Daily Current Affairs UPSC 21 August 2024

Vaccine-derived Polio Virus

• A case of Vaccine-derived Polio Virus (VDPV) infection has been reported in Meghalaya, despite India being declared polio-free by WHO in 2014.
• VDPV is a mutated strain of poliovirus that originates from the strain found in Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV).
• OPV contains a weakened form of the Polio Virus that triggers an immune response in the body.
• In rare cases, OPV strains can mutate in the gastrointestinal tract and spread in communities with low vaccination rates, particularly in areas with poor hygiene, sanitation, or overcrowding.

Jan Poshan Kendras

• The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has initiated a pilot project to convert 60 Fair Price Shops (FPS) into Jan Poshan Kendras.
• FPSs are authorized shops that distribute essential commodities to ration card holders under the Targeted Public Distribution System.
• Jan Poshan Kendras will offer a variety of nutritious food items to consumers and provide additional income opportunities for FPS dealers.
• These Kendras are required to stock 50% of their products as nutrition-rich items, with the remaining 50% for other household goods.
• The pilot project will be implemented in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.

Super Blue Moon

• The rare event of a super blue moon was recently observed, which typically occurs every 10 years.
• A Super Blue Moon is when a Supermoon and a Blue Moon coincide.
• A Supermoon happens when the Moon is at its closest point to Earth (perigee) while being full.
• There are two types of Blue Moons: monthly blue moons and seasonal blue moons.
• A monthly blue moon occurs when there are two full moons in a single month.
• A seasonal blue moon occurs when there are four full moons in a single season instead of the usual three.

Quantum Nonlocality

• New research is expanding the potential uses of quantum non-local correlations, which are currently utilized in secure communication and creating cryptographic keys.
• Quantum nonlocality refers to the seeming capability of quantum particles to instantly know and correlate with each other's state, even when they are far apart.
• This concept goes against the principle of locality, which states that distant objects cannot affect each other.
• Nonlocality is a result of entanglement, where particles that interact become permanently correlated and dependent on each other's states and properties.

Input Tax Credit (ITC)

• The DGGI has found tax evasion amounting to Rs 1.2 trillion through the misuse of fake Input Tax Credit since 2020.
• Input Tax Credit is an important aspect of GST that helps prevent double taxation.
• Businesses can claim a credit for the GST paid on goods or services bought for business purposes.
• This credit can be used to reduce the GST owed on the sale of goods or services.

Exotic Animal Species

• The deadline to report ownership of exotic animal species under the Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024 is in August 2024.
• Exotic animal species are those that have been relocated from their original habitat to a new location.
• Individuals must report any living specimen of a species listed in Schedule IV of the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972.
• A license is needed to trade in animal articles listed in Schedule IV, and hunting them is not allowed.

Online Portals for Power Sector

• The Union Minister of Power has introduced three new online portals for the Power sector.
• The first portal, DRIPS, will be a central hub for managing inventory of Power System equipment and critical supplies.
• The second portal, Jal Vidyut Detailed Project Report Portal, will monitor survey and investigation activities for Hydro Electric and Pumped Storage Projects.
• The third portal, PROMPT, will allow for real-time tracking and analysis of thermal power projects.

Court of Arbitration for Sport

• Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat's appeal for a silver medal was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) due to her disqualification for being overweight.
• CAS is an independent institution that offers arbitration and mediation services to resolve sports-related disputes.
• Established in 1984, CAS operates under the authority of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS).
• CAS has the exclusive jurisdiction to adjudicate on disputes related to sports.
• CAS handles disputes of both commercial and disciplinary nature in the realm of sports.

Shree Narayan Guru (1845 - 1928)

The 170th Birth Anniversary of the renowned social reformer from Kerala, Shree Narayan Guru, was commemorated.

About Shri Narayan Guru

• Born in Chempazhanthy in an Ezhava family near Thiruvananthapuram.
• Known as a saint, seer, philosopher, poet, and social reformer.

