TOP 5 TAKKAR NEWS OF THE DAY (10th AUGUST 2023)

Print

1. INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION ON VAQUITA PORPOISE

TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATION; GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The International Whaling Commission (IWC) issued its first ‘extinction alert’ on the vaquita porpoise, of which only 10 individuals survive in the Gulf of California or Sea of Cortez in Mexico.

EXPLANATION:

• Numbers of vaquita porpoise have fallen from a population of approximately 570 in 1997 to around 10 animals in 2018.
• There are about 10 surviving animals and the IWC is speaking out now because it believes extinction is not yet inevitable.
• The IWC said the first extinction alert had been issued “to encourage wider recognition of the warning signs of impending extinctions, and to generate support and encouragement at every level for the actions needed now to save the vaquita”.
• The decline of the vaquita has continued despite a very clear understanding of both the cause i.e bycatch in gillnets and the solution i.e replacement of gillnets with safe alternatives in the vaquita habitat.
• The vaquita is caught as bycatch in gillnets meant for totoaba, a fish the swimbladders of which are prized in Chinese cuisine.
• Despite the very low number of surviving animals, 100 per cent enforcement of a ban on gillnets in their core habitat would still give this small but resilient porpoise a chance of recovery.

VAQUITA PORPOISE

• The vaquita is the world’s smallest cetacean and is only found in the northern-most part of the Gulf of California, Mexico.
• It is listed on Appendix I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
• It is unique among the porpoises as it is the only species of that family found in warm waters, and the size of the dorsal fin is believed to be an adaptation to that, allowing for extra body heat to dissipate.
• Like many other species of porpoise, vaquita tend to be shy and elusive, avoiding boats when approached. They are most commonly sighted in shallow waters up to 50 metres deep.
• They tend to prefer turbid, nutrient-rich coastal waters which attract their preferred prey: small fish, cephalopods and crustaceans.

Threat:

• The decrease in the vaquita population is related to the totoaba, a large fish that also only lives in the Gulf of California.
• The totoaba is listed as endangered in Mexico and the United States and is protected by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species.
• Because totoaba and vaquita are similar in size, gillnets illegally set for totoaba are the deadliest for vaquitas.

Appearance

• The vaquita is about 5 feet long and is one of the smallest members of the dolphin, whale, and porpoise family. Females are longer than males, but males have larger fins.
• Vaquitas have small, strong bodies with a rounded head and no beak. They have black patches around their eyes and lips and small, spade-shaped teeth.
• Vaquitas also have triangle-shaped dorsal fins in the middle of their backs, which are taller and wider than in other porpoises.
• These fins might allow vaquitas to reduce their body temperatures in warm water. Vaquita backs are dark gray, while their bellies are a lighter gray.

Behavior and Diet

• Vaquitas are often found alone or in pairs. These shy animals usually avoid boats with active engines. They are difficult to observe because of their small size, inconspicuous and slow surface rolls, small group size, and avoidance of motorized vessels.
• Vaquitas feed on small fish, crustaceans (such as shrimp), and cephalopods (such as squid and octopuses).

Where They Live

• The vaquita has the smallest geographical range of any marine mammal. It only lives in the northern part of the Gulf of California in Mexico. Most vaquitas live east of the town of San Felipe, Baja California, within a 1,519-square-mile area that is less than one-fourth the size of metropolitan Los Angeles.
• This area also includes the Delta of the Colorado River Biosphere Reserve, one of the earth’s most diverse marine habitats. The delta includes many types of fish, birds, marine reptiles, and marine mammals.

International Whaling Commission

• The International Whaling Commission was established under the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and orderly development of the whaling industry.
• The Commission meets this mandate in part by reviewing and, as necessary, revising the measures outlined in the legally binding Schedule included in the Convention.
• The Commission also conducts activities related to cetacean (e.g., whale, dolphin) conservation.
• The Commission normally meets every other year to review the condition of whale stocks and to modify conservation measures, as appropriate.
• Currently, there are 88 contracting governments. The United States has been an active member of the Commission and has served as its depositary government since the Commission’s establishment.

