Daily Current Affairs UPSC 12 June 2024

Snow Leopard (Panthera Uncia)

Snow Leopards' Diet and Habitat

• Research has shown that snow leopards, despite being carnivorous, also consume plants.
• Habitat: Snow leopards inhabit the mountains of Central and South Asia, with 12 range countries including India.
• Population: There are approximately 718 snow leopards in India.
• Prey: Their distribution closely aligns with their main prey, ibex and blue sheep.
• State Animal: Snow leopards are the state animal of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.
• Characteristics: They have short forelimbs and long hind limbs for navigating rugged mountain environments.
• Conservation Status: Snow leopards are classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN and are listed in Appendix I of CITES and Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Notified Disasters

• Heatwave events have sparked discussions on including heatwaves as notified disasters under the Disaster Management Act of 2005.
• Notified disasters allow for allocation and utilization of resources from the National Disaster Response Fund and State Disaster Response Fund.
• Funds can only be used for response and management of notified disasters.
• Currently, there are 12 notified disasters including cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloud burst, pest attack, frost, and cold wave.
• In 2020, Covid-19 was treated as a notified disaster as a special one-time dispensation.

Quality Council of India (QCI)

• QCI celebrates World Accreditation Day to promote the value of accreditation.
• QCI is a non-profit organization registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.
• QCI was established as a National body for Accreditation in 1996.
• QCI operates through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model as an independent autonomous organization.
• The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion is designated as the nodal point for all matters connected with quality and QCI.

JIMEX

• JIMEX 2024 began at Yokosuka in Japan.
• This is the eighth edition of the bilateral Japan-India Maritime Exercise.
• The exercise has been held annually since 2012.
• JIMEX aims to enhance cooperation and interoperability between the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Indian Navy.
• The exercise includes various maritime drills and activities to strengthen maritime security in the region.

Multi-Drug Resistant Pathogens

Researchers from IIT Madras and NASA are studying multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogens on the International Space Station (ISS).

• Focus on Enterobacter bugandensis, a prevalent nosocomial pathogen found on surfaces within the ISS.
• Enterobacter species are on the WHO priority list for developing new antimicrobials.

Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) Pathogens

• Pathogens that have become resistant to antimicrobial drugs like antibiotics and antifungals.
• Resistance can occur naturally through genetic changes or be accelerated by the misuse or overuse of antimicrobials.

Prevention of Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS)

BRICS Ministers for Foreign Affairs call for discussion on PAROS Treaty

• BRICS Ministers for Foreign Affairs recently issued a joint statement emphasizing the importance of discussing a legal multilateral instrument on Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS).

About the PAROS Treaty

• In 2008, a draft treaty was submitted to the Conference on Disarmament with the aim of refraining State Parties from placing objects carrying any type of weapon into orbit, installing weapons on celestial bodies, and threatening to use force against objects in outer space.
• The PAROS Treaty would complement and reaffirm the importance of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

MRO Overview

• Launched in 2005.
• Second longest-lived spacecraft orbiting Mars.
• Objective is to study water distribution and history on Mars.
• Provides crucial telecommunications service for Martian spacecraft.

High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE)

• Camera onboard MRO.
• Captured images of mysterious pit on ancient volcano on Mars.
• Helps in detailed imaging and analysis of Martian surface features.

Significance of the Discovery

• Provides insights into geological features on Mars.
• Contributes to understanding of Mars' volcanic history.
• Adds to knowledge of potential water sources on the planet.

Vidyut Rakshak

• Introduction to Vidyut Rakshak Monitoring System.
• Vidyut Rakshak is an IoT-enabled generator monitoring system.
• IoT technology allows devices to connect and exchange data.
• Developed by the Army Design Bureau.
• System can control multiple generators remotely.

Malawi (Capital: Lilongwe)

Malawi Vice President dies in plane crash in Chikangawa mountain range.

1. Political Features

• Located in southeastern Africa.
• Borders Mozambique, Zambia, and Tanzania.

2. Geographical Features

• Divided into 4 regions: Great African Rift Valley, central plateaus, highlands, and isolated mountains.
• Major lakes include Lake Malawi and Lake Chilwa.
• Major rivers include Rukuru, Dwangwa, Lilongwe, and Bua.
• Major mountain ranges include Mt. Mulanje, Mt. Nakodzwe, Mt. Dzole, and Mt. Namasile.
• Highest peak is Sapitwa peak in Mt. Mulanje.

"Village Government in India: A Review"

Analysis of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment in India's Democratic Trajectory.

• The World Bank Group released a Policy Research Working Paper examining the impact of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment on India's democratic development.
• The Constitution (Seventy-third Amendment) Act, 1992 established key features of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) to provide stability and strength.

Key Findings of the Paper

• Lack of Funds: PRIs heavily rely on grants from state and national authorities.
• Lack of Functionaries: There is a shortage of Panchayat Secretaries, with some states having as few as 0.33 per Gram Panchayat.
• Recentralisation Process: Local government autonomy is diminishing due to centralized beneficiary selection processes.
• Effects of reservation: Reservations for women and marginalized castes have altered the demographics of candidate-producing households.

Key Recommendations

• Build local tax capacity: Improve property records and grant Panchayats more authority to levy taxes.
• Strengthen Gram Sabhas: Enhance their powers and frequency to include village planning and beneficiary selection for public programs.
• SHG-Panchayat linkages: Foster better coordination between Self-Help Groups and Panchayats to prioritize women's needs and improve decision-making.

