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DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

Monthly DNA

01 Nov, 2023

21 Min Read

Ice Melt in West Antarctica

GS-I : Physical Geography World Geography

A new study has pointed out that rapid melting of West Antarctica’s ice sheet due to warm waters around it, is now unavoidable, no matter how much carbon emissions are cut.

  • It is the fifth-largest continent.
  • It is larger than Europe and is twice the size of Australia.
  • The continent is a high plateau that is frozen throughout the year.
  • There is no coastal plain.
  • There are mountain ranges, peaks, a rift valley, and volcanoes.
  • Two broad inlets, the Weddell Sea and the Ross Sea and the Trans-
  • Antarctic Mountains that cross the entire continent divide the land into West Antarctica and East Antarctica.
  • The former faces the Pacific Ocean. The Antarctic Peninsula points towards South America. It is the continuation of the Andes Mountain range.
  • East Antarctica, faces the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, Mount Erebus, an active volcano, is actually of the Ross Sea.
  • It is the only continent that is completely covered by permanent ice and snow hence it is known as the white continent.
  • In some places, its ice cap is 4,000 meters deep.
  • The valleys between the mountain ranges are dry, windy, frozen and barren and strangely called oases.

Minerals

  • Scientific studies have shown Antarctica to be rich in gold, platinum, nickel, copper, and petroleum.
  • But by the international Agreement, this continent is to be used only by the scientists to study the climate of the Earth and the origin of its crust.
  • About 70 percent of the Earth’s supply of freshwater can be extracted from the ice-caps of Antarctica.

Expeditions of Antarctica

  • In 1912, a dramatic contest to reach the South Pole was held by two teams. The British team was led by Captain Robert F. Scott and the Norwegian team by Roald Amundsen.
  • The five British men reached the pole only to find the Norwegian flag flying at the South Pole. They had been beaten by 34 days.
  • Indian expedition to Antarctica had a 21 member team with Dr. S. Z.Quasim as its leader. It left Goa on the 6th of December 1981 and landed on the frozen continent on 9th January 1982.
  • They set up a scientific station called Dakshin Gangotri laid plans for a second base called Maitri and named a point Mount Indira.
  • They left automatic weather recorders powered by solar batteries at the stations.
  • The South Pole is 2,250 kilometers away from Dakshin Gangotri.

The Antarctic Treaty

  • The Antarctic Treaty was signed in Washington on 1 December 1959 by the twelve nations that had been active during the IGY (Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States, and USSR). The Treaty, which applies to the area south of 60° South latitude, is surprisingly short, but remarkably effective. Through this agreement, the countries active in Antarctica consult on the uses of a whole continent, with a commitment that it should not become the scene or object of international discord. In its fourteen articles the Treaty:
  • stipulates that Antarctica should be used exclusively for peaceful purposes, military activities, such as the establishment of military bases or weapons testing, are specifically prohibited;
  • guarantees continued freedom to conduct scientific research, as enjoyed during the IGY;
  • promotes international scientific cooperation including the exchange of research plans and personnel, and requires that results of the research be made freely available;
  • sets aside the potential for sovereignty disputes between Treaty parties by providing that no activities will enhance or diminish previously asserted positions with respect to territorial claims provides that no new or enlarged claims can be made, and makes rules relating to jurisdiction;
  • prohibits nuclear explosions and the disposal of radioactive waste;
  • provides for inspection by observers, designated by any party, of ships, stations and equipment in Antarctica to ensure the observance of, and compliance with, the Treaty;
  • requires parties to give advance notice of their expeditions; provides for the parties to meet periodically to discuss measures to further the objectives of the Treaty; and
  • puts in place a dispute settlement procedure and a mechanism by which the Treaty can be modified.

Antarctica Importance

The huge frozen landmass at the bottom of our planet is more than just spectacular icing on the globe. It could be vital for our survival too.

