Daily Current Affairs UPSC 26 October 2024

Asiatic Golden Cat

Recently spotted at Assam's Manas National Park.

About the Asiatic Golden Cat:

• Habitat and Range:
  • Found in various forest types.
  • Native to northeastern Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and China.
• Characteristics:
  
  • Common coat colors are golden or red-brown.
  • Medium size with long legs.
  • Mainly nocturnal but may also be diurnal.
  •  
• Protection Status:
  
  • IUCN status: Near Threatened.
  • Protected under India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

21st Livestock Census

• Launched by Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
• Aims to gather updated data on livestock population for various purposes.

About 21st Livestock Census:

• Scheduled to be conducted from October 2024 to February 2025.

Key features:

• Fully digitized like the previous census.
• Will capture data on 16 species of livestock and 219 indigenous breeds.
• Includes data on pastoralists for the first time.
• Focus on gender roles in livestock rearing.

Historical Context:

• Livestock census has been conducted every five years since 1919.
• The last census was conducted in 2019.

SPICE (Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective) 2000 Bomb

• Israel used a SPICE 2000 bomb to destroy a building in Lebanon.

About SPICE 2000 Bomb:

• The SPICE 2000 bomb is a guidance kit that can be attached to 2,000-pound bombs for precision strikes.
• It is manufactured by Israel's government-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Key Features of SPICE 2000 Bomb:

• Autonomous operation for efficient targeting.
• Tactical flexibility in trajectory for different mission requirements.
• Low collateral damage to minimize unintended destruction.
• Simple mission planning for ease of use.
• Pinpoint accuracy for effective target destruction.

Flue Gas Desulfurization

• NITI Aayog questions the necessity of FGD installations in India's thermal power plants.

About Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD):

• FGD is a scrubbing technique that uses an alkaline reagent to remove SO2 from flue gas.
• Flue gas contains particulate matter, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide.
• Different types of FGD include dry sorbent injection, wet limestone based, and sea water based.
• Ministry of Environment mandates FGD installation in thermal power plants to meet sulfur dioxide emission standards.

Exploitation of Green Certification Systems

• Greenwashing, free riding, and outdated certification systems raise questions about sustainable certifications systems.
• Greenwashing: Making false claims about eco-friendly credentials without meeting standards.
• Free Riding: Businesses benefit from certifications without implementing sustainable practices.
• Solution: Disruptive green technologies like Biophilic Designs can prevent these practices.
• Biophilic Design: Connects people with nature, supports green building practices, reduces ecological footprint.
• Example: Green Roofs mimic natural processes and utilize natural materials to reduce environmental impact.

Nature Conservation Index (NCI), 2024

• Recently released index evaluating conservation efforts.

About NCI:

• India's Rank: 176 out of 180 countries.
• Developed by Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change at Ben-Gurion University of Negev and BioDB.com.
• Evaluates conservation efforts using four markers: Land management, Threats to biodiversity, Capacity and governance, and Future trends.
• Data-driven analysis of each country's progress in balancing conservation and development.

Doctrine of Coverture

• Supreme Court to hear petitions challenging Marital Rape Exception.
  
  • SC to review MRE under Section 375 and Section 63 of the Indian Penal Code and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

Doctrine of Coverture explained:

• Legal doctrine under English common law.
• Treats a married woman as a single entity with her husband.
• Suspends woman's legal existence after marriage.
• Limits woman's ability to hold property, enter into contracts, etc.

Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA)

• Prototype called the Engineering Development Unit Telescope.
• Built as part of LISA mission.

About LISA:

• Mission led by ESA in partnership with NASA.
• First space-based observatory for studying gravitational waves.
• Gravitational Waves are ripples in space-time from powerful events.
• Launch: Scheduled for mid-2030s.
• Consists of three identical spacecraft trailing Earth in orbit around the Sun.

Italy (Capital: Rome)

• First India-Italy bilateral cyber dialogue held in India.
  
  • This event marked the first time that India and Italy engaged in a bilateral discussion on cyber issues. 10

Political Features of Italy:

• Location in South-central Europe.
• Land boundaries with France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia in the North.
• Maritime boundaries with Mediterranean Sea, Ionian Sea, Adriatic Sea, and Tyrrhenian Sea.

Geographical Features of Italy:

• Major rivers include Po, Adige, and Tiber.
• Highest point is Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc).
• Climate is predominantly Mediterranean, with mild winters and hot summers.

New ‘Guidelines for Import of Live Seaweeds into India’ Notified

• Notified by Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
• Aims to facilitate import of high-quality seed materials, promote seaweed enterprises, uphold environmental protection, and address biosecurity concerns.

Need of Guidelines:

• Unique characteristics of sea weeds: Submerged in water, exposed to varying environmental conditions.
• Biosecurity risks: Can harbor diseases, pests, and pathogens.
• Biological factors: Differences in reproductive strategies and genetics can lead to persistence in new environments.

Guidelines:

• No import of seaweed live material allowed if known to be a vector of pathogens or listed under CITES or threatened lists.
• Import requires valid permit from Department of Fisheries, Government of India and clearance from National Committee on Introduction of Exotic Aquatic Species into Indian Waters.
• Direct sale of imported seaweed not allowed in domestic or international markets.
• No intellectual property claims by exporter or importer on imported material.

About Seaweeds

• Common name for marine plants and algae.
• Examples: Kappaphycus alvarezii, Gelidiella acerosa, Gracilaria edulis.
• Applications in laboratories, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, paper, paint, and processed foods.
• India's current seaweed production: 34000 tonnes, potential of 9.7 million tonnes per year.
• PMMSY aims to increase seaweed production to over 1.12 million tonnes by 2025.