Regulation of Whaling under the IWC

• There are generally three types of whaling that the Commission regulates: commercial, scientific research, and aboriginal subsistence whaling.

Commercial Whaling

• In 1986, a global moratorium, or a temporary ban, on commercial whaling was adopted due to the overexploitation of whale stocks.
• The Commission has also designated sanctuary areas in the Indian and Southern Oceans where commercial whaling is not allowed.
• Although the moratorium is still in place, some countries, such as Norway and Iceland, continue to engage in commercial whaling activities.
• Norway objects to the moratorium, and Iceland has a reservation to the moratorium that allows it to continue commercial whaling.

Scientific Research Whaling

• Article VIII of the Convention allows contracting governments to issue special permits authorizing the taking of whales for purposes of scientific research.
• Japan’s lethal scientific research in the North Pacific and Southern Oceans under such special permit ended in 2019 with their withdrawal from the Convention.

Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling

• The Commission also regulates aboriginal subsistence whaling i.e whaling by native people to sustain themselves.
• Currently, the Commission permits indigenous communities in Denmark (Greenland), the Russian Federation, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the United States to engage in this type of whaling on certain whale stocks.
• The United States is subject to domestic legal requirements and works with the indigenous communities in Alaska and Washington states to ensure that the catch limits established through the Commission meet their cultural and subsistence needs.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/world/plight-of-the-vaquita-forces-international-whaling-commission-to-issue-first-extinction-alert-91057

2. INDRADHANUSH 5.0

TAG: GS 2: SOCIAL JUSTICE

THE CONTEXT: Indradhanush 5.0 vaccine campaign launched to ensure that children aged between 0-5 years and pregnant women do not miss out on any vaccinations. During the campaign, vaccination against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases will be provided.

EXPLANATION:

• Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 5.0, the nationwide vaccine catch-up campaign, focusses on reaching zero-dose children aged between 0-5 years and pregnant women was launched in the Kerala.
• IMI 5.0 initiative is also intended to be the big leap for eliminating measles and rubella in the country by ensuring that every child under 5 years of age has completed the two-dose schedule of Measles and Rubella Containing Vaccine (MRCV).
• IMI 5.0 will be implemented in three phases, from August 7-11, September 11 to 16 and from October 9 to 14, when all children who might have missed out any vaccines under the Universal Immunisation Programme will have an opportunity to receive those vaccines.

Mission Indradhanush (MI)

• Mission Indradhanush (MI) was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on 25th December 2014.
• It is a special catch-up campaign under the Universal Immunization Program (UIP), conducted in the areas of low immunization coverage to vaccinate all the children and pregnant women left out or dropped out from Routine Immunization.

Objectives

• The Mission Indradhanush aims to cover all those children who are either unvaccinated, or are partially vaccinated against vaccine preventable diseases.
• India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) provide free vaccines against 12 life threatening diseases, to 26 million children annually.
• The Universal Immunization Programme provides life-saving vaccines to all children across the country free of cost to protect them against 12 Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPD) Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis B, Pneumonia and Meningitis due to Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib), Measles, Rubella, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Rotavirus diarrhoea. (Rubella, JE and Rotavirus vaccine in select states and districts).

The following areas are targeted through special immunization campaigns:

1. High risk areas identified by the polio eradication programme. These include populations living in areas such as:

• Urban slums with migration
• Nomads
• Brick kilns
• Construction sites
• Other migrants (fisherman villages, riverine areas with shifting populations etc.) and
• Underserved and hard to reach populations (forested and tribal populations etc.)

2. Areas with low routine immunization (RI) coverage (pockets with Measles/vaccine preventable disease (VPD) outbreaks).
3. Areas with vacant sub-centers: No ANM posted for more than three months.
4. Areas with missed Routine Immunisation (RI) sessions: ANMs on long leave and similar reasons
5. Small villages, hamlets, dhanis or purbas clubbed with another village for RI sessions and not having independent RI sessions.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI)