  • Moderating Global Temperature: The Antarctic ice deflects some of the sun’s rays away from the Earth, keeping temperatures liveable.
  • Sea Level Rise: Although it’s not predicted that the massive Antarctic ice sheets are likely to melt completely, even small-scale melting would raise global sea levels, and cause flooding around the world.
  • Supports Marine Life: The ocean surrounding the continent also support masses of the world’s sealife – including 15 species of whale and dolphin, and five species of penguin. The nutrient-rich waters encourage blooms of tiny plankton, the basis of the ocean food chain.
  • Natural laboratories: The Antarctic is one of the world’s least disturbed places. It is helping us understand global climate change now, the unique archive locked in Antarctica’s nearly 4km thick ice sheet tells us what our planet’s climate has been like over almost a million years.
      • Antarctic continental ice contains climate records extending back more than 800,000 years, which have been obtained from ice cores.
  • Sensitive indicators of present-day environmental change: Antarctic science has also revealed much about the impact of human activity on the natural world. The discovery in 1985 of the hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica revealed the damage done to the Earth’s atmosphere by man-made chemicals.
  • Common Resource: The continent is a no-man’s land — a natural reserve that belongs to no country. It is only governed by global agreements. However, it is increasingly vulnerable, especially to global warming, climate change, Pirate fishing, pollution and unsustainable exploration of minerals.

What is an ice sheet?

  • Ice sheet - An ice sheet is essentially a mass of glacial ice that covers more than 50,000 square kilometres of land.
  • Ice sheets contain about 99% of the fresh water on Earth, and are sometimes called continental glaciers.
  • Major ice sheets include
    • Antarctica ice sheet- World’s largest volume of land-based ice
    • Greenland ice sheet
  • Ice shelf- As ice sheets extend to the coast and over the ocean, they become ice shelves.
  • Ice cap- A mass of glacial ice covering less area than an ice sheet is called an ice cap.
  • Ice field- A series of connected ice caps is called an ice field.
  • Individual glaciers- They make up the ice fields, ice caps, and eventually ice sheets.
  • Sea ice – It is the free-floating ice that surrounds the polar regions created by sea water freezing.

Recent study about?

The study, ‘Unavoidable future increase in West Antarctic ice-shelf melting over the twenty-first century’, quoted the reasons for the rapid ice melt in West Antarctica.

  • The scientists have used a high-resolution computer model of the Amundsen Sea, the most vulnerable sector of the ice sheet, to provide comprehensive assessment of warming in West Antarctica.

Findings - Amundsen Sea will warm roughly 3 times faster than the historical rate through the rest of this century leading to much more rapid melting of ice shelves.

  • The study worsens the outlook for Thwaites Glacier that is rapidly melting beneath its connected ice shelf.
  • The processes triggered by faster ice shelf melting could lead to the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
  • If lost completely, the ice sheet would raise the global mean sea level by 5.3 metres or 17.4 feet, a devastating consequence for people living in coastal cities across the world, including in India.

How the West Antarctic ice sheet is melting?

The Antarctic ice sheet contains enough ice to raise global sea-levels by about 58m (190ft) if it melted entirely. Of this, a sizeable portion enough to raise sea-levels by around 5m (16ft), is held in West Antarctica.

  • Ocean currents - Strengthening of ocean currents drives more warm water from the deep ocean towards the shallower ice shelves along the coast.
  • Thinning of ice shelf- If an ice shelf thins or disappears, these glaciers tend to speed up, discharging more ice into the ocean and causing sea level rise.
  • The region’s ice shelves have been depleting, glaciers have been flowing faster towards the ocean and the ice sheet has been shrinking.
  • Thwaites glacier is referred as the "doomsday glacier" because it would raise global sea-levels by around 65cm if it collapses entirely.

Draft Indian Antarctic Bill 2022

Recently, the government has introduced the ‘Antarctic Bill’ in the Lok Sabha, which envisages regulating visits and activities to Antarctica as well potential disputes that may arise among those present on the continent.