73rd Constitutional Amendment added

• 73rd Constitutional Amendment added Part IX to the Constitution covering provisions from Article 243 to 243-O.
• Gram Sabha: Permanent unit consisting of all persons registered in the electoral rolls relating to a village.
• 3-tiers of PRIs: Village level, intermediate level, and district level (states with population below 20 Lakh may not have intermediate level).
• Reservation: Seats reserved for SCs and STs at every level of Panchayat in proportion to their population, 1/3rd reservation for women.

Enhancing NDCs for Forests

Key Findings:

• Top 20 countries emitted an average of 5.6 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent from tropical deforestation annually between 2019 and 2023.
• Only 8 countries have specific targets to reduce deforestation, all falling short of the global goal to halt deforestation by 2030.
• Only 38% of UNFCCC Parties have measures to reduce forest conversion.

Drivers of Deforestation:

• Agriculture is a major cause, with examples like Indonesia's deforestation linked to oil palm prices.
• Ineffective land-use policies contribute, such as Brazil's high deforestation rates due to weakened environmental policies.

Key Recommendations:

• NDC targets should consider the needs of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
• Focus on preserving primary forests rather than replacing them with planted forests.
• Strengthen and align forest-based measures in NDCs with clear national policies.

International Agreements to prevent deforestation

• REDD+ mechanism: Initiative to decrease emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, established at UNFCCC COP13.
• New York Declaration on Forests: Objective to reduce deforestation by 50% by 2020.
• Glasgow Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use: Goal to stop and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030.
• Bonn Challenge: Global target to restore 150 million hectares of deforested and degraded land by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030.

Impact of Urbanization on Regional Climate Change in Indian Cities

Cities in India are vulnerable to the combined impacts of climate change and urbanization.

• Urbanization has led to a 60% increase in warming in Indian cities, with eastern Tier-II cities being the most affected.
• Urban Heat Island effect is making cities warmer than rural areas.
• Cities are experiencing double the warming compared to the rest of India.

Factors driving warming in Indian cities

• Reduction in vegetation and green spaces.
• Concrete and asphalt store heat and prevent evaporative cooling.
• Increased human activities, vehicular emissions, and industrial output contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Recommendations for the future

• Urbanization should be carefully planned using scientific information.
• City-level climate action plans are needed for sustainable development.
• Policies targeting climate resilience should be implemented strategically.

Steps taken by India for sustainable urban development:

• National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (NMSH) 2021-2030: Aim to promote low-carbon urban growth and build resilience of cities.
• 'Ease of Living Index' (launched in 2018): Designed to improve urban systems and enhance the livability of cities.
• Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework (CSCAF) 2.0: Aims to facilitate cities in adopting, implementing, and disseminating best practices for sustainable development.

"2025: The Year of Quantum Science and Technology"

• Significance of Year 2025: Chosen to mark 100 years since the development of quantum mechanics.
• Quantum Science and Technology: Study and application of quantum mechanics principles at atomic and subatomic scales.

Foundational Concepts of Quantum Mechanics

• Wave-particle duality.
• Quantum superposition.
• Entanglement.
• Uncertainty Principle.

Applications of Quantum Science and Technology

• Industry and infrastructure.
• Health and well-being.
• Climate action.
• Study on urbanization and regional climate change.
• United Nations Proclamation.
• 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.

India's Initiatives in Quantum Technology

• National Quantum Mission (2023).
• Quantum Enabled Science & Technology (QuEST).
• Quantum Computing Applications Lab (QCAL).

"Centre disburses Rs 1.39 trillion to states"

• The total sum includes the usual monthly allocation to states, as well as an extra payment to speed up development and capital expenditure.
• The Interim Budget 2024-25 sets aside Rs. 12,19,783 crore for tax devolution to states.

Devolution of Taxes to States

• Article 270 of the Constitution governs the distribution of net tax proceeds between the Union government and states.
• Devolution is based on Finance Commission recommendations every five years
• Divisible pool excludes cess and surcharge levied by the Centre.

Basis of Devolution

Vertical Devolution 

• States' share from divisible pool currently at 41% based on 15th FC recommendations.

Horizontal Devolution

• Distribution among states based on criteria like Income Distance, Area, Population, Demographic performance, Forest and Ecology, and Tax and fiscal efforts.
• 5th FC assigns weights to each criteria for fair distribution.

Grants to States

• Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant: This grant is given to states based on the recommendations of the Finance Commission and is provided under Article 275 of the Constitution.
• Sector-Specific Grants: The 15th Finance Commission has recommended grants for 8 sectors such as health, education, and agricultural reforms to be given to states.
• State-Specific Grants: These grants are recommended by the 15th Finance Commission for areas like social needs, administrative governance, infrastructure, water and sanitation, preservation of culture and historical monuments, high-cost physical infrastructure, and tourism.

"Karnataka's Film Ban Sparks Artistic Expression Debate"

Karnataka government bans release of Hindi film for 2 weeks

• To prevent potential religious discord and preserve communal harmony.

Freedom of Artistic Expression in India

• Supreme Court upholds rights of movies under Article 19(1)(a).
• Enshrined in Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Films stand on different plane from other forms of expression

• Combination of act and speech in semi darkness of theatre can strongly impact viewers.
• Censorship by prior constraint deemed necessary for films.