Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 13th November 2024

Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project : Set To Commence

Power generation is set to commence at the highly controversial Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project from next year.

• Subansiri Lower Hydro Electric Project (SLHEP) is an under-construction gravity dam on the Subansiri River in North Eastern India on the borders of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
• It is a run-of-river project.
• It will be the single largest hydroelectric plant in India when completed.
• The project is being developed by the state-run National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC).
• It is expected to supply 2,000 MW of power (eight 250 MW units) when completed.
• Subansiri River is a trans-Himalayan River and a right-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra River.
• Also called the Gold River, the Subansiri River is famous for its gold dust.
• It joins the Brahmaputra River in the Lakhimpur district of Assam.
• It is approx. 518 km long, with a drainage basin of 32,640 s km.
• It is the largest tributary of the Brahmaputra, contributing 7.92% of the Brahmaputra’s total flow.

Aligarh Muslim University : In News

The Supreme Court recently overruled its 1967 judgement about the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) that became the basis for denying the minority status to the institute.

• It is a government-run education institution situated in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.
• It was originally established by social reformer Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875.

Minority Status of AMU:

• In 1967, a five-judge Constitution bench in the Azeez Basha vs. Union of India case held that since AMU was a central university, it could not be considered a minority institution.
• AMU got back its minority status when Parliament passed the AMU (Amendment) Act in 1981.
• In January 2006, the Allahabad High Court struck down the provision of the 1981 law by which AMU was accorded the minority status.
• Later, appeals were filed in the Supreme Court challenging the high court verdict.
• On January 9, 2024, a seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court commenced hearing arguments on the vexed question of minority status of AMU.
• It overruled judgement in the 1967 Azeez Basha case and also said that a new bench would decide on the minority status of the AMU.
• The judgement underlined the importance of identifying the university’s actual point of origin-its genesis-to establish its minority status.

Sirpur Lake : In News

Following the order of the National Green Tribunal, a team of Indore Municipal Corporation along with police removed encroachments and 30 stalls from the catchment area in Sirpur Lake recently.

• Sirpur Lake is a human-made wetlandlocated in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
• It is a 670-acre lake, which is more than 130 years old, made by Maharaja Shivajirao Holkar to generate water supply for the city of Indore.
• The Indore City Gazette, 1908, has many references to Sirpur Lake, utilised for water supply and recreational purposes.
• It is a shallow, alkaline, nutrient-rich lake that floods during the monsoon.
• Sirpur Lake boasts a diverse habitat, featuring extensive wetlands, shrub forests, grasslands, tall trees, and shallow and deep-water areas.
• It is inhabited by 189 species of birds, belonging to 55 families.
• It is also home to several species of reptiles, insects, butterflies, and fish.
• It was designated a Ramsar site under the Ramsar Convention on January 7, 2022.

Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis : Recent Study

Researchers from Australia and Germany have for the first time cured patients suffering from Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), a deadly skin disease.

• TEN, also known as Lyell’s syndrome, is a rare, life-threatening skin condition.
• TEN is the most severe form of Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS).
• Both conditions are caused by a reaction to medications-often antibiotics or anticonvulsives.
• People with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop SJS or TEN.
• Symptoms may include:
  • A painful, red area that spreads quickly
  • The skin may peel without blistering
  • Raw areas of skin
  • Discomfort
  • Fever
  • Condition spread to eyes, mouth/throat, and genitals/urethra/anus
• TEN causes large areas of blistering and peeling skin on at least 30% of your body, including mucous membranes like the mouth, eyes and genitals.
• Because the skin normally acts as a protective barrier, extensive skin damage can lead to a dangerous loss of fluids and allow infections to develop.
• Serious complications can include pneumonia, overwhelming bacterial infections (sepsis), shock, multiple organ failure, and death.
• It has a mortality rate of approximately 30 percent.
• TEN requires emergency medical treatment at a hospital.
• If a medicine is causing the skin reaction, it is discontinued.
• While the skin heals, supportive care includes controlling pain, caring for wounds and making sure you’re getting enough fluids.

