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Monthly DNA
04 Aug, 2020
39 Min Read
GS-PAPER-1 Geography: Oceanography (PT-MAINS)
Recently, a study in journal Scientific reports made predictions that a large population and assets will be globally affected as a consequence of Sea Level Rise (SLR).
Sea Level Rise
SLR is an increase in the level of the world’s oceans due to the effects of climate change, especially global warming, induced by three primary factors:
Global sea level has been rising over the past century, and the rate has accelerated in recent decades. The average global sea level has risen 8.9 inches between 1880 and 2015. That’s much faster than in the previous 2,700 years.
Impacts of SLR
Adaptation Strategies:
Way Forward
Reducing future greenhouse gas emissions is the long-term goal we should all focus on to keep SLR in check. The Paris Agreement provides a clear vision on limiting global warming and thus, SLR. Some of the steps in this direction would include:
Switching from fossil fuels to clean alternatives like solar and wind energy.
Source: NG
GS-PAPER-1 Geography: Oceanography (PT-MAINS)
Image Source -
Recently, a study in the journal Scientific reports made predictions that a large population and assets will be globally affected as a consequence of Sea Level Rise (SLR).
SLR is an increase in the level of the world’s oceans due to the effects of climate change, especially global warming, induced by three primary factors:
The global sea level has been rising over the past century, and the rate has accelerated in recent decades. The average global sea level has risen 8.9 inches between 1880 and 2015. That’s much faster than in the previous 2,700 years.
Reducing future greenhouse gas emissions is the long-term goal we should all focus on to keep SLR in check. The Paris Agreement provides a clear vision of limiting global warming and thus, SLR. Some of the steps in this direction would include:
Switching from fossil fuels to clean alternatives like solar and wind energy.
Also, Read - Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Scheme
Source: NG
GS-PAPER-2 CHINA-OBOR (Mains)
Recently, Ecuador has expressed an official discomfort over the sighting of a flotilla of 260 mostly Chinese fishing vessels near the Galapagos archipelago (a part of Ecuador). The flotilla also consisted of some Liberia and Panama-flagged vessels which was detected in an international water corridor situated between two areas of Ecuadorian jurisdiction– 200 miles away from both the Galapagos Islands and mainland Ecuador.
Galapagos Archipelago The Galapagos Islands, spread over almost 60,000 sq km, are a part of Ecuador. These are located in the Pacific Ocean around 1,000 km away from the South American continent. Protection Status: Ecuador made a part of the Galapagos a wildlife sanctuary in 1935, and the sanctuary became the Galapagos National Park in 1959. In 1978, the islands became UNESCO’s first World Heritage Site.
Wildlife: It contains aquatic species such as manta rays and sharks which have been endangered by commercial fishing. It also hosts a wide array of aquatic wildlife, including marine iguanas, fur seals, and waved albatrosses. Also, the giant tortoises found here – 'Galápagos' in old Spanish – give the islands its name. Significance: The British naturalist Charles Darwin made key observations in 1835 that shaped his theory of evolution. Darwin described the islands as a “world in itself”. |
Past Occurrences:
Reasons:
Chinese ships are frequent in Ecuador's waters during the august month of the year as the cold Humboldt Current brings in nutrients that lead to a high congregation of marine species.
Diplomatic Consequences:
China’s Stand:
Conclusion
All the nations including China need to be extra cautionary regarding environmental issues considering the looming threat of climate change. The warming of oceans due to climate change is expected to further increase fishing pressure around these islands. Thus, effective global collaboration is the only way forward to resolve such issues.
Source: IE
GS-Paper-2 Governance (PT-MAINS)
Recently, Bharat Air Fibre Services have been inaugurated at Akola in Maharashtra providing the residents with wireless internet connections on demand. The Bharat Air Fibre services are being introduced by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) as a part of the Digital India initiative by the Government of India. It is being scaled pan-India.