Key Contributions

• Advocated for social equality with the principle of "One caste, One Religion, One God for all human beings".
• Started the Aravipuram Movement in 1888 by installing a Siva idol to resist social injustice and caste restrictions in temples.
• Founded the Shree Narayan Dharma Pratipalana Yogam under his guidance.
• Wrote various literary works like Advaitha Deepika, Atmavilasam, Daiva Dasakam, and Brahmavidya Panchakam.

Values

• Emphasized humanism, rationality, compassion, and egalitarianism in his teachings and actions.

"UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation Terms of Reference"

• The UN's Ad Hoc Committee has endorsed a set of guidelines for a UN Global Tax Convention.
• The goal is to create a UN Global Tax Treaty that promotes a fair, stable, and effective international tax system.
• Developing countries, like India, were mostly in support of the treaty's terms, while countries like Australia, Israel, Japan, UK, and USA opposed it.

Objectives of the UN Global Tax Convention

• Strengthen international tax cooperation and make it inclusive and effective.
• Address challenges related to digitalization and global operations of large Multinational Corporations (MNCs).
• Mobilize domestic resources and use tax policy for sustainable development.
• Accelerate the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.

Commitments of the UN Global Tax Convention

• Ensure fair allocation of taxing rights, including equitable taxation of MNCs.
• Address tax-related illicit financial flows, tax evasion, and tax avoidance by high-net worth individuals.
• Address taxation of income from cross-border services.
• Provide effective mutual administrative assistance in tax matters and resolve tax disputes.

Other Global Initiative: OECD Global Minimum Tax

• The OECD Global Minimum Tax is based on the Global Anti-Base Erosion Model Rules.
• It requires MNCs to pay a minimum tax rate in each jurisdiction where they operate, reducing profit shifting incentives.
• The minimum effective rate imposed is 15% on corporate profits.

"New Guidelines for Foster Care Released by Ministry"

• These guidelines are based on MFCG 2016, JJ Act 2015, JJ Model Rules 2016, Adoption Regulations 2022, and Mission Vatsalya Scheme.
• Foster care involves placing a child in a family environment approved by the Child Welfare Committee.
• Children eligible for foster care include those above 6 years old living in childcare institutions, hard-to-place children, those with special needs, and those with unfit guardians.

Key Provisions in Revised Guidelines

• Children eligible for foster care include those above 6 years old living in childcare institutions or community, children with special needs, and children with unfit guardians.
• Eligibility to foster is open to any person regardless of marital status, and single females can foster and adopt children of any gender while single males can only do so for male children.
• Foster parents must have a stable marital relationship of at least 2 years.
• Foster parents who have been fostering a child for a minimum of 2 years can now adopt the same child, as opposed to the previous requirement of 5 years.

Child Adoption Framework in India

• CARA is the central authority for adoption of Indian children and regulates both in-country and inter-country adoptions.
• CARA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Women & Child Development, established under the JJ Act 2015.
• CARA primarily focuses on the adoption of orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children through associated/recognized adoption agencies.

Enhancing Fungal Infection Treatment with Nanoparticles

• Scientists have utilized polymeric nanoparticles, the most advanced drug delivery method, to effectively release drugs for treating fungal infections.
• The nanoformulation created was discovered to be safe from cytotoxic and hemolytic effects.
• This drug delivery technique could benefit patients with conditions such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, HIV, and cancer.

About Nanotechnolgy

Nanotechnology is a field of science and engineering that focuses on creating and utilizing structures, devices, and systems by manipulating atoms and molecules at a scale of 100 nanometers or smaller.

Applications of Nanotechnology in healthcare 

• Improved imaging and diagnostics: Nanoparticles can enhance medical imaging techniques like MRI and CT scans for clearer visualization of the body.
• Targeted drug delivery: Nanoparticles can deliver medication directly to specific areas of the body, reducing the risk of side effects.
• Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine: Nanostructured materials like hydrogels can create a supportive environment for cell growth and tissue regeneration, mimicking the body's natural extracellular matrix.
• Advancements in gene sequencing technologies: Solid-state nanopore materials can be designed and engineered to enable cost-effective and rapid single-molecule detection for gene sequencing.