  • The Bill is applicable to Indian citizens as well as foreign citizens.
  • In October 2021, India extended its support for protecting the Antarctic environment and for co-sponsoring the proposal of the European Union for designating East Antarctica and the Weddell Sea as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
  • Earlier, a 100-km long body of ice in Antarctica, which has been experiencing rapid melting, was formally named Glasgow after the Glasgow climate summit.

Provisions under the Bill?

Regulate Visiting: The bill has listed strict guidelines and a system of permits, which will be issued by a government-appointed committee, without which any expedition or individual will not be allowed to enter Antarctica.

The bill has provision to establish a committee on Antarctic governance and environmental protection to monitor, implement and ensure compliance with the relevant international laws, emissions standards and rules of protection.

Protecting Mineral Resources: The Bill further prohibits drilling, dredging, excavation or collection of mineral resources or even doing anything to identify where such mineral deposits occur. The only exception is for scientific research with a permit.

Protecting Native Plants: There will be strict prohibition on damaging native plants, flying or landing helicopters or operating vessels that could disturb birds and seals, using firearms that could disturb the birds and animals, remove soil or any biological material native to Antarctica, engage in any activity that could adversely change the habitat of birds and animals, or harm them.

Prohibition on introducing Birds not Native to Antarctica: Introduction of animals, birds, plants or microscopic organisms that are not native to Antarctica are also prohibited. Violators can face imprisonment as well as penalties.

Provisions for Indian Tour Operators: The Bill also provides for Indian tour operators to be able to operate in Antarctica after acquiring a permit. There are 40 permanent research stations in Antarctica of which two – Maitri and Bharati — are Indian.

Objective of the Bill?

To provide a harmonious policy framework for India’s Antarctic activities through a well-established legal mechanism, facilitate activities of the Indian Antarctic programme, including management of Antarctic tourism and sustainable development of fisheries.

What is the Need of Such Law?

To Fulfill Provisions under the Antarctica Treaty: India had been a signatory to the Antarctica Treaty since 1983 and that encumbered India to specify a set of laws governing portions of the continent where it had its research bases. The Treaty made it mandatory for the 54 signatory countries to specify laws governing territories on which their stations are located.

Preserve the Pristine Nature of the Continent: India is also signatory to treaties such as the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the Commission for Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. Both the conventions enjoin India to help preserve the pristine nature of the continent.

Antarctica is uninhabited except for those manning the nearly 40 permanent stations established by several countries, including India, for carrying out scientific research. India maintains two research stations on the continent: ‘Maitri’ (commissioned in 1989) at Schirmacher Hills and ‘Bharati’ (2012) at Larsemann Hills.

Source: PIB

Sub-Categorisation of OBCs

GS-II : Government policies and interventions Government policies and interventions

Historical Evolution of the OBC Reservation Status in India?

  • The journey began with the establishment of the Kalelkar Commission in 1953, which marked the first instance of recognizing backward classes beyond the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) on a national level.
  • In 1980, the Mandal Commission Report estimated that the OBC population constituted 52% and identified 1,257 communities as backward.
  • To address the inequity, it suggested an increase in the existing quotas (which were previously applicable only to SC/ST) from 22.5% to 49.5%, extending the reservation to include OBCs.
    • Following these recommendations, the central government implemented the reservation policy, reserving 27% of seats in union civil posts and services for OBCs under Article 16(4). This policy was also enforced in central government educational institutions under Article 15(4).
  • In 2008, the Supreme Court intervened and directed the central government to exclude the "creamy layer" (advanced sections) among the OBCs from benefiting from the reservation policy, ensuring that it reaches the most disadvantaged.
  • In 2018, 102nd Constitution Amendment Act granted constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).

This elevated the NCBC from its previous status as a statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, giving it more authority and recognition in safeguarding the interests of backward classes, including the OBCs.