Asia-Pacific Tele community : In News

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has hosted the South Asian Telecommunication Regulators’ Council (SATRC), organised by the Asia Pacific Tele community (APT), in Delhi recently.

• APT is an intergovernmental organization established in February 1979 to promote Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development in the Asia-Pacific region.
• APT was founded on the joint initiatives of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
• Currently, the APT has a strength of 38 Members, 4 Associate Members and more than 140 Affiliate Members (private companies and academia whose works are relevant to the ICT field).
• APT fosters the development of telecommunication servicesand information infrastructure throughout the region.
• It plays a crucial role in coordinating and harmonizing policies, regulations, and technical standards related to ICT.
• APT conducts various preparatory activities for international conferences, including the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP), World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRCs), World Telecommunication Standardization Assemblies (WTSAs), World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), and World Telecommunication Development Conferences (WTDCs).
  The organization also hosts working groups and forums to address specific issues such as spectrum management, policy, and standardization.
  APT also organizes a variety of capacity-building programs related to ICT topics and implements several pilot projects to promote ICT development in the region.
  In addition, APT provides sub-regional platforms to facilitate achieving sub-regional common interests.
  For example, the South Asian Telecommunication Regulators’ Council (SATRC), under the umbrella of APT, organizes working groups for policy and regulation, and spectrum to facilitate harmonization among parties concerned.
  The SATRC meeting is an annual event where heads of telecommunication regulatory bodies from SATRC member countries discuss and coordinate regulatory and other issues related to telecommunication and ICT.
• SATRC is composed of the heads of the regulatory bodies of nine South Asian countries, namely, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
• Affiliate members from these countries are also taking active participation in SATRC activities.

Exercise Antariksha Abhyas:

The first ever-space exercise ‘Antariksha Abhyas – 2024’ hosted by the Defence Space Agency begins in New Delhi.

• It is an exercise to war-game the growing threats from and to Space-Based Assets and Services
• It is being conducted by the Defence Space Agency of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff.
• It is a first of its kind exercise being conducted and is expected to help secure national strategic objectives in space and integrate India’s space capability in military operations.
• It aims to provide enhanced understanding of space based assets and services and to gain understanding of operational dependency on space segment between stakeholders.
• In addition, it intends to identify vulnerabilities in conduct of operations in the event of denial or disruptions of space based services.
• It will have participants from the Defence Space Agency and its allied units along with personnel from the Army, Navy and the Air Force.
• Specialist branches under Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff viz Defence Cyber Agency, Defence Intelligence Agency and Strategic Forces Command would also be active participants in conduct of the exercise.
• Representatives from Indian Space Research Organisation and the Defence Research & Development Organisation will also take part in it.

Biggest Drone Strike On The Russian Capital : Ukraine

Ukraine attacked Moscow on Sunday with at least 34 drones, the biggest drone strike on the Russian capital since the start of the war in 2022, forcing flights to be diverted from three of the city’s major airports and injuring at least five people.

• The barrages come amid expectations that US president-elect Donald Trump may put pressure on both sides to end the conflict.
• Moscow and its surrounding region, with a population of at least 21 million, is one of the biggest metropolitan areas in Europe, alongside Istanbul.
• The 2-1/2-year-old war in Ukraine is entering what some officials say could be its final act after Moscow’s forces advanced at the fastest pace since the early days of the war and Donald Trump was elected 47th president of the United States.
• Kyiv, itself the target of repeated mass drone strikes from Russian forces, has tried to strike back against its neighbour with repeated drone strikes against oil refineries, airfields and even Russian strategic early-warning radar stations.
• Moscow and Kyiv have both sought to buy and develop new drones, deploy them in innovative ways, and seek new ways to destroy them – from using farmers’ shotguns to advanced electronic jamming systems.
• Russia has developed a series of electronic “umbrellas” over Moscow, with additional advanced internal layers over strategic buildings, and a complex web of air defences to shoot down the drones before they reach the Kremlin in the heart of the capital.

Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher:

France is considering India’s Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launch (MBRL) system for its requirements and is soon going to carry out a detailed evaluation of the system.

• Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher is designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), a laboratory of the DRDO.
• It was first used during the Kargil War, where it successfully neutralised Pakistan Army positions on the mountain tops.
• It delivers lethal and responsive fire against a variety of area targets, such as exposed enemy troops, armoured and soft-skin vehicles, communication centres, air terminal complexes, and fuel and ammunition dumps.
• It consists of a multi-tube launcher vehicle, a replenishment-cum-loader vehicle, a replenishment vehicle, and a command post vehicle.
• The rocket launcher has two pods containing six rockets each and can neutralise an area of 700 × 500 square metres within 48 seconds.
• The launcher system is supported on four hydraulically-actuated outriggers at the time of firing.
• Range: It has a range of 60 to 75 kilometers.
• The system is mounted on a Tatra truck for mobility.
• Its success has already extended beyond India’s borders, with countries like Armenia placing orders, and many others expressing interest in acquiring the system.
• It is suitable for different types of military engagements, such as counter-terrorism, border defence and conventional warfare.

‘EV As a Service’ Programme:

Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs launched the ‘EV as a Service’ programme of Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

• ‘EV as a Service’ Programme aims to boost e-mobility in government offices; to deploy 5,000 E-Cars in government departments over the next two years.
• It is an initiative of Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).
• By leveraging a flexible procurement model, the programme allows for the deployment of a variety of E-Car makes/models, enabling Govt. offices to choose E-Cars that best align with their operational requirements.
• It may be noted that CESL has already deployed nearly 2000 nos. of E-Cars across India and is also facilitating the deployment of approx. 17,000 E-Buses.
• It not only supports the government’s environmental sustainability vision but also aligns with India’s ambitious goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2070.
• CESL is a newly established subsidiary of state-owned Energy Efficiency Services Limited, itself a joint venture of public sector companies under the Ministry of Power, Government of India.
• It builds upon the decentralized solar development experience in under-served rural communities in India, and over time, using battery energy storage, will deliver renewable energy solutions to power agricultural pumps, street lighting, domestic lighting and cooking appliances in villages.
• CESL will also work to enable battery-powered electric mobility and its infrastructure and design business models to increase the uptake of electric vehicles in India.

World Immunisation Day 2024:

World Immunisation Day was observed on 10th November to raise awareness about the vital role vaccines play in preventing infectious diseases and protecting public health.Immunisation is making a person resistant to an infectious disease by administering a vaccine to stimulate the immune system.

H5N1 Reassortant Virus:

Human cases of novel reassortant H5N1 Bird flu virus were reported in Cambodia.The novel reassortant virus results from the mixing of clade 2.3.2.1c, which had been circulating in Southeast Asia, with the global 2.3.4.4b clade.
H5N1 is one of several influenza viruses that causes a highly infectious respiratory disease in birds called avian influenza (or “bird flu”).

3rd Indian Space Conclave and India’s First Analog Mission:

The 3rd Indian Space Conclave in New Delhi spotlighted India’s expanding space capabilities, with a focus on Satellite Communication (Satcom) and Indo-European Union Space partnerships. Key discussions explored Satcom’s role in advancing Digital India and India’s ambitious space goals.In another development, India’s first Mars and Moon analog mission was inaugurated in Leh, Ladakh, led by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the mission simulates extraterrestrial conditions for space habitat testing.

Hokersar Wetland:

Lack of water due to excess deficit rainfall at the Hokersar wetland in the Kashmir Valley in recent years has impacted the arrival of migratory bird populations in the region.According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Kashmir is facing a rainfall deficit of 81 per cent.Hokersar Wetland is located near Srinagar in the Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Uttar Pradesh’s First Double-Decker Electric Bus:

Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, launched the state’s first double-decker electric bus at the Aakanksha Haat programme held at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. This initiative aims not only to tackle the growing traffic problems in urban areas but also to contribute toward environmental conservation.