• The Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) has been launched by the Government of India to reach each and every child under two years of age and all those pregnant women who have been left uncovered under the routine immunisation programme.
• Intensified Mission Indradhanush covers low performing areas in the selected districts and urban areas.
• These areas have been selected through triangulation of data available under national surveys, Health Management Information System data and World Health Organization concurrent monitoring data.
• Special attention will be given to unserved/low coverage pockets in sub-centre and urban slums with migratory population. The focus is also on the urban settlements and cities identified under National Urban Health Mission (NUHM).
• IMI is supported by 11 other ministries and departments, such as Ministry of Women and Child Development, Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Youth Affairs among others.
• The convergence of ground level workers of various departments like ASHA, ANMs, Anganwadi workers, Zila preraks under National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM), self-help groups is ensured for better coordination and effective implementation of the programme.
• Intensified Mission Indradhanush is closely monitored at the district, state and central level at regular intervals. Further, it is reviewed by the Cabinet Secretary at the National level and continued to be monitored at the highest level under a special initiative ‘Proactive Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI)’.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0

• Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 was to ensure reaching the unreached with all available vaccines and accelerate the coverage of children and pregnant women in the identified districts and blocks from December 2019-March 2020.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 3.0

• Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0 was to ensure reaching the unreached with all available vaccines and accelerate the coverage of children and pregnant women in the identified districts and blocks from February 2021-March 2021.
• The Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0 will have two rounds starting from February 22 and March 22, 2021 and will be conducted in pre-identified 250 districts/urban areas across 29 States/UTs in the country. As per the Guidelines released for IMI 3.0, the districts have been classified to reflect 313 low risk; 152 as medium risk; and 250 as high risk districts.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush 4.0

• Intensified Mission Indradhanush 4.0 launched during Febraury 2022 had three rounds and was conducted in 416 districts (including 75 districts identified for Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav) across 33 States/UTs in the country.
• In the first round (Feb-April 2022), 11 states conducted IMI 4.0. These are Assam, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura and Chhattisgarh.
• The others (22 states) conducted the rounds from April to May 2022. These states/UTs include Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Puducherry, Delhi, Punjab, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Telangana, Jharkhand, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, A & N Islands.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/indradhanush-vaccine-campaign-launched-in-state/article67169280.ece

3. HAVANA SYNDROME

TAGS: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: The Central government has told the Karnataka High Court that it will look into the matter of the ‘Havana Syndrome’ in India in response to a Bengaluru resident’s recent petition.

EXPLANATION:

• A petitioner had approached the Karnataka High court requesting a writ of mandamus for an enquiry on Havana Syndrome in India and the prevention of high-frequency microwave transmission in India.
• A single-judge bench of High Court disposed of the petition after the Centre’s counsel agreed to examine the case. It directed the Centre to do so within three months.

What is Havana Syndrome?

• Havana Syndrome refers to a set of mental health symptoms that are said to be experienced by United States intelligence and embassy officials in various countries.
• It does not mean a unique medical condition, but rather a set of symptoms that are usually experienced together whose origins may be difficult to confirm.
• It typically involves symptoms such as hearing certain sounds without any outside noise, nausea, vertigo and headaches, memory loss and balance issues.

Background:

• It traces its roots to Cuba in late 2016. This was about a year after the US opened its embassy in the capital city of Havana after ties between the two countries were normalised in 2015.
• Some US intelligence officials and members of the staff at the embassy began experiencing sudden bursts of pressure in their brains followed by persistent headaches, feelings of disorientation and insomnia.

Where else has Havana syndrome been reported?

• Since the Cuban incident, American intelligence and foreign affairs officials posted in various countries have reported symptoms of the syndrome.
• In early 2018, similar accusations began to be made by US diplomats in China. The first such report was in April 2018 at the Guangzhou consulate.
• An American employee reported that he had been experiencing symptoms since late 2017. Another incident had previously been reported by a USAID employee at the US Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in September 2017.
• According to US media reports, in the past few years, its officials have reported more than 130 such experiences across the world including at Moscow in Russia, Poland, Georgia, Taiwan, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Austria, among others.
• In India, the first such case was reported in the same year, when a US intelligence officer travelling to New Delhi with CIA director William Burns reported symptoms of Havana Syndrome.

What are the causes of Havana Syndrome?

