Daily Current Affairs UPSC 19 and 20 May 2024

Materiovigilance Programme of India (MvPI)

• The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) is requesting that adverse events related to medical devices be reported in a timely manner on the MvPI platform.
• MvPI, which was launched in 2015, is overseen by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission since 2018 and serves as the National Coordination Centre for monitoring Medical Device-associated Adverse Events (MDAE).
• MDAE can be reported by various healthcare professionals such as clinical specialists, biomedical engineers, nurses, pharmacists, and patients.
• The benefits of reporting MDAE on the MvPI platform include evaluating the benefit-risk ratio of medical devices and building public confidence in their safety and effectiveness.

Giant Viruses

Discovery of 1.5 Billion-Year-Old "Giant" Viruses in Yellowstone National Park.

• Giant Viruses: These viruses have unusually large genomes compared to typical viruses and are not harmful to humans. They offer important information about the early stages of single-cell organisms on Earth.
• Yellowstone National Park: Established as the oldest and one of the largest national parks in the US, Yellowstone was designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1976 and a World Heritage site in 1978. The park is known for its hot springs, which are the most common hydrothermal features found in Yellowstone.

Pig Butchering Scam

• A new type of financial fraud known as Pig Butchering Scams is on the rise globally, including in India.
• Pig Butchering Scams, also called "sha zhu pan" scams, involve stealing money from victims repeatedly over a long period of time through online apps.
• Criminals use digital relationships to gain victims' trust before persuading them to invest in fraudulent schemes or platforms.
• The term "pig butchering" refers to scammers building trust with victims before ultimately taking advantage of them.

Greater Adjutant Stork

• Purnima Devi Barman was awarded the 2024 Whitley Gold Award, also known as the 'Green Oscar', for her work in conserving the Greater Adjutant Stork.

About the Greater Adjutant Stork

• Distribution: The Greater Adjutant Stork, also known as 'Hargila', is primarily found in Assam (80%) and Bihar in India, as well as in Cambodia.
• Habitat: These storks inhabit wetlands and nest in tall trees with closed canopies, often surrounded by bamboo clumps and other vegetation.
• Threats: The Greater Adjutant Stork faces threats such as hunting, habitat destruction (including the felling of nest trees), and degradation of wetlands.
• Conservation Status: The Greater Adjutant Stork is listed as Nearly Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List.

SPECULOOS-3b

SPECULOOS-3b Discovery by Astronomers

• The SPECULOOS project astronomers have found a new Earth-sized exoplanet called SPECULOOS-3b.
• Exoplanets are planets outside of our solar system that can orbit other stars or be free-floating.

Characteristics of SPECULOOS-3b

• SPECULOOS-3b is an Earth-sized planet that orbits an ultra-cool red dwarf star.
• Red dwarfs are the smallest main sequence stars, much smaller than the Sun in size and mass.
• The exoplanet is located about 55 light-years away from Earth and is tidally locked with its star, meaning one side always faces the star.

Calcium Carbide

FSSAI Warning on Calcium Carbide Use in Fruit Ripening

• FSSAI has issued a warning to fruit traders to ensure they are not using calcium carbide for fruit ripening.
• Calcium carbide is a substance made by heating quick lime with coke and can release harmful gases like arsenic and phosphorus.
• The use of calcium carbide for fruit ripening is banned under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations of 2011.

Safer Alternatives for Fruit Ripening

• Ethylene gas is a safer alternative for fruit ripening and can be used at concentrations up to 100 ppm (100 μl/L) depending on the crop, variety, and maturity.
• Fruit traders are encouraged to use ethylene gas instead of calcium carbide to ripen fruits in a safe and compliant manner.

Bees and their behavior

• World Bee Day, designated by the UN, is celebrated on May 20 to raise awareness about the importance of bees.
• Bees play a crucial role as pollinators, directly contributing to food security and the conservation of biodiversity.
• The honey bee has unique physical characteristics, including 3 pairs of legs, 4 wings, and 5 eyes.
• Honey bees use a waggle dance to communicate the location of food sources to other members of the hive.
• Propolis, a resinous substance produced by honeybees, helps protect hives from cracks, invaders, and bacterial and fungi build up.
• The International Pollinator Initiative (IPI) is an initiative aimed at promoting the importance of pollinators like bees in maintaining ecosystems and food security.

