Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 5th Dec 2023

Mount Marapi : Erupted

Indonesia’s Mount Marapi in West Sumatra province erupted, spewing white-and-grey ash plumes for more than 3,000 metres (about 9,800 feet) into the air.

• Mount Marapi is located in West Sumatra.
• Its name means Mountain of Fire. With over 60 eruptions to its credit since the late 18th century, Marapi claims the title of the most active volcano in Sumatra.
• Pacific Ring of Fire also known as the Circum-Pacific Belt,is a path along the Pacific Ocean characterised by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.
• Its length is approximately 40,000 kilometres (24,900 miles).
• It traces boundaries between several tectonic plates—including the Pacific, Juan de Fuca, Cocos, Indian-Australian, Nazca, North American, and Philippine Plates.

FjordPhantom : Android Malware

Cybersecurity firm Promon has identified a novel Android malware named FjordPhantom that employs virtualization to target applications.

• FjordPhantom is a new malware that employs virtualization to elude detection and target applications.
• It propagates through messaging services and combines app-based malware with social engineering to deceive banking customers.
• It strategically zeroes in on users within Southeast Asia, encompassing countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam.
• It utilises email, SMS, and messaging apps to entice users into unwittingly downloading what appears to be a legitimate banking app, which contains FjordPhantom.
• When this app gets installed, the attackers, posing as customer service representatives, guide the users through the steps to run the app.
• The malware uses virtualization to create a virtual container to run this app, and attackers can monitor the user’s actions and steal their credentials.
• It facilitates attackers in gaining access to files and memory, conducting debugging, and injecting code into other apps.
• Additionally, the malware logs various actions performed by the targeted applications, signifying active development and suggesting potential targeting of other apps in the future.

Buxa Tiger Reserve:

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken Suo-motu cognisance of a report on the mowing down of three elephants by a goods train at Buxa Tiger Reserve.

• Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) lies in the Alipurduar sub-division of the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal.
• Its northern boundary runs along the international border with Bhutan.
• The Sinchula hill range lies all along the northern side of BTR, and the eastern boundary touches that of Assam State.
• It got its name from Buxa Fort, which is located on the Sinchula Range at an altitude of 867 metres.
• The fragile “Terai Ecosystem” constitutes a part of this reserve.
• It serves as an international corridor for elephant migration between India and Bhutan.
• Two rivers, namely the River Raidak and the River Jayanti, flow through the forest of Buxa.
• The forests of the reserve can be broadly classified as the ‘Moist Tropical Forest’ of Champion and Seth’s (1968) recent classification.
• Some of the important species are Sal, Champa, Gamar, Simul, and Chikrasi.
• The main species include the Tiger, elephant, leopard cat, gaur, wild boar, sambar, hog deer, Chinese pangolin, etc.

Abelmoschus Odishae : New Plant Species Of ‘Wild Okra’

A scientist from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) recently discovered a new plant species of ‘wild okra’ named ‘Abelmoschus Odishae’.

• Abelmoschus Odishae is a new plant species of ‘wild okra’.
• It was discovered in a moist deciduous forest in Banspal block in Keonjhar district, Odisha.
• It can be used for hybridisation to create a better variety with high disease resistance.
• It can also play a vital role in widening the genetic base of okra.
• It is a perennial shrub up to 5 metres high with a densely hispid, prickly stem with retrorse hairs.
• It has large, deep yellow flowers.
• It has sub-reniform seeds with short, stout, and non-spiral trichomes.

Okra:

• Okra, also known as gumbo or ladies’ fingers, is a warm-season vegetable.
• It is native to the tropics of the Eastern Hemisphere and is widely cultivated or naturalised in the tropics and subtropics of the Western Hemisphere.
• It comes in green and red varieties.
• It is part of the mallow family of botanicals, which also includes cocoa and cotton.
• It is a good source of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and fibre.
• Okra has a mild taste and a unique texture, with a peach-like fuzz on the outside. Inside the pod are small, edible seeds.

Allied Climate Partners : COP28

At COP28, Allied Climate Partners joined the International Finance Corporation in a climate financing venture to try to generate $11 billion in investments in developing countries.

• Allied Climate Partners is a philanthropic investment organisation.
• With a mission to increase the number of bankable, climate-related projects and businesses in emerging markets and developing economies to create significant environmental, economic, and social impact.
• Its initial focus regions are Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and Central America, Africa, and India.

International Finance Corporation:

• It was founded in 1956 with Washington, DC as its headquarters.
• It is a member of the World Bank Group.
• Advance economic development and improve the lives of people by encouraging the growth of the private sector in developing countries.

White Lung Syndrome : Outbreak In China

In outbreak of a respiratory illness in northern China and Ohio in the US — the White Lung Syndrome as people are calling it — has sparked speculation online of a new pandemic threat after COVID-19.