• Initially during the Cuban experience, the suspicion was on Cuban intelligence and it was then speculated to be a “sonic attack”.
• However, further study by scientists in the US and medical examination of the victims began to suggest that they may have been subjected to high-powered microwaves that either damaged or interfered with the nervous system.
• It was said to have built pressure inside the brain that generated the feeling of a sound being heard.
• Greater exposure to high-powered microwaves is said not only to interfere with the body’s sense of balance but also to impact memory and cause permanent brain damage.
• It was suspected that beams of high-powered microwaves were sent through a special gadget that Americans then called a “microwave weapon”.
• The use of microwaves as a counter-intelligence tactic has been experimented with since the Cold War and both Russia and the US have made attempts to weaponise it.
• There have been reports of US embassy officials in Moscow experiencing mental health issues due to the suspected use of microwaves in the 1970s.

Havana Syndrome in India:

• As of July 2023, the 2021 incident was the only reported occurrence of the syndrome in India. Sources in the Indian security establishment said in 2021 that they were not aware of any weapon with such capacities being in the possession of an Indian agency.

Microwave radiation:

• Microwaves are a form of “electromagnetic” radiation, that is, they are waves of electrical and magnetic energy moving together through space.
• Electromagnetic radiation spans a broad spectrum from very long radio waves to very short gamma rays.
• The human eye can only detect a small portion of this spectrum called visible light. A radio detects a different portion of the spectrum, and an X-ray machine uses yet another portion.
• Visible light, microwaves, and radio frequency (RF) radiation are forms of non-ionizing radiation.  Non-ionizing radiation does not have enough energy to knock electrons out of atoms. X-rays are a form of ionizing radiation. Exposure to ionizing radiation can alter atoms and molecules and cause damage to cells in organic matter.
• Microwaves are used to detect speeding cars and to send telephone and television communications.
• Industry uses microwaves to dry and cure plywood, to cure rubber and resins, to raise bread and doughnuts, and to cook potato chips. But the most common consumer use of microwave energy is in microwave ovens.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/havana-syndrome-meaning-explained-8880773/

4. TIDAL POWER DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT

THE CONTEXT: The Standing Committee on Energy submitted its report on the subject “Tidal Power Development in India”.

EXPLANATION:

• The report was tabled in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha
• It urged the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to provide updates on initiatives related to assessing the country’s tidal energy potential.
• KEY OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE
• ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL OF TIDAL ENERGY
• The Committee noted that there are three main types of ocean energy: (i) wave, (ii) tidal, and (iii) ocean thermal.
• The theoretical potential of tidal and wave energy is 12.5 gigawatts and 41.3 gigawatts, respectively.
• The potential for ocean-thermal has not been estimated till date.
• The committee noted that the above potential does not necessarily constitute practically exploitable potential.
• Hence, the Committee recommended that the central government should reassess the exploitable potential tidal, wave, and ocean energy.
• COST OF TIDAL POWER PLANT
• The Committee noted that two tidal power plants were shut down in the past because of high cost. These are:

(i) 3.75 megawatt (MW) plant in West Bengal.

(ii) 50 MW plant in Gujarat.

• It recommended that the central government should reassess the current cost of tidal power to determine its economic viability and benefits in long term.
• SETTING UP A PILOT TIDAL POWER PROJECT
• The Committee noted the submission by the MNRE that all renewable sources of energy will be eligible for the 2030 target.
• The Committee recommended that the central government should set up a pilot tidal power project.
• The project should be set up at a cost-effective location such as the Gulf of Kutch.
• ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF TIDAL POWER PLANT
• The Committee observed that there is no study on the assessment of the environmental and ecological impact of a tidal power plant.
• The power plants may environmentally impact a large area upstream and downstream.
• It recommended that the central government should assess the environmental impact and ecological sustainability of a tidal power plant.
• RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
• The Committee noted that no funds have been spent by the central government on the development of tidal power.
• It observed that the fund allocated to the MNRE, or research and development have been reduced significantly at the revised stage in the last few years.
• It recommended that the central government should not reduce the funds for research.

