Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 12th September 2024

Nebula : Study

NASA recently captivated space enthusiasts with a breathtaking image of the Red Spider Nebula.

• A nebula is a giant cloud of dust and gas in space.
• Some nebulae (more than one nebula) come from the gas and dust thrown out by the explosion of a dying star, such as a Supernova.
• Other nebulae are regions where new stars are beginning to form. For this reason, some nebulae are called “star nurseries.”
• Nebulae are made of dust and gases—mostly hydrogen and helium.
• The dust and gases in a nebula are very spread out, but gravity can slowly begin to pull together clumps of dust and gas.
• As these clumps get bigger and bigger, their gravity gets stronger and stronger.
• Eventually, the clump of dust and gas gets so big that it collapses from its own gravity.
• The collapse causes the material at the center of the cloud to heat up-and this hot core is the beginning of a star.
• Nebulae exist in the space between the stars—also known as interstellar space.
• The closest known nebula to Earth is called the Helix Nebula. It is approximately 700 light-years away from Earth.
• Nebulas come in many shapes and sizes and can be further divided into several subcategories, including planetary nebulas, supernova remnants, dark nebulas, and emission nebulas.
• Red Spider Nebula is a planetary nebula located 3,000 light-years from Earth and can be found in the constellation of Sagittarius.

New Cybersecurity Initiatives:

Union Home Minister recently addressed the first Foundation Day program of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) in New Delhi and launched key initiatives for prevention of cybercrime.

• Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC) has been established at the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (14C) in New Delhi with representatives of major banks, Financial Intermediaries, Payment Aggregators, Telecom Service Providers, IT Intermediaries, and States/UTs Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs).
• They will work together for immediate action and seamless cooperation to tackle online financial crimes.
• CFMC will serve as an example of “Cooperative Federalism” in law enforcement.
  Samanvaya Platform (Joint Cybercrime Investigation Facilitation System) is a web-based module to act as a One Stop
• Portal for data repository of cybercrime, data sharing, crime mapping, data analytics, cooperation, and coordination platform for LEAs across the country.
• ‘Cyber Commandos’ Program a special wing of trained ‘Cyber Commandos’ in States/UTs and Central Police Organizations (CPOs) will be established to counter threats of the cyber security landscape in the country.
• Trained Cyber Commandos will assist States/UTs and Central Agencies in securing the digital space.
• Suspect Registry is a new initiative to strengthen fraud risk management by creating a registry of identifiers based on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal in collaboration with banks and financial intermediaries.

Ukai Dam : In News

Following rainfall in its upper catchment areas, the authorities recently discharged 1.19 lakh cusecs of water from the Ukai Dam, bringing the water level in the dam just five feet below the danger mark of 345 feet.

• The Ukai Dam, constructed across the Tapti River, is the second largest reservoir in Gujarat after the Sardar Sarovar.
• It is also known as Vallabh Sagar.
• Constructed in 1972, the dam is meant for irrigation, power generation, and flood control.
• The storage capacity of the Ukai dam is almost 46% of the total capacity of all the other existing dams in Gujarat if put together.
• Having a catchment area of about 62,255 km2 and a water spread of about 52,000 hectares, its capacity is almost the same as that of the Bhakra Nangal Dam.
• Ukai dam is an earth-cum-masonry dam, the embankment wall of which is almost 4,927 meters long.
• Its earth dam is 80.77 meters high, whereas the masonry dam is 68.68 meters high.
• Tapti River is one of the major rivers in peninsular India.
• It is one of the three major rivers (the other two being the Narmada River and Mahi River), which flows in an east-to-west direction.

India’s First silicon Carbide:

The Chief Minister of Odisha graced the ground-breaking ceremony of India’s first silicon carbide manufacturing facility to be set up in Odisha at an investment of Rs 620 crore.