Applications of Nanotechnology in Various Fields

• Energy: Nanoparticles can boost efficiency in chemical processes and enhance gas lift valves in offshore operations
• Environmental Remediation: Nanomaterials can improve water purification, reduce energy consumption, and aid in oil cleanup
• Electronics and IT Applications: Nanoscale technology can enhance performance and miniaturization in transistors, logic gates, memory devices, displays, and lighting
• Agriculture and Food system: Nanoparticles can improve crop yields by delivering targeted nutrients, pesticides, or herbicides, and enhance food packaging for better shelf life and safety

"India and Malaysia Strengthen Relationship"

• During the state visit of Malaysia’s Prime Minister to India, an elevation in ties from the Enhanced Strategic Partnership established in 2015 was announced.

Key Outcomes of the Visit

• Malaysia decided to join the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) as a founding member, which aims to conserve big cat populations globally.
• The establishment of the India-Malaysia Startup Alliance for cooperation in developing startup ecosystems was agreed upon.
• The early convening of the Malaysia-India Digital Council to accelerate collaboration in digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies was discussed.
• Both countries agreed to support and expedite the review process of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA).
• Various agreements were signed in the fields of ayurveda, digital technologies, culture, tourism, youth, and sports.

India-Malaysia Relations

• India established diplomatic relations with the Federation of Malaya (predecessor state of Malaysia) in 1957.
• Malaysia hosts approximately 2.7 million Person of Indian Origin (PIO), making it the second largest PIO community after the USA.
• Bilateral trade between India and Malaysia has reached US$19.5 billion.
• Defence cooperation between the two countries includes the India-Malaysia Defence Cooperation Meeting (MIDCOM) and Exercise Harimau Shakti.
• India gives priority to ASEAN centrality, with Malaysia set to hold the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025.

 "Decade of India-Japan Special Partnership"

• In 2014, the relationship between India and Japan was upgraded to a 'Special Strategic and Global Partnership (SGSP)' to align their geoeconomic and geo-strategic interests.
• The recent third 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between India and Japan was held in New Delhi.

About India-Japan SGSP

• SGSP reflects the need for a strategic partnership that goes beyond traditional security concerns between India and Japan.
• Key pillars of SGSP include political, defence, and security partnership, global partnership for peace and security, civil nuclear energy, non-proliferation, and more.

Key outcomes of the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue

• The dialogue committed to enhancing cooperation in defence equipment, critical, and emerging technology domains.
• There is a focus on enhancing partnership in co-production and co-development with a focus on Make-in-India.

Areas of Cooperation between India and Japan

• Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region through strategies like Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific and India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
• Developmental cooperation in initiatives like the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor and the Act East Forum.
• Participation in minilaterals such as the QUAD Security Dialogue and the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative.

About 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue

• The 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue is a mechanism between the Defence and Foreign ministers of India and Japan.
• India also has 2+2 Dialogue Mechanisms with the US, the UK, Australia, and Russia.

"Caution Urged in Inflation Targeting Changes: NCAER"

• The National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) released a Working Paper titled ‘Inflation Targeting in India: A Further Assessment’ which evaluated India’s inflation targeting regime after 8 years.
• The regime aims to maintain price stability while considering economic growth as well.
• Introduced in 2015 through a Monetary Policy Framework Agreement between the Union Government and the RBI, later amended in 2016 to establish a Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
• The target is for the RBI to keep Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation at 4%, with a tolerance band of +/- 2% (2-6%) subject to review every 5 years.
• The MPC consists of 6 members, including 3 ex officio members from the RBI and 3 external members appointed by the Union Government.

Key Findings of the Working Paper

• Broadening the RBI's mandate to include responsibilities like corporate bond market development may divert focus from achieving price stability and impact the accountability of the RBI.
• Shifting focus from Headline inflation to Core inflation is important as neglecting food price inflation for a long period can have adverse effects.

Headline vs. Core Inflation

• Headline Inflation is based on the CPI - Combined and measures total inflation in the economy, including price rises in food, fuel, and other commodities.
• Core Inflation measures price rises in commodities excluding food and fuel items, which are more volatile.