MNRE RESPONSE TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS

• A call for proposals has been issued under the Renewable Energy Research and Technology Development Programme (RE-RTD) which will include tidal power.
• The research and development and pilot projects proposals received in tidal power will be examined.
• However, the committee pointed out that merely issuing a call for proposals is not enough.
• The ministry should actively engage in preparing the groundwork for a demonstration/pilot tidal power project so that the feasibility of commercial generation of tidal power can be explored.

TIDAL POWER IN INDIA

• The ocean tides and currents are natural phenomena that can be harnessed to produce electricity is called tidal power.
• It is a renewable energy source that does not emit greenhouse gases or depend on weather conditions.
• Tidal power works by capturing the energy of the changing water levels and flows caused by the moon and the sun’s gravitational pull.

SOURCE: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/renewable-energy/standing-committee-asks-mnre-to-apprise-it-of-efforts-to-assess-tidal-energy-potential-91055

5. SMALL MODULAR REACTORS (SMRS)

TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

THE CONTEXT: Harnessing of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) will be helpful in realising India’s Sustainable Development Goals and Net-Zero Energy Future.

EXPLANATION:

• N. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 is to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
• World still depends on fossil fuels for 82% of its energy supply, So, decarbonising the power sector is critical.
• Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) emerge as a promising solution for India, offering a pathway to enhance energy efficiency, and expedite the transition to a net-zero carbon economy.

INDIA’S NET ZERO TARGET

• To avert the worst impacts of climate change global temperature increase needs to be limited to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
• Currently, the Earth is already about 1.1°C warmer than it was in the late 1800s, and emissions continue to rise.
• To keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C as called for in the Paris Agreement – emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.
• At COP-26, India announced an ambitious target for achieving net zero GHG-emission by 2070 in 2021.
• What is net zero?
• Net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) that is produced and the amount that is removed from the atmosphere.
• It can be achieved through a combination of emission reduction and emission removal.

INDIA’S OTHER TARGETS REGARDING CLEAN AND EFFICIENT ENERGY

• Under Paris Agreement, India has updated its Nationally Determined Contribution, increasing its goal to reduce emissions intensity to 45% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, and committing to achieving 50% cumulative installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.
• India has announced the target of 50% installed power generation capacity from non-fossil energy sources by 2030, raising the existing target of 40%, which has already been almost achieved.
• Under Sustainable Developmental Goal 7, India aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services by 2030.

HOW SMRs ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES RELATED TO ENERGY?

• SMRs offer many advantages owing to their small size, flexibility, and complementarity to renewables.
• SMRs and other advanced reactor technologies, including Generation IV designs, will help India achieve net zero by 2050.
• Addressing the challenge of nuclear power:
• Conventional Nuclear power plants (NPPs) have generally suffered from time and cost overruns.
• As an alternative, several countries are developing SMRs nuclear reactors with a maximum capacity of 300 MW to complement conventional NPPs.
• SMRs can be installed in decommissioned thermal power plant sites by repurposing existing infrastructure, thus sparing the host country from having to acquire more land and/or displace people beyond the existing site boundary.
• Addressing the Challenges of Decarbonization:
• According to the International Energy Agency, the demand for critical minerals like lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements, required for clean-energy production technologies, is likely to increase by up to 3.5 times by 2030.
• This jump poses several global challenges, including large capital investments to develop new mines and processing facilities.
• SMRs can be scaled to meet the grid size and have benefits in terms of safety, affordability, and capacity to partner with other clean power sources.

ADVANTAGES OF SMRs

• SMR enhance seismic isolation for more safety.
• Their designs are also simpler than those of conventional NPPs and include several passive safety features, resulting in a lower potential for the uncontrolled release of radioactive materials into the environment.

• SMRs are designed with a smaller core damage compared to conventional NPPs.

• The amount of spent nuclear fuel stored in an SMR project will also be lower than that in a conventional NPP.

• SMRs can reduce costs by simplifying plant design to facilitate more efficient regulatory approvals.
• SMRs are designed to operate for more than 40 years, the levelized cost of electricity is very low.
• SMRs possess transformative capabilities that can reshape India’s energy landscape.

SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/small-modular-reactors-india-nuclear-power-net-zero/article67175626.ece