The Justice G. Rohini-headed Commission for the sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBC) caste groups submitted its long-awaited report to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment after nearly six years of work.

The details of the recommendations have not been made public yet, and the government is expected to deliberate on the report before any implementation.

The commission was set up on 2nd October, 2017 under Article 340 of the Constitution (President’s power to appoint a Commission to investigate the conditions of the backward classes).

Terms of Reference:

    • Examine the inequitable distribution of benefits among OBCs listed in the Central List.
    • Propose a scientific approach and parameters for sub-categorisation within OBCs.
    • Identify and classify the respective castes or communities into their respective sub-categories.
    • Study the entries in the Central List of OBCs and recommend corrections for repetitions, ambiguities, inconsistencies, and errors in spelling or transcription.

Need for Sub-categorisation of OBCs?

  • OBCs get 27% reservation in central government jobs and educational institutions, but it is perceived that only a few dominant caste groups among them benefit from this quota.
  • In 2018, the commission analyzed the data of 1.3 lakh central government jobs and OBC admissions to central higher education institutions over the preceding years, revealing that 97% of benefits went to 25% of OBC castes.
  • Around 983 OBC communities (37% of the total) had zero representation in jobs and educational institutions, highlighting the need for sub-categorisation.

  • In 2020, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of India reopened the legal debate on sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) for reservations.
    • Disagreeing with its 2005 Constitution Bench verdict, the SC asserted that there are unequals within the list of SCs, STs and socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs).
      • In the case of E.V. Chinnaiah v. State of Andhra Pradesh (2005), the Supreme Court held that the Scheduled Castes form one homogenous group.
      • Therefore, any inter-se classification within the Scheduled Castes would be a violation of Article 14.
      • In other words, it prohibited sub-categorisation of SCs.
    • The SC referred the issue of preferential treatment for certain sub-castes within the SCs and STs to a larger bench
  • The argument for sub-categorisation or creating categories within OBCs for reservation is that it ensures "equitable distribution" of representation among all OBC communities.
  • To examine this, the G Rohini Commission was constituted by the Central government in 2017.
  • OBC- The expression ‘OBC’ was coined to denote backward/ marginalised communities and castes that were not Scheduled Castes (SCs) or Scheduled Tribes (STs).
  • It is recognised that social backwardness in India has traditionally been a direct consequence of caste status, and that other types of backwardness have flowed from this initial handicap.
  • Reservation- The affirmative action for OBCs is mandated by Article 15(4) of the Constitution-

“Nothing in this article or in clause (2) of Article 29 [non-discrimination with regard to admission into state educational institutions on grounds of religion, caste, etc] shall prevent the State from making any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens”

  • Article 16(4)- It allows the State to make provision for the reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens which is not adequately represented in the services under the State.
  • Categorisation- OBCs have been generally identified on the basis of their occupation like cultivation of own land, tenant farming, agriculture labour etc.,
  • Two broad categories within the OBCs emerge,
    • Those who own land – Eg: Yadavs and Kurmis in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh
    • Those who do not own land

What is sub-categorisation of OBCs?

Article 340 provides for the appointment of a Commission to investigate the conditions for the improvement of socially and educationally backward class

  • It refers to creating subgroups of backward castes within the OBC category.
  • Need for sub-categorisation - OBCs get 27% reservation in central government jobs and admission to educational institutions.
  • There are more than 2,600 entries in the Central List of OBCs, but over the years, a perception has taken root that only a few affluent communities among them have benefited from the quota.
  • Therefore, there is an argument that a “sub-categorisation” of OBCs is needed in order to ensure “equitable distribution” of the benefits of reservation.
  • Sub-categorization of OBCs in States – It has been done in States such as Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, etc.
  • Sub-categorization of OBCs in Central List – In 2017, Justice Rohini Panel was appointed to examine the sub-categorisation of OBCs.
About the Commission
Year 2017 under Article 340 of the Constitution
Chairman Justice G.Rohini
Terms of reference
  • To examine the inequitable distribution of reservation benefits among OBCs in the Central List.
  • To work out the mechanism, criteria, norms and parameters in a scientific approach
  • To identify the respective castes and classify them into their respective sub-categories
Recommendations

It suggested breaking the caste groups into broad categories,

  • With the dominant castes getting the smallest share of the 27% reservation
  • The historically crowded-out caste groups getting the largest share of the reservation pie

What committees were formed regarding OBCs?