Sonu Sood Appointed as Brand Ambassador and Honourary Tourism Advisor for Thailand:

Sonu Sood, the celebrated actor, humanitarian, and philanthropist, has taken on an exciting new role as the Brand Ambassador and Honorary Tourism Advisor for Thailand. Widely recognized for his philanthropy, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, this appointment adds another feather to his cap, expanding his global reach and impact. This collaboration between Sonu Sood and Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports marks an important step in promoting Thailand as a tourism destination in India.

Global City Brands Rankings:

London has topped the list of the world’s top 100 “city brands” for the second consecutive year, according to Brand Finance’s Global City Index. The ranking, released on Thursday, was based on a survey of 15,000 people across 20 countries, including Türkiye, the US, Germany, Australia, the UAE, Brazil, China, and others

7th Annual India-Sri Lanka Coast Guard Meet Boosts Regional Maritime Security:

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) held their 7th Annual High-Level Meeting in Colombo on November 11, 2024. The meeting was attended by a four-member ICG delegation, led by Director General S. Paramesh, and a SLCG delegation headed by Director General Rear Admiral YR Serasinghe.

5th National EMRS Cultural & Literary Fest:

The 5th National EMRS Cultural & Literary Fest and Kala Utsav, organized by the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), is taking place from 12th to 15th November 2024 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, at Shiksha ‘O’ Anusandhan.This event, hosted by the Odisha Model Tribal Educational Society (OMTES), marks a significant moment in honoring the 150th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda. With the theme “A Tribute to Bhagwan Birsa Munda & Tribal Freedom Fighters,” this event underscores the deep connection between India’s tribal communities, their culture, and their history

Tata Power is investing Rs 550 crore to supply Noida International Airport:

Tata Power has partnered with Noida International Airport (NIA) to supply renewable energy, investing Rs 550 crore in solar and wind power capacity development. This strategic move is part of Tata Power’s commitment to building sustainable infrastructure in India’s aviation sector.

World Pneumonia Day 2024:

World Pneumonia Day, observed each year on November 12, is dedicated to raising awareness about pneumonia, a potentially life-threatening yet preventable and treatable respiratory illness. The day brings global attention to pneumonia’s impact, particularly among children under five and the elderly, who are most vulnerable. The theme for World Pneumonia Day 2024, “Every Breath Counts: Stop Pneumonia in Its Tracks,” underlines the importance of respiratory health and the urgency of addressing pneumonia as a global health priority.

IIT Madras, ISRO Collaborate on Spacecraft Thermal Research Centre:

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is teaming up with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to create a Centre of Excellence focused on research in ‘Fluid and Thermal Sciences’. ISRO will provide seed funding of Rs 1.84 Crore to establish this center, which aims to advance research in these critical areas for space exploration.

ADB Approves $200 Million Loan for Uttarakhand Livability Improvement Project:

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $200 million loan to enhance the urban infrastructure and climate resilience of Uttarakhand under the Uttarakhand Livability Improvement Project. This initiative aligns with both the Government of India’s urban development agenda and the state’s efforts to provide sustainable and livable urban spaces.

WIPO Patent Filings 2023:

India has made remarkable progress in intellectual property (IP) filings, securing 6th place globally for the first time in 2023, according to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Global Patent Filing Report. This achievement reflects a robust growth of 15.7% in patent filings, marking the fifth consecutive year of double-digit growth in India.

Veteran Filmmaker Phillip Noyce Honored with Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award:

Veteran Australian filmmaker Phillip Noyce, renowned for his acclaimed works such as Clear and Present Danger, Salt, and Rabbit-Proof Fence, will be honored with the prestigious Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The festival, which will be held in Goa from November 20-28, 2024, has Australia as its Country of Focus this year.

Mine Opening Permission module:

The Ministry of Coal has launched the Mine Opening Permission module on the Single Window Clearance System (SWCS) portal, enhancing the approval process for opening coal mines. Inaugurated by Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt on November 7, 2024, this digital initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a “Viksit Bharat” and a digitally enabled economy. The module aims to simplify and expedite the clearance process, supporting India’s energy security and self-reliance goals.