Starlink

• Starlink Satellite Internet Service Launches in Bali, Indonesia
• Starlink is a satellite network created by SpaceX to provide affordable internet access to remote areas.
• SpaceX plans to have a total of 42,000 satellites in the Starlink mega-constellation, with 5,800 currently in orbit.
• Each Starlink satellite has a lifespan of around 5 years and operates in low orbit at an altitude of 550 km to provide faster internet coverage.
• The service does not require cables or fibers and instead uses antennas to receive signals, making it ideal for remote locations.

Fakir Lalon Shah (1774-1890)

Celebrating Fakir Lalon Shah's 250th Birth Anniversary through Indo-Bangla Baul Music Festival.

Fakir Lalon Shah's Background

• Born in Horishpur in Jhenaidah district of modern Bangladesh.
• Contemporary of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda.

Fakir Lalon Shah's Contributions

• Founded the ‘Lalon Akhrah’ with around 10,000 followers from all religions
• Considered as the Father of Baul Music.
• Baul songs listed under UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.
• Influenced personalities like Rabindranath Tagore and Nazrul Islam.

Values of Fakir Lalon Shah

• Devotion, Humanism, Selflessness, Empathy, etc.

 WHO Updates Bacterial Priority Pathogens List for 2024

BPPL and its Significance

• The BPPL, established in 2017, is a global tool used for surveillance and control of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
• The updated BPPL list for 2024 includes 15 families of antibiotic resistant pathogens categorized as critical, high, and medium based on priority for research and public health measures.

AMR and Superbugs

• AMR occurs when microbes evolve to resist existing antimicrobial drugs, making them ineffective.
• Pathogens that are harder to treat due to antimicrobial resistance are known as "superbugs".

Causes of AMR Spread

• Biological factors such as gene transfer and mutation contribute to the spread of AMR.
• Societal factors like inappropriate use of antibiotics and poor infection control also play a role in the spread of AMR.

Challenges in Controlling AMR

• Challenges in controlling AMR include over the counter sales of antibiotics, lack of surveillance and monitoring, and limited research and development efforts.

Initiatives to Control AMR

Global Initiatives:

• One health approach.
• Global Action Plan on AMR.
• World AMR awareness week.

India's Initiatives:

• National Action Plan on AMR.
• AMR Surveillance Network (ICMR).
• Banning of inappropriate fixed dose combination drugs.

Delhi High Court Protects Bollywood Actor's Personality Rights

• The High Court has issued an interim order preventing various entities from using an actor's name, image, voice, and likeness without his consent.

Personality Rights

• Personality rights refer to the right of an individual to protect aspects of their personality such as their name, voice, signature, and images.
• These rights are not explicitly mentioned in Indian law but are considered to fall under the right to privacy and right to property.
• There are two components to personality rights: the right to publicity and the right to privacy.

Posthumous Personality Rights

• Defamation suits can be filed under the Indian Penal Code for derogatory representations of deceased individuals.
• The Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 protects against unauthorized use of certain dignitaries' names and symbols.

Important Judicial Pronouncements

• The ICC Development (International) Ltd. vs. Arvee Enterprises case in 2003 stated that taking away publicity rights from individuals would violate Articles 19 and 21.
• The Arun Jaitley vs Network Solutions Private Limited and Ors case in 2011 emphasized that an individual's fame is the same online as it is in reality.
• The Deepa Jayakumar vs A.L. Vijay case in 2019 clarified that personality, publicity, and privacy rights cannot be inherited by a person's legal heir after their death.

India-UAE Conclude Talks on IMEC

• Development of Major Shipping Hubs in Talks Between India and UAE.
• A high-level Indian delegation recently concluded talks with the UAE, focusing on the development of major shipping hubs.
• The discussions centered around the India-UAE Inter-Governmental Framework Agreement (IGFA) on IMEC, which aims to explore future joint investment and collaboration opportunities.