Aim: To provide BSNL fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) wireless connectivity up to a range of 20 km from the BSNL points of presence.
Features:
Bharat Net project
BharatNet is a flagship mission implemented by Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. (BBNL). It is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) set up by the Government of India under the Companies Act, 1956 with an authorized capital of Rs 1000 crore.
Initially, it was under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, which was bifurcated into the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in July 2016. Currently, it is being implemented by the Department of Telecommunication under the Ministry of Communications.
National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) was launched in October 2011 and was renamed Bharat Net Project in 2015.
National Optical Fibre Network:
It was envisaged as an information superhighway through the creation of a robust middle-mile infrastructure for reaching broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats.
The Ministry of Communications has launched the National Broadband Mission that will facilitate universal and equitable access to broadband services across the country, especially in rural and remote areas.
Aim:
Implementation:
Dark fibre
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Source: PIB
Aspirin to Prevent Cataract
Recently, scientists from the Institute of Nano Science & Technology (INST) have developed nanorods from the Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) Aspirin to prevent cataracts in an economical and less complicated way.
Cataract:
Usage of Aspirin:
Significance:
Aspirin nanorods due to their nano-size are expected to enhance bioavailability, improve drug loading, lower toxicity, etc. Hence, the delivery of the aspirin nanorods as eye drops is going to serve as an effective and viable option to treat cataract non-invasively. It is easy to use and a low-cost alternative nonsurgical treatment method and will benefit patients in developing countries who cannot access expensive cataract treatments and surgeries.
Source: PIB
Britain is considering minting a coin to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi. The consideration is seen as part of efforts to celebrate the achievements of people from the Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.
The British Finance Minister has written a letter to the Royal Mint Advisory Committee (RMAC), to consider recognising the contribution of BAME communities to Britain's coinage. The RMAC is an independent committee made up of experts who recommend themes and designs for coins.
The RMAC supports a campaign called ‘We Too Built Britain’, which seeks representation of non-white icons on the British currency.
Recently, the murder of a Black man, George Floyd, in the United States due to police brutality has led to Black Lives Matter protests against racism, colonialism and police brutality across the globe. Triggered by the death of George Floyd, some British institutions began re-examining their past, which includes their history, colonialism and racism.
Black Lives Matter Protest
Source: IE
Recently, the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has granted an interim stay on the felling of coconut trees on Agatti Island in Lakshadweep.
Background:
Concerns:
Due to the large-scale cutting of the coconut trees, local residents are affected by losing income from the tree produced. It also poses an environmental challenge because the trees on the coastline act as a green belt to protect the rest of the island during cyclones and other natural calamities.
Agatti Island
Source: TH
National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) and ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) have entered into an MoU to conserve the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Genetic Resources (MAPGRs). The conservation will be done in the long-term storage module in the National Gene bank and/or at Regional Station for the medium-term storage module. The authorized institute NMPB and the ICAR-NBPGR on behalf of the ICAR would develop detailed modalities for seed storage of MAPGRs.
National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB)
It was set up in 2000. It is working under the Ministry of AYUSH. Mandate – To develop an appropriate mechanism for coordination for the overall growth of the medicinal plant's sector both at the Central /State and International level.
National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources
Source: PIB
Yellow fever is caused by a virus that is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. These mosquitoes thrive in and near human habitations where they breed in even the cleanest water.
It is endemic in 34 countries in the sub-Saharan African region, despite the existence of a vaccine for the disease. There are three transmission ‘cycles’ for the disease in Africa - Urban, zoonotic and intermediate.
The urban cycle mediated by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes is responsible for explosive outbreaks. According to a new study, the disease is projected to shift to Central and East Africa from West Africa by 2050. The study also highlighted that vaccination is the most important and effective measure against yellow fever.
Source: PIB
Dhole is also known as Asian wild dog, Asiatic wild dog, Indian wild dog, whistling dog, red dog, and mountain wolf. Besides the tiger, the dhole is the only large carnivore in India that is under the IUCN’s ‘endangered’ category. They play an important role as apex predators in forest ecosystems. A research paper on conserving the endangered dhole was published in Mammal Review.