1st OBC Commission About
Head Kaka Kalelkar
Year 1953
Objective To identify socially and educationally backward classes
Recommendation
  • It prepared a list of 2,399 backward castes or communities in the country, categorised 837 of them as “most backward”.
  • It recommended
    • Enumerating castes in the 1961 census
    • Providing 25-40% reservation at different levels of government jobs
    • 70% reservation for admission to technical and professional institutions

Outcome The report was never discussed in the Parliament and never implemented as the government decided that any all-India list drawn up the Central Government would have no practical utility.
2nd OBC Commission About
Head B.P.Mandal
Year 1979
Recommendations
  • Identified 3,743 castes and communities as OBCs
  • Estimated their population at 52%
  • Recommended 27% reservation in government jobs and admissions to all government-run scientific, technical, and professional institutions
Outcome Within the 27% reserved for Socially and Economically Backward Castes, preference shall be given to candidates belonging to the poorer sections of the SEBCs

Source:

UNESCO Creative Cities Network(UCCN)

GS-II : International organisation Major International Organizations

UNESCO has published the new list of 55 creative cities on World Cities Day (Oct 31st), in which 2 Indian cities Kozhikode and Gwalior were included

UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN)
Launch Year 2004
Eligibility UNESCO’s member states and associate members
Updation Time Once every 2 years
Total Cities (2023) 350 in more than 100 countries
  • Objective - It aims to strengthen cultural activities, goods, services and international cooperation for sustainable development.

UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) aims for Sustainable Cities and Communities.

7 Creative Fields of UCCN Indian Cities in UCCN
Crafts and Folk Arts Jaipur (2015), Srinagar (2021)
Design -
Film Mumbai (2019)
Gastronomy Hyderabad (2019)
Literature Kozhikode (2023)
Media Arts -
Music Chennai (2017), Varanasi (2015), Gwalior (2023)

Kozhikode is the 1st Indian city to get City of Literature tag.

  • The selected cities will participate in UCCN annual conference in 2024 in Braga, Portugal, under the theme ‘Bringing youth to the table for the next decade’.

Source:

Gender Pay Gap

GS-III : Economic Issues Economic Data

Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in its 6th report has introduced a crucial focus on weekly hours worked, revealing that the inequality in total earnings might not capture the full picture.

Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS)
  • Published by –National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)
  • Year of launch- 2017
  • Indicators
    • Labour Force Participation Rates (LFPR) - Percentage of persons in labour force (i.e. working or seeking or available for work) in the population.
    • Worker Population Ratio (WPR) - Percentage of employed persons in the population
    • Unemployment Rate (UR) - Percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour force
  • Objective-
    • To estimate the employment and unemployment indicators in time interval of 3 months for the urban areas only in the ‘Current Weekly Status’ (CWS).
    • To estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both ‘Usual Status’ and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually.
  • It provides quarterly data for urban areas and annual data for both rural and urban areas.

What is the latest report about?

  • The 6th Annual Report of PLFS is conducted during July 2022-June 2023.

Key findings -

    • LFPR- It increased from 37.5% in 2020-21 to 38.6% in 2022-23.
    • UR- It decreased from 5.8% in 2020-21 to 5.7% in 2022-23.
    • WPR- It increased from 35.3% in 2020-21 to 36.4% in 2022-23.

