Daily Current Affairs UPSC 16 May 2024

Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe)

IN-SPACe receives Leadership Award from Geospatial World Forum

• GWF is a global platform for the geospatial community.

IN-SPACe Overview

• Headquarters in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• Established in 2020 as part of space sector reform.
• Nodal department is an autonomous agency in the Department of Space.

Aim of IN-SPACe

• Facilitate private sector participation in India's space sector.

Key Roles of IN-SPACe

• Enable and support non-government entities in space ventures.
• Supervise activities of private players in space sector.
• Authorize space operations and services in India through defined framework.

Kanwar Lake

Kanwar Lake Overview

• Located in Begusarai district, Bihar.
• Freshwater natural wetland.
• Draws water from Gandak, Bia, and Kareh rivers.

Importance of Kanwar Lake

• Bihar's first Ramsar site.
• Important stopover for migratory species.
• Home to species like red-headed vulture, white-rumped vulture, and Indian vulture.
• Acts as a sink for sediments and supports various life cycles.

Threats to Kanwar Lake

• Water management activities like drainage, water abstraction, damming, and canalization.

Deteriorating Condition of Kanwar Lake

• Due to threats like water management activities.
• Impacting the ecosystem and livelihood opportunities in the area.

BHISHM Portable Cubes

• Indian Air Force tested BHISHM portable cubes for airdrops in Agra.
• BHISHM Portable Cubes are part of Project BHISHM.
• Designed to treat up to 200 casualties.
• Consists of 72 small cubes with advanced medical equipment.
• Cubes are RFID-tagged for easy tracking.
• Integrates AI and data analytics for coordination and monitoring.
• Robust, waterproof, and light for diverse emergency scenarios.

Soil Nailing

• Soil Nailing in Tamil Nadu for Slope Stabilization.
• Explanation of Soil Nailing Technique.

Soil Nailing:

• Geotechnical engineering technique.
• Involves inserting reinforcing elements into soil to strengthen it.
• Followed by hydroseeding to promote grass and plant growth.
• Helps prevent erosion and stabilize slopes around major roads in Nilgiris.

Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ)

Supreme Court Halts Mining Activities Near Sariska Tiger Reserve

• SC has stopped all mining activities within a 1-Km radius of the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan.
• This is in accordance with the 2023 order of the Supreme Court on Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ).

2023 Order on ESZ by SC

• SC revised its 2022 directive on ESZs, stating that they cannot be the same for all protected forests and may vary case by case.
• However, SC has prohibited any mining activities within a 1-Km radius of protected areas.

Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ)

• ESZs are ecologically fragile areas around protected areas designated under the Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986.
• They are created to minimize the negative impact of development activities on the fragile ecosystem of protected areas.

Global Report on Internal Displacement 2024

IDMC Report on Internally Displaced People (IDPs)

• Released by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.
• IDPs are people forced to flee their homes within their own country.

Key Findings:

• 75.9 million people were IDPs globally as of the end of 2023 (compared to 71.1 million in 2022).
• 68.3 million people were displaced due to conflict and violence.
• Countries like Sudan, Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Colombia, and Yemen host nearly half of conflict-related IDPs.
• In South Asia, Manipur has a significant number of IDPs.
• Most disasters leading to internal displacement occurred in China and Türkiye due to severe weather and high-magnitude earthquakes.

Lead Detection Sensor Development

• Scientists have created an inexpensive sensor to detect lead levels in water.
• Lead is a naturally occurring toxic metal found in the Earth's crust.
• Lead is stored in the brain, liver, kidney, and bones, accumulating over time.
• Lead does not conduct heat well and does not react with water.
• Sources of lead exposure include mining, smelting, recycling electronic waste, lead-acid batteries, plumbing, toys, and lead paint.
• Lead exposure can cause damage to the brain and nervous system, anemia, hypertension, and toxicity to reproductive organs.

Sangam: Digital Twin  Initiative

Stage-I Participants for Sangam Initiative

• Ministry of Communications has announced the Stage-I Participants for the Sangam Initiative.
• Sangam Initiative is a Digital Twin Initiative focused on transforming infrastructure planning and design.
• It leverages digital twin technology to create precise and dynamic models of physical environments.
• The initiative combines 5G, IoT, AI, Digital Twin, and next-generation computational technologies.
• The Sangam Initiative aims to revolutionize infrastructure planning and design.
• Digital twin technology creates virtual representations of physical objects or systems.
• It enhances the efficiency and accuracy of infrastructure projects.
• The initiative combines various advanced technologies to create dynamic models of physical environments.