Highlights
Source: TH
China’s administration has officially commissioned the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System constellation. It was initiated in 1994. It aims to integrate its application in different sectors, including fishery, agriculture, special care, mass-market applications, forestry and public security.
It now offers services including accurate positioning, navigation and timing as well as short message communication. BeiDou uses a network of satellites and can provide positional accuracies of under 10 meters, whereas GPS provides positioning accuracies of under 2.2 meters. The Chinese military has employed Beidou-guided conventional strike weapons to counter a US intervention in a potential contingency if access to GPS is denied.
Navigation Systems of other countries are as follows
Source: TH
Inclusive urbanisation GS-PAPER-1 Geography – Urbanization The Covid-19 pandemic has proved that the Indian cities are overburdened and underprepared to provide guaranteed social protection to millions of migrant workers. Due to denial of access to adequate food and nutrition,
Rebuild India’s confidence, revive the economy By, former PM Dr.Manmohan Singh Context: The article discusses the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and suggests a few policy measures to address this challenge. The economic impact of the pandemic: India entered the
A policy with many a right intention Context: The approval of the new National Education Policy by the Union Cabinet. News: A majority of the path-breaking proposals submitted by the K. Kasturirangan Committee, in the 2019 draft National Education Policy, have been approved while
Pakistanis behind ‘Chinese’ info war on border stand-off Context Several of the Chinese accounts that show up on social media and spread false information about the border clash with India have been traced to Pakistan. Many of the Pakistani accounts posed as China-based, in wh
The U.K. to issue coin to honour Gandhiji Context Britain is considering minting a coin to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji’s birthday, October 2, is observed as the International Day of Non-Violence. As part of a global reassessment of history, colonialism and protests agains
Density Dependent dispersals Context Scientists at the Pune-based Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) carried out experiments to study the phenomenon of ‘density-dependent dispersal’ by observing around 29,000 fruit flies to see if evolution had modified t
Barakah nuclear power plant The United Arab Emirates has announced the start-up of its Barakah nuclear power plant. Barakah was built by a consortium led by the Korea Electric Power Corporation. The plant is located on a sparsely populated strip of desert on the Persian Gulf coast. It has
NEP drops Mandarin from the language list Context The National Education Policy (NEP) has dropped Mandarin (Chinese) from its list of foreign languages that can be taught in schools. News The language was included in the draft policy released in May 2019, but is missing from the
Dhole conservation A study has pointed out that Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh rank high in the conservation of the endangered dhole, in India. About Dhole: Also known as the Asiatic wild dog, Dhole (Cuon alpinus) is native to Central, South, East Asia, and Southeast Asia
Schemes for Electronic Manufacturing in India Context: The government has said that a total of 22 companies have filed applications under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme that aims to boost local manufacturing of mobile phones and components. This is expected to bring in addit
Credit guarantee extended to larger firms, self-employed Context: The Centre has expanded its credit guarantee scheme for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to cover loans given to larger firms, as well as to self-employed people and professionals who have taken loans for business
Plea unilaterally listed by SC official Context: Noted civil rights lawyer Prashant Bhushan has approached the Supreme Court for a declaration that a defective contempt petition against him was unilaterally listed by the court’s Secretary General for judicial hearing before a Bench le
The subject of contempt of court Context Contempt proceedings have been initiated by the Supreme Court of India, on its own motion, against advocate-activist Prashant Bhushan. Contempt of Court: Contempt of court, is the offence of being disobedient to or disrespectful towards a
Courting controversy in Rajasthan Context The Governor of Rajasthan, Kalraj Mishra repeatedly turned down the advice of the Council of Ministers to convene a session of the Rajasthan Assembly. He insisted that a 21-day notice is essential for a session. He laid out other conditions such
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