How the rural India progressed in employment?

  • Rural India- Both LFPR and WPR are increasing at a faster pace compared to urban India.
  • This faster rise in rural LFPR may be attributed to the reverse migration in the rural areas in the post-pandemic years.
  • Rural female- Employment is growing much faster among the rural female category.
    • In 2019-20, the rural female WPR recorded growth rate of 26.3% over the previous year.
  • The increasing female WPR is because of the males seeking better non-farm sector jobs, while females might not be finding suitable non-farm employment, leading to their absorption in agriculture (a form of distress employment).

How does the gender earnings gap differ?

  • Work hours- Women, on average, work fewer hours than men, attributed to a combination of social pressures and personal choices.
  • In 2023, the gap in work hours was largest for self-employed workers, where men worked 50% more hours than women.
  • The average hours worked per week for rural self-employed women has fallen indicating that much of the increased employment for rural self-employed women has been part-time in nature.
  • Wage disparity- Men earn more than women across all forms of work, the gap greatest for the self-employed.
    • Self-employment- In 2023, male self-employed workers earned 2.8 times that of women.
    • Regular wage workers- Male regular wage workers earned 24% more than women and male casual workers earned 48% more.
  • Hourly and weekly earnings - When considering hourly earnings, the gap reduces significantly for regular wage workers.
  • Falling inequality in weekly earnings was largely driven by rising hourly earnings for women, with the ratio of hours of work remaining roughly constant.

What lies ahead?

  • It is important not just to understand the factors driving differences in remuneration, but also those that determine differences in total hours of work.
  • Policy must look to removing barriers that limit the hours of work available to women.
  • From mandating creches and generous maternity leaves to more comprehensive transformations in social norms that do not place the entire burden of child care and domestic work on women is the need of the hour.

Source:

Varaha

GS-III : S&T International S&T initiative

  • It is a self-propelled, indigenously made deep-ocean mining vehicle.
  • It is a part of India’s Deep Ocean Mission.
  • Positioned at a pre-surveyed mineral-rich site, Varaha uses a high-power pressure pump system to facilitate the extraction of precious polymetallic nodules.
  • These nodules are pumped from the ocean bed to the surface ship.

Source:

Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) Platform

GS-II : Government policies and interventions Government Schemes & Programmes

  • Prime Minister launched MY Bharat platform for youth of the country at Kartavya Path on the National Unity Day (October 31).
  • It aims to facilitate youth development and youth-led development.
  • It is a 'Phygital Platform' (physical + digital) comprising physical activity along with an opportunity to connect digitally.

Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat), an autonomous body, will benefit the youth in the age group of 15-29 years.

Source:

Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary

GS-III : Biodiversity & Environment Conservation

  • The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court directed the Goa government to notify a tiger reserve in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) and other contiguous areas of the state within 3 months.
  • The sanctuary is located in Goa, Western Ghats of South India.

It was established in the forests spread within the Mhadei River basin in the year 1999 with an objective to protect Bengal Tigers living in this area.

Source:

Aarambh 5.0

GS-II : Government policies and interventions Government Schemes & Programmes

  • Prime Minister will address the Officer Trainees of the 98th Common Foundation Course at the culmination of Aarambh 5.0.
  • Aarambh was launched in 2019 by bringing together all trainees of the All-India Civil Services and Group-A Central Services.
  • The course provides a first-hand introduction to the ideas, challenges and responsibilities of governance in a large and diverse country, the release said.

The 5th edition of Aarambh is being held on the theme of 'Harnessing the power of disruption'.

Source:

One Nation One Registration Platform

GS-III : S&T Achievements of Indians in S&T

  • National Medical Commission (NMC), the regulatory body for medical education and medical professionals, is all set to launch its one nation, one registration platform.
  • It aims to eliminate duplication, red tape and allow the public to access information on any physician working in India.

The platform will generate UIDs for all practicing doctors.

Source:

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