The US will release 50 million barrels of crude oil from its reserves as part of the effort.
The move is being seen as a strategic step to rein in spiralling global crude oil prices and to keep them under check. In response, the OPEC+ group of oil-exporting countries, which accounts for about 50 per cent of global crude supply, has indicated that it may reconsider plans to restore production over the coming months.
The supply of oil was “being artificially adjusted below demand levels by oil-producing countries, leading to rising prices and negative attendant consequences”.
A release of 5 million barrels of crude oil would equate to about 12. 8 per cent of India’s strategic oil reserves of 5.33 million tonnes of crude oil, which is estimated to be equivalent to 9.5 days of its crude oil requirement.

Despite an increase in crude oil supply of 400,000 barrels per day in December, OPEC+ figures are still lower than the reference level of production for them by nearly 5.4 million barrels per day. Since hitting a low of $16 per barrel on April 22 last year, the price of Brent crude oil has been rising steadily, touching a high of $86.67 per barrel on October 25 this year. Prices have since retreated below $80 per barrel on the US announcement of releasing oil from reserves.

Value Addition:

Crude Oil:

Crude oil is a type of fossil fuel that occurs naturally. It is an unrefined petroleum product composed of hydrocarbon deposits and other organic materials.

Factors affecting Crude Oil Pricing:

Its specific gravity or API
Its sulphur contents
Its location—for example, its proximity to tidewater and/or refineries. Heavier, sour crude oils lacking in tidewater access—such as Western Canadian Select— are less expensive than lighter, sweeter oil—such as WTI (West Texas Intermediate).

Crude Oil Pricing in India

India’s domestic crude oil production in July 2019 was 2,769 thousand tonnes (TMT), and in 2017, India had 600 million metric tonnes (MMT) of proven oil reserves.
In 2020, crude oil pricing nosedived from an average of about $55 per barrel to $20 by the end of March due to the slumped demand during the COVID-19 pandemic

What is OPEC?

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded in Baghdad, Iraq, with the signing of an agreement in September 1960 by five countries namely Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. They were to become the Founder Members of the Organization.
It is a permanent, intergovernmental organization.
Currently, the Organization has a total of 14 Member Countries.
OPEC’s objective is to co-ordinate and unify petroleum policies among Member Countries, in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers; an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations; and a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry. It is headquartered in Vienna, Austria.
OPEC membership is open to any country that is a substantial exporter of oil, and which shares the ideals of the organization.

What is the OPEC+?

OPEC+ refers to the alliance of crude producers, who have been undertaking corrections in supply in the oil markets since 2017.

OPEC plus countries include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, South Sudan and Sudan.

THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

7. GLOBAL WARMING TO HIT INDIA THE WORST IN ASIA BY 2070

THE CONTEXT: A study by a group of researchers — called Future of the Human Climate Niche — projected that over 9 billion across the world likely to be exposed to annual average temperatures experienced only in the hottest deserts

THE EXPLANATION:

Over 3 billion people, currently living in 0.8 per cent of the Earth’s surface that experiences average annual temperature of more than 29°C, would have to move to migrate to more places with suitable conditions.
For over 6,000 years, humans restricted their settlements to a climate niche or set of temperatures between 11 degrees Celsius and 15 degrees Celsius mean annual temperature. But global warming could trigger the next wave of migration — and at least 3 billion people would be affected by it by 2070. India would be among the worst-hit in Asia.
According to the Lancet report, over 150 billion work hours were lost in 2018 due to extreme temperatures, As the world experiences global warming, work hours lost to extreme temperatures could double and quadruple depending on how many people would be involved in rural agriculture, affecting productivity and food security.

KEY FINDINGS:

Asia

The largest continent is going to see a massive population boom. India would be the most affected, with over half of the 1.6 billion people (projected population by 2070) exposed to extreme heat.

Other countries like the United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, and parts of South Vietnam and eastern Pakistan will become unlivable, according to the projections.

Africa

The most vulnerable of all the continents in terms of low human development, Africa is going to witness a population of 1.2 billion people and Lagos, the capital of Nigeria, is on course to become the most populous city by 2075. The study states that 81 per cent of the projected 477 million people in Nigeria would be exposed to extreme temperatures.

Europe

Europe would be the only continent that would not witness annual mean temperatures of more than 29°C but parts of Scandinavia, eastern Russia and countries along the Mediterranean will experience a rise in temperatures.

Already under scrutiny because of refugees flocking from war-torn countries, it remains to be seen how global warming would affect Europe in terms of migration.