• Silicon Carbide was discovered by the American inventor Edward G. Achesonin 1891.
• Its chemical formula is SiC and it is the most widely used non-oxide ceramic.
• It is an exceedingly hard, synthetically produced crystalline compound of silicon and carbon.
• In addition to hardness, silicon carbide crystals have fracture characteristics that make them extremely useful in grinding wheels and in abrasive paper and cloth products.
• It has high thermal conductivity and high-temperature strength, low thermal expansion, and resistance to chemical reaction which makes it valuable in the manufacture of high-temperature bricks and other refractories.
• It is also classed as a semiconductor, having an electrical conductivity between that of metals and insulating materials.
• This property, in combination with its thermal properties, makes SiC a promising substitute for traditional semiconductors such as silicon in high-temperature applications.

Parliamentary Committee On Official Language:

Recently, the Union Home Minister was unanimously re-elected the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language.

• The Parliamentary Committee on Official Language was constituted under the provisions of Section 4 of the Official Languages Act, 1963, in the year 1976.
• Section 4 of the Act says “There shall be constituted a Committee on Official language, on a resolution to that effect being moved in either House of Parliament with the previous sanction of the President and passed by both Houses”.
• The Committee is chaired by the Union Home Minister, and has, in accordance with the provisions of the 1963 Act.
• Under the provisions of the 1963 Act, the panel submits its report to the President, who “shall [then] cause the report to be laid before each House of Parliament, and sent to all the State Governments”.
• Purpose of the committee is To review the progress made in the use of Hindi for official purposes, and to make recommendations to increase the use of Hindi in official communications.
• It comprises 30 members of Parliament, of which 20 are from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.

World Largest Plastic Polluter : Study

A recent study published in the journal Nature has revealed that India is the highest contributor to global plastic pollution.

• India accounts for approximately one-fifth of the total plastic waste generated worldwide.

Key Findings of the Study:

• India generates approximately 9.3 million tonnes of plastic pollution annually. Out of this, 5.8 million tonnes (mt) are incinerated, while 3.5 million tonnes are released into the environment as debris.
• This figure is significantly higher than Nigeria (3.5 mt), Indonesia (3.4 mt), and China (2.8 mt).
• India’s waste generation rate is approximately 0.12 kilograms per capita per day.
• Plastic waste emissions are highest across countries in Southern Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and South-eastern Asia. There is a clear divide in plastic pollution sources.
• Global South countries, such as India, often rely on open burning for waste management, while the Global North uses controlled systems, leading to less unmanaged waste.
• Globally, 69% or 35.7 Mt per year of plastic waste emissions come from 20 countries.
• In the Global South, plastic pollution mainly comes from open burning due to poor waste management, while in the Global North, it’s mostly from uncontrolled debris.
• High-income countries have higher plastic waste generation rates but are not among the top 90 polluters due to 100% collection coverage and controlled disposal.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana : 5 Year Completed

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY), launched on 12th September 2019, has completed five successful years.

• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY) scheme has been started to provide social security to all landholding Small and Marginal Farmers (farmers whose land holdings are upto two hectares of land in the country).
• As of August 2024, 23.38 lakh farmers have enrolled, with Bihar and Jharkhand leading in registrations.
• Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha have over 2.5 lakh, 2 lakh, and 1.5 lakh farmer registrations, respectively.
• This widespread participation highlights increasing awareness and growing adoption of the scheme among small and marginal farmers, reflecting its importance in ensuring financial stability for this vulnerable segment.

Mpox : Detection Kit

India has developed an indigenous Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing kit for detecting Mpox (previously known as monkeypox).

• These kits are developed by Siemens Healthcare, Transasia Diagnostics, and JITM C Genes which are approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).
• The new RT-PCR kits provide results in 40 minutes, compared to traditional methods, which take one to two hours.
• These RT-PCR kits ensure detection across both clade I and clade II variants.
• Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus.
• It has two distinct variants namely clade I and clade II.
• It was first discovered in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• Mpox spreads through close contact like skin-to-skin, mouth-to-mouth, or mouth-to-skin interactions, as well as face-to-face contact (talking).
• WHO declared Mpox, a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) twice, the first time in May 2022 and the second time in August 2024.
• The first Mpox cases were reported in India in 2022.

Joint Doctrine For Amphibious Operations:

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan released the Joint Doctrine for Amphibious Operations on 9th September 2024 in New Delhi.