Slovakia (Capital: Bratislava)

• Slovakia Prime Minister was attacked and shot multiple times in Handlova town after a cabinet meeting.
• Political Features:

1. 1. Slovakia is a landlocked country in central Europe.
   2. It borders Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest.

• Geographical Features:

1. 1. Slovakia is home to the Carpathian Mountains, including the Tatra Mountains.
   2. The highest point in Slovakia is Gerlachovský Peak.
   3. Major rivers in Slovakia include the Danube, Váh, and Hron.

"UNEP's Healthcare Project: Phasing Out Mercury Measuring Devices"

$134-million initiative led by UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

• Aim: Phase out mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers at a rate of 20% annually, reduce mercury spillages, encourage adoption of mercury-free alternatives, and improve management of mercury-containing medical waste.
• Member countries: Albania, Burkina Faso, India, Montenegro, and Uganda.
• Funding: Global Environment Facility.
• Execution: World Health Organisation.

Mercury

• Naturally occurring element found in air, water, and soil.
• Only metal found in liquid state at room temperature.
• Persistent, bio-accumulative, toxic pollutant.
• Humans exposed to low levels of mercury.
• Sources: Gold mining, coal-based thermal power plants, volcanic emissions, etc.
• Effects: Toxic effects on nervous, digestive, and immune systems, lungs, kidneys, skin, and eyes.
• Minamata disease caused by methyl-mercury, a heavy metal with industrial uses.
• Accumulates in water laid sediments, converts to toxic methyl-mercury, enters food chain.

Minamata Convention on Mercury

• Adopted in 2013 in Kumamoto, Japan.
• Came into force in 2017.
• First global legally binding treaty to protect human health and environment from mercury's adverse effects.

Purpose of the Convention

• Ban on new mercury mines.
• Phase-out of existing mercury mines.
• Phase-out and phase-down of mercury use in products and processes.

Named after Minamata city in Japan

• Epicenter of Minamata disease caused by severe mercury poisoning.

India ratified the Convention in 2018.

"Stakeholders Request Extension for Feedback on DCB 2024"

• DCB aims to regulate Systemically Significant Digital Enterprise (SSDE) and their Associate Digital Enterprises (ADEs) to prevent Anti-Competitive Practices (ACPs) by them.
• DCB is inspired by the Digital Markets Act (DMA) of the European Union, which targets tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Amazon.

Key provisions:

• Ex-Ante Regulation allows the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to intervene to prevent potential ACPs.
• Core Digital Services (CDS) are services susceptible to market concentration and are listed in Schedule I.
• SSDE criteria are defined, and CCI can designate an enterprise as an SSDE based on its market presence in CDS.
• Obligations of SSDEs include reporting ADEs involved in CDS provision, avoiding preference for their products/services, and not using non-public data of business users.
• SSDEs are also prohibited from hindering end users' ability to use third-party applications.
• The Act covers enterprises outside India, allowing CCI to investigate non-compliance with the Act or related regulations.

Need for DCB

• Inadequacy of current framework: The current ex-post framework under the Competition Act, 2002, does not allow for timely redressal of anti-competitive behavior by digital enterprises.
• Ineffectiveness in market dominance: The current framework may not be able to effectively address the irreversible tipping of markets in favor of large digital enterprises.
• Big tech giants' practices: Big tech companies often engage in practices such as collecting user data and self-preferencing, which can harm competition in the digital ecosystem.
• Need for DCB: Implementing a Digital Competition Bill is necessary to support the orderly expansion of the digital ecosystem and address the challenges posed by big tech companies.

Importance of IORA in the Indian Ocean amid global power competition

Significance of IORA in the Indian Ocean Region.

• Increased presence of global powers like US and Russia in the IOR.
• Reasons for enhanced presence of global powers in IOR.

1. 1. Maritime choke points crucial for trade and security.
   2. Geostrategic competition in the Indo-Pacific.
   3. Pursuance of Blue Economy for economic development.

• Challenges in the IOR.

1. 1. Naval aggressions from China.
   2. Dependence of small countries on external powers for security.
   3. Re-emergence of security issues like piracy and maritime terrorism.

• Role of IORA.

1. 1. Only multilateral grouping spanning the entire Indian Ocean.
   2. Space for inclusive diplomacy and negotiations.
   3. Potential counter to China-led initiatives in the IOR.

Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)

• Secretariat: Located in Mauritius.
• Establishment: Founded in 1997 as an inter-governmental organization with the vision of Nelson Mandela.
• Objective: Focuses on enhancing regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean Rim.
• Membership: Consists of 23 member countries within the Indian Ocean Rim, including India.
• Apex Body: Council of Foreign Ministers (COM) convenes annually.
• Priority Areas: 
       1. Maritime Safety & Security.
       2. Trade & Investment Facilitation.
       3. Fisheries Management.
       4. Disaster Risk Management.
       5. Tourism & Cultural Exchanges.
       6. Academic, Science & Technology.
• 'IORA's Outlook on the Indo-Pacific': A consensus document adopted in 2022, proposed by India, focusing on the region's strategic importance.

WHO Prequalifies New Dengue Vaccine

TAK-003 Dengue Vaccine Prequalification by WHO

• TAK-003 is a live-attenuated vaccine developed by Takeda containing weakened versions of the four serotypes of the dengue virus.
• It is the second dengue vaccine to receive WHO prequalification, following the CYD-TDV vaccine.
• WHO recommends the use of TAK-003 in children aged 6–16 years in areas with high dengue burden and transmission intensity.
• Established in 1987 to ensure the quality of vaccines distributed by UN purchasing agencies.
• Vaccines must show positive outcomes after evaluation of data, sample testing, and WHO inspection of manufacturing sites to be included in the list.
• Inclusion in the list does not mean approval by WHO, as National Regulatory Authorities have the final say.
• Prequalification allows for procurement by UN agencies like UNICEF and PAHO, expanding global access to vaccines.
• Other vector-borne diseases with vaccines on the list include malaria, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, and more.

About Dengue

Symptoms of Dengue

• High fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain.
• Symptoms may lead to death if not treated promptly.

Pathogen of Dengue

• Dengue virus is named DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4.

Vector of Dengue

• Infected female mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes aegypti.
• Transmission by Aedes albopictus (tiger mosquito) has been seen in Europe.

Transmission of Dengue

• Can be transmitted from a pregnant mother to her baby.
• Can also be transmitted via blood products, organ donation, and transfusions.

Affected regions of Dengue

• Found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide.
• Mostly in urban and semi-urban areas, with high prevalence in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

"SC: Probe Agencies Must Provide Written Grounds for UAPA Arrests"

SC ruling on Prabir Purkayastha's arrest in UAPA case

• SC declared Prabir Purkayastha's arrest invalid due to failure to inform grounds of arrest.
• Mandate from Pankaj Bansal v Union of India & Ors. judgment applies to UAPA cases.
• Earlier ruling applied to persons accused under PMLA, 2002.
• Communication of grounds of arrest or detention is sacrosanct under Articles 22(1) and 22(5) of Indian Constitution.
• Article 22(1) states no person arrested shall be detained without being informed of grounds.
• Article 22(5) allows detained persons to be communicated grounds and make representation against detention.

Purpose of UAPA, 1967

• Aim to prevent unlawful activities by individuals and associations.
• Address terrorist activities effectively.

Section 43B (1) of UAPA

• Requires officers to inform the accused of the grounds for arrest.
• Ensures transparency and accountability in the arrest process.

MHA warns of increasing digital arrest scams

• I4C and Microsoft collaboration blocked over 1,000 Skype accounts linked to cybercriminals posing as law enforcement officials.
• Digital Arrest is a new form of cybercrime where fraudsters impersonate officials to deceive targets into believing their personal information is involved in criminal activities.
• Cybercrime refers to illegal activities involving computers or networks, such as stealing data or hacking government systems.
• 65,893 cybercrime cases were reported in India, showing a 24.4% increase from the previous year.
• Challenges in tackling cybercrimes include lack of cybersecurity infrastructure, shortage of professionals, evolving threat landscape, and increase in connected devices and internet usage.
• TRAI reports over 880 million internet users in India as of March 2023.

Government Initiatives to Address Cyber Threats in India

Indian Cyber Coordination Centre (I4C)

• Coordinates efforts to combat cybercrime in the country.
• Facilitates blocking of SIM cards, mobile devices, and mule accounts used by fraudsters.

Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In)

• National nodal agency for responding to computer security incidents.

National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal

• Launched to allow the public to report cybercrimes.

Toll-free number 1930

• Operationalized to assist with online cyber complaints.