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) loan limit increased to 20 lakh

• It is in sync with the announcement made by the Finance Minister in the Union Budget 2024-25.
• It aims to achieve the objective of Funding the Unfunded and facilitate upcoming entrepreneurs with a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Key Changes:

• A new ‘Tarun Plus’ category created for loans above Rs. 10 lakh and upto Rs. 20 lakh.
• Eligibility for Tarun Plus loans available to entrepreneurs who have repaid previous loans under Tarun category.
• Guarantee Coverage provided for loans upto Rs. 20 lakh under Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units (CGFMU).
• CGFMU may approve a list of Institutions or their schemes for guarantee cover.
• CGFMU set up in 2016 under National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Ltd., a wholly-owned company of Government of India.

About Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (launched in 2015):

• Objective to facilitate easy collateral-free micro credit of up to ₹10 lakh.
• Eligibility for any Indian citizen with a business plan for non-corporate, non-farm income generating activity.
• MUDRA provides funding to financial institutions like Banks, NBFCs, and MFIs.
• Various loan options available: Shishu, Kishor, Tarun covering different loan amounts.

Seventh India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) Concluded

• Seventh India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) Concluded.
• Co-chaired by the Prime Minister of India and the Federal Chancellor of Germany.
• Motto: "Growing Together with Innovation, Mobility and Sustainability”.

Outcomes of IGC:

• Demand for UN Security Council reform and text-based negotiations.
• Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters.
• Agreement on the Exchange and Mutual Protection of Classified Information.
• Regional Consultations on West Asia and North Africa (WANA).
• Commitment to promoting a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
• Implementation of the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement (MMPA).

India and Germany Relations:

• 'Strategic Partnership' since 2000, further strengthened with IGC in 2011.

Areas of Cooperations:

• Multilateral Cooperation: Support on UNSC reforms within the framework of the G4.
• Economic Relations: Germany was the 12th largest trading partner for India in 2022-23.
• Sustainability: Cooperation through the Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF) in energy security, efficiency, and renewable energy.

Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying launches Pandemic Fund Project

• Focus on "Animal Health Security Strengthening in India for Pandemic Preparedness and Response”.
• Release of documents on Standard Veterinary Treatment Guidelines (SVTG) and Crisis Management Plan (CMP) for animal diseases.

About Pandemic Fund Project:

• $25 Million initiative funded by G20 Pandemic Fund under Indonesia’s G20 Presidency (2022).
• Aim to enhance capacity of low- and middle-income countries to respond to animal health threats and pandemics.
• Implementing Entities: Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Need to focus on animal disease outbreaks:

• Prevent Zoonotic Diseases: Majority of public health emergencies declared by WHO had animal origin.
• Minimize socio-economic impacts: Diseases like SARS and Avian flu have caused significant global economic losses.

Major Interventions under the Project:

• Upgradation and expansion of animal health laboratories and vaccine manufacturing facilities.
• Enhancing early warning and surveillance mechanisms for timely interventions.
• Upgrading Data Management and Analytical systems for better risk assessment.
• Addressing Institutional Capacity Gaps at National and Regional Levels through a disaster management framework for the livestock sector.

India’s initiatives to improve Animal Health:

• National Animal Disease Control Program (NADCP) for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis control.
• Rashtriya Gokul Mission for development and conservation of indigenous bovine breeds to improve productivity.

Meta and ‘IndiaAI’ unveiled the Centre for Generative AI, Shrijan at IIT Jodhpur

• Meta and ‘IndiaAI’ launched the Centre for Generative AI, Shrijan at IIT Jodhpur.
• Meta, MeitY, and AICTE also introduced the “YuvaAI initiative for Skilling and Capacity Building".

About Center for Generative AI, Shrijan:

• Aim: Identify and empower the next generation of AI innovators and entrepreneurs using open-source AI and exploring possibilities in Large Language Models (LLMs).
• Goal: Nurture 1 lakh youth developers and entrepreneurs in AI skills over the next 3 years.

About “YuvaAI initiative for Skilling and Capacity Building":

• Aims to bridge the AI talent gap by empowering 100,000 students and young developers aged 18-30 to use open-source LLMs to address real-world challenges.

What is Generative AI?

• Refers to deep-learning models that can generate high-quality text, images, and other content based on the data they were trained on.
• Builds on technologies like LLMs, which use machine learning to recognize and interpret human languages.

Significance

• Employment: AI employment in India is estimated at about 416,000 professionals.
• Growth: Sector growth rate estimated at 20-25%.
• Investment: Expected to contribute an additional $957 billion to India’s economy by 2035.
• Challenges: Data privacy and security, lack of regulation, inadequate availability of AI experts, etc.

United Kingdom (UK) became first country to stop electricity production from Coal

• UK becomes the first country to cease electricity production from coal.
• Closure of last coal-based power plant ends 142 years of coal-generated electricity.
• Coal formed 40% of UK's electricity needs in 2012.
• World's first coal plant opened in London in 1882.

Reasons for Closing Coal-Based Electricity Production:

• Pollution: Energy sector contributes to three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions.
• Limitation of existing commitments: Difficult to achieve Paris Commitment with current pledges.
• Feasibility of Renewable Technologies: Scalable with growing investments in research and energy storage.

Constraints in Closing Coal-Based Power Plants:

• Reliance on Coal: Low and Middle Income countries like India and China heavily rely on coal.
• Economic Impact: Shifting from coal would cause financial loss in countries with new coal-fired power plants.
• Issues with renewable energy: Intermittency, capital cost, lack of policy clarity.

Status of Coal-Based Electricity Production in India:

• Coal constitutes around 70% of total generation capacity in India.
• India aims to achieve Net Zero by 2070.
• Key Government Initiatives for Renewable Energy Adoption: National Green Hydrogen Mission, PM-KUSUM, PM Surya Ghar, PLI schemes for solar PV modules.