• White Lung Syndrome originates from distinctive white patches on chest X-rays in affected children.
• The term includes various respiratory illnesses like acute respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis, and silica-related conditions.
• It is believed to be caused by a combination of bacterial, viral, and environmental factors.
• The patients have symptoms including cough, fever, runny nose, phlegm pileup in sinuses, difficulty breathing and fatigue.
• The treatment is mainly focused on addressing the symptoms of pneumonia and ensuring the respiratory health of the patients.
• Medicines are given to alleviate symptoms like cough and fever.

Purchasing Managers Index:

India’s manufacturing sector continued to perform better with S&P Global Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rising to 56 in November against 55.5 in October.

• Purchasing Managers’ Index is an indicator of business activity – both in the manufacturing and services sectors.
• It is a survey-based measure that asks the respondents about changes in their perception of some key business variables from the month before.
• It is calculated separately for the manufacturing and services sectors and then a composite index is constructed.
• The index helps in determining whether the market conditions, as seen by purchasing managers, is expanding, contracting or staying the same.
• There are two types of PMI — Manufacturing PMI and Services PMI.

2023 World Malaria Report:

The 2023 World Malaria Report, recently released by the World Health Organization (WHO), sheds light on the alarming malaria situation in India and globally.

Key Highlights of the Report:

• The 2023 World Malaria Report reveals a global surge with an estimated 249 million cases in 2022, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
• Covid-19 disruptions, drug resistance, humanitarian crises, and climate change pose threats to the global malaria response.
• Twenty-nine countries accounted for 95% of malaria cases globally.
• Four countries, Nigeria (27%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12%), Uganda (5%), and Mozambique (4%), accounted for almost half of all malaria cases globally.
• In 2022, India accounted for a staggering 66% of malaria cases in the WHO South-East Asia Region.
• Plasmodium vivax, a protozoal parasite, contributed to almost 46% of cases in the region.
• Despite a 55% reduction in cases since 2015, India remains a significant contributor to the global malaria burden.
• India faces challenges, including a surge in cases in 2023 linked to unseasonal rainfall.
• India and Indonesia accounted for about 94% of all malaria deaths in the WHO South-East Asia Region.
• Africa bears the highest malaria burden, accounting for 94% of cases and 95% of global malaria deaths in 2022.
• The WHO South-East Asia Region, including India, managed to contain malaria over the last two decades, with a 77% reduction in cases and deaths since 2000.

Codex Alimentarius Commission:

India has been unanimously elected as a member representing the Asian region in the Executive Committee of Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) during its 46th meeting at Food and Agriculture organization (FAO) headquarters at Rome.

• India proposed the establishment of global standards for millets like Finger millet, Barnyard millet, Kodo millet, Proso millet, and Little millet, similar to group standards set for pulses. This proposal gained unanimous endorsement during the session.
• Codex currently has standards for Sorghum and Pearl Millet.

Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC):

• CAC is an international food standards body established jointly by the FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) in May 1963 with the objective of protecting consumer’s health and ensuring fair practices in food trade.
• The Agreement on Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) recognizes Codex standards, guidelines and recommendations as reference standards for international trade and trade dispute settlement.
• Currently the Codex Alimentarius Commission has 189 Codex Members made up of 188 Member Countries and 1 Member Organization (The European Union).
• India became the member of Codex Alimentarius in 1964.

Cyclone Michaung:

Cyclone Michaung is a tropical cyclone that is tracking northwest in the western Bay of Bengal.

• ‘Michaung’ is named after a suggestion provided by Myanmar. It means strength and resilience.
• The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) recently convened to assess the readiness of State governments and Central Ministries for the approaching cyclone ‘Michaung’ in the Bay of Bengal.
• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported the storm’s current location and projected path, indicating potential landfall on coastal Andhra Pradesh.
• The NCMC is a committee set up to coordinate and implement relief measures and operations in the wake of a natural calamity.
• The NCMC coordinates and oversees the response to major crises, emergencies, and disasters that may affect India.
• NCMC is headed by the Cabinet Secretary.

ALTÉRRA Fund : COP28 Climate Summit

UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, announced the creation of a $30 billion climate fund named ALTÉRRA.

• The fund aims to attract $250 billion in investment by the end of the decade, with $25 billion allocated to climate strategies and $5 billion to incentivize investment in the Global South.
• The fund seeks to steer private markets towards climate investments, especially in emerging markets and developing economies.
• The term “Alterra” typically refers to a Latin word that is often used in various contexts to signify alteration, transformation, or variation.

International Day Of Persons With Disabilities 2023:

The Education Ministry is celebrating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with a special quiz.

• Every year on 3rd December, International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed.
• The annual observance of this day began in 1992 after it was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3.
• In 2006, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was also adopted.
• It aims at working towards creating equality.
• Until the 2011 census, the questionnaire to identify people with disabilities, included questions on seven kinds of disabilities.
• This list of disabilities was expanded to 21 when the Rights of People with Disabilities Act, 2016 was introduced.