Overview of IMEC

• IMEC is a proposed transit network that seeks to integrate Asia, the Middle East, and Europe through railroad, ship-to-rail, and road transport routes and networks.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between India, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and the USA at the New Delhi G20 summit in 2023 to establish IMEC.

Significance of IMEC

• IMEC is seen as an acknowledgment by the US and EU of the increasing influence of non-Western powers.
• It is expected to facilitate increased flow of energy and digital communications and speed up trade between India and Europe, while also enhancing India's strategic engagement with the Arab world.
• IMEC is anticipated to make the global supply chain more resilient and provide an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Challenges Facing IMEC

• The complex geopolitics of the region, including the Israel-Hamas-Iran crisis, pose a challenge to the implementation of IMEC.
• The lack of official diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel could hinder cooperation within the transit network.
• Financial commitments required for the development of IMEC may also present challenges in moving the project forward.

 CBD Scientific Body Adopts Recommendations for KMGBF Implementation

KMGBF Overview

• Non-binding framework adopted at the 15th Conference of Parties (COP) to the CBD in Montreal in December 2022.
• Aim is to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
• Targets include conservation of land, sea, and inland water, restoration of degraded ecosystems, and more.
• Goals to achieve by 2050 include ecosystem and species health, sustainable use of biodiversity, equitable sharing of benefits, and closing the biodiversity finance gap.

Key Recommendations by Scientific Body

• Advancement in areas like biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning and sustainable biodiversity-based activities.
• Support for financial resources, capacity-building, and respect for the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities.

Convention on Biological Diversity

• International treaty adopted at the Rio "Earth Summit" in 1992.
• Headquarters in Montreal, Canada.
• 196 members, including India.
• Member countries required to have a national biodiversity strategy and action plan, leading to India enacting the Biological Diversity Act in 2002.

Decline of Large Farmland Trees in India: A Decade of Loss

Research conducted at the University of Copenhagen using satellite imagery has revealed potential negative effects on the environment and agriculture.

Key Findings of Satellite Imagery Analysis

• 11% of fully grown trees in 2010-2011 were no longer visible in 2018-2022.
• India may have lost 5.6 million full-grown trees in agricultural lands during 2019-2022.
• Hotspot areas like Telangana and Maharashtra have lost up to 50% of their large farmland trees.
• Potential drivers of tree losses include climate change, alterations in cultivation practices, and perception of low benefits.

About Agroforestry

• Agroforestry is the integration of trees, crops, and/or livestock on the same piece of land to enhance productivity and resilience of farms.
• Types of agroforestry include Agrisilviculture, silvopastoral, and Agrosilvopastoral.

Benefits of Agroforestry

• Environmental benefits include enhanced ecosystem services and improvement of soil microclimate.
• Economic benefits include income diversification for farmers and reduced instances of total crop failure.
• Social benefits include improvement in nutrition and health due to increased quality and diversity of food outputs.

Steps Taken to Promote Agroforestry in India

• National Agroforestry policy (2014)
• Sub-Mission on Agroforestry under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
• Agroforestry component under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
• GROW (Greening and Restoration of Wasteland with Agroforestry) -Suitability Mapping portal by NITI Aayog.

CCPCJ Urges Action Against Transnational Organised Crimes

During the 33rd Session of the CCPCJ, leaders from the FATF, INTERPOL, and UNODC urged for a focus on reducing criminal activity by targeting illegal profits and improving the efficiency of crime prevention measures.

Key Outcomes of the 33rd Session of the CCPCJ

• Adopted four thematic resolutions to address various issues related to crime prevention and criminal justice.
• Launched the Generation Justice (GenJust) initiative to involve youth in shaping international agendas on crime prevention.

About Transnational Organized Crimes (TnOCs)

• Organized crimes involve illegal activities conducted by groups or networks for financial gain through violence, corruption, or related activities.
• TnOCs occur when these activities or groups operate in multiple countries, such as drug trafficking or human smuggling.

About CCPCJ

• Established in 1992 by a UN Economic and Social Council resolution.
• Functions as the principal policy-making body of the UN in crime prevention and criminal justice.
• Membership consists of 40 member states elected by ECOSOC and is led by a Bureau.