North and South America

Large parts of Brazil, currently inhabited by the indigenous tribes of the Amazon, could become inhospitable under the worst climatic scenario. Southern states in the United States will experience a rise in temperatures.
Up to 20 million people would live in regions with an annual average temperature of at least 29°C.

While the fallouts from global warming can be many, such as rising temperatures and migration, another case in point the study observes is food security.

Climate change has already created a scenario where heat and humidity have become too severe for humans to tolerate.

8. HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT

THE CONTEXT: Assam’s forest department is planning to collar at least five elephants in high-conflict habitats in collaboration with NGO World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-India. The joint initiative is being described as a step to study and mitigate human-elephant conflict in the state

THE EXPLANATION:

What is radio collars?

Radio collars are GPS-enabled collars that can relay information about an elephants’ whereabouts. They weigh roughly 8 kg and are fitted around the elephant’s neck. According to a WWF blog, collaring includes identifying a suitable candidate (generally an adult elephant), darting it with a sedative, and fitting a collar around the elephant’s neck, before the animal is revived.
Additionally, it also attaches an accelerometer to the collar to “understand what exactly an elephant is doing at any given time (running, walking, eating, drinking, etc)”.

How does radio-collaring help?

First, the “Information from the GPS would help us track and study the movement patterns of the herd,
The second objective is incidental, the collars would serve as an early warning system, and if people know which direction an elephant is moving, they can prepare accordingly. “Villagers and forest officials will know about approaching elephants… very much how weather forecasting works. And this would help mitigate conflict incidents”.

What is the plan in Assam?

In March 2020, the Ministry of Environment of Forest & Climate Change, gave approval to collar five elephants in Sonitpur and Biswanath districts in Assam, stating a number of conditions, among them being “minimum trauma” to the elephants during the operation and submission of regular periodic reports.
The department aimed at collaring eleven elephants across the landscape in the future. “Dept have eleven elephant herds to be tracked in high human elephant-conflict areas. These include areas in Sonitpur, Golaghat, Nagaon, Goalpara, Udalguri, among others,”.

How bad is human-elephant conflict in Assam?

From 2010-2019, 761 people and 249 elephants were killed in Assam as a direct consequence of human-elephant conflict, stated the WWF blog.
“More than 65 per cent of the habitat north of the river has been lost in the past few decades to agriculture and settlements, and conflict between humans and elephants has been steadily increasing ever since.
As per the forest department, there are currently about 6,000 wild elephants in Assam.

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

The ‘Common Carbon Metric’ supported by UNEP, has been developed for:

a) assessing the carbon footprint of building operations around the world.

b) enabling commercial farming entities around the world to enter carbon emission trading.

c) enabling governments to assess the overall carbon footprint caused by their countries.

d) assessing the overall carbon footprint caused by the use of fossil fuels by the world in a unit of time.

ANSWER FOR NOVEMBER 23rd, 2021 PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Answer: D
Answer: C

Ethics Through Current Developments (24-11-2021)

Help! Domestic helps earn little and have no social protection, but the real problem is behavioural READ MORE
Today’s World – Full of Choices or Distractions READ MORE

Today’s Important Articles for Geography (24-11-2021)

Explained: Can elephant collaring help manage human-elephant conflict in Assam? READ MORE
Why We Need Data Stories and Digital Tools To Achieve Rural Water Security READ MORE
The challenge of climate adaptation READ MORE

Today’s Important Articles for Sociology (24-11-2021)

Are India’s much-lauded startups failing their women workers? READ MORE
30% Muslims, 20% Dalits and Adivasis Report Discrimination in Accessing Healthcare: Oxfam READ MORE
Education In India During Covid-19: Challenges Faced And Solutions For A Post-Pandemic Era READ MORE
Help! Domestic helps earn little and have no social protection, but the real problem is behavioural READ MORE

Today’s Important Articles for Pub Ad (24-11-2021)

ASER 2021 has insights on how schools can respond to post-Covid world READ MORE
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WSDP Bulletin (24-11-2021)

(Newspapers, PIB and other important sources)

Prelim and Main:

Global push to cap oil prices: India to release 5 mn barrels from reserves READ MORE
Global warming to hit India the worst in Asia by 2070 READ MORE
Australia declares La Niña phenomenon has begun READ MORE
Himalayan glacier changed track 20,000 years ago: study READ MORE
India-US Trade Policy Forum to be revived today after four years READ MORE