• Amphibious Operations refers to military operations that involve a coordinated effort between land and naval forces to project power from the sea onto land.
• This doctrine offers guidance to commanders for conducting amphibious operations in the complex military environment.
• It enhances the Armed Forces’ capability to perform various operations in the Indian Ocean Region during both war and peace.
• The doctrine emphasizes jointness and integration among the Armed Forces, following the earlier release of the Joint Doctrine for Cyberspace Operations.
• Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) recommended in 2001, was created in 2019 based on Lt Gen DB Shekatkar’s committee. General Bipin Rawat became India’s first CDS on December 31, 2019.

Typhoon Yagi : Vietnam

Typhoon Yagi has claimed 143 lives in northern Vietnam, with 58 still missing. Typhoon Yagi is the strongest to hit Vietnam in decades, with winds reaching 149 kph.

• Vietnam and the Philippines are frequently affected by typhoons due to their geographic location in the Western Pacific, one of the most active typhoon basins in the world.
• Both countries lie along the Pacific typhoon belt, where warm ocean waters and atmospheric conditions favour the formation of strong tropical storms.
• Their long coastlines and low-lying areas also make them highly vulnerable to storm surges, flooding, and landslides triggered by typhoons.
• Additionally, the seasonal monsoons intensify these weather systems, especially during the peak typhoon season from June to November.

RBI Fines Axis Bank and HDFC Bank for Non-Compliance:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has levied fines on HDFC Bank and Axis Bank due to regulatory non-compliance. HDFC Bank has been fined ₹1.91 crore, while Axis Bank has received a ₹1 crore penalty.

Lockheed Martin and Tata Systems Partner for C-130J Expansion in India:

Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) announced a significant collaboration to enhance the C-130J Super Hercules program in India.

New species of Genus Curcuma discovered in Nagaland:

Researchers have identified a new cousin species from a ginger family called turmeric, Genus Curcuma at Ungma village in Mokokchung district in the state of Nagaland, this information related research paper published by the botanical survey of India.

IMF Upgrades India’s FY24-25 GDP Forecast to 7%:

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised its forecast for India’s GDP growth in FY2024-25 upward to 7%, a 20 basis point increase from the previous estimate of 6.8%. This revision reflects the IMF’s updated World Economic Outlook report, driven by enhanced consumption prospects, particularly in rural areas.

RS Sharma Appointed Non-Executive Chairperson of ONDC:

The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has announced the appointment of RS Sharma as its Non-Executive Chairperson. Sharma, who has previously served as the Director General and Mission Director of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), and CEO of the National Health Authority

India Surpasses China in MSCI Emerging Markets Index:

India has overtaken China in the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Emerging Markets Investable Market Index (EM IMI) with a weightage of 22.27%, surpassing China’s 21.58%. This shift reflects India’s strong market performance and favorable macroeconomic conditions, contrasted with China’s economic challenges.

ADNOC and ExxonMobil Join Forces to Develop World’s Largest Low-Carbon Hydrogen Facility:

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and ExxonMobil have announced a landmark partnership to develop the world’s largest low-carbon hydrogen facility. This ambitious project, set to be located in Baytown, Texas, marks a significant milestone in the race to lead sustainable energy production and combat climate change.

Nepal became 101st member of ISA:

Nepal has become the 101st country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as a full member. The Ministry of External Affairs said that Nepal handed over its Instrument of Ratification to the ISA in New Delhi on 9th September.

Deepali Thapa Makes History as First Schoolgirl Champion:

Deepali Thapa etched her name in the annals of sports history by becoming the first-ever schoolgirl champion at the Asian Youth Boxing Championships held in Al Ain, UAE on Sunday.

Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) programme:

The central government will launch the Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) programme designed to elevate research capabilities in higher education institutions (HEIs) by linking top-tier research institutions with those where research capability is limited, creating a collaborative mentorship environment.

CCI approved merger of Tata Motor Finance into Tata Capital:

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has cleared the proposal of India’s giant business group Tata Motors Finance Limited merger into the Tata Capital Limited marking a significant consolidation into Tata group financial services.