UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | October 14 to October 20, 2024

(Source: ncpcr.gov.in)

• Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)

— With the Air Quality Index dropping successful the Delhi, aft Disshera celebration, Stage 1 of GRAP has been invoked.

— GRAP is simply a acceptable of exigency measures that footwear successful to forestall further deterioration of aerial prime erstwhile it reaches a definite threshold successful the Delhi-NCR region.

— Stage 1 of GRAP is activated erstwhile the AQI is successful the ‘poor’ class (201 to 300), Stage 2 is erstwhile it’s successful the ‘Very poor’ class (301-400), Stage 3 is erstwhile the AQI is the ‘Severe’ class (401-450) and yet Stage 4 is erstwhile it rises to the ‘Severe +’ class (more than 450).

— The GRAP was archetypal notified successful January 2017 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. This was based connected a program submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) successful November 2016.

• AI Centres of Excellence

— The Union Minister for Education has announced the constitution of 3 AI Centres of Excellence (CoE) focused connected Healthcare, Agriculture, and Sustainable Cities successful New Delhi.

— The CoES volition beryllium led by apical acquisition institutions, successful consortium with manufacture partners and startups.

Extinction Rebellion (XR) greenwash march successful Glasgow. (Wikimedia Commons/Stay Grounded)

• Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Greenwashing oregon Misleading Environment Claims

— The guidelines were issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) which works nether the Consumer Affairs Ministry. The determination is portion of the government’s crackdown connected misleading advertisements.

— Greenwashing refers to the increasing inclination of companies, organisations oregon adjacent countries to marque dubious oregon unverifiable claims astir their activities, products oregon services being environment-friendly oregon climate-friendly.

• Section 6A of the Citizenship Act of 1955

— In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court connected 17th October upheld the law validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, which granted citizenship to immigrants who entered Assam connected oregon earlier March 24, 1971.

— Section 6A was added to the statute successful 1985 pursuing the signing of the Assam Accord betwixt the Rajiv Gandhi authorities astatine the Centre and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU).

— According to Section 6A, each persons of “Indian origin” who entered the authorities earlier January 1, 1966 and person been “ordinarily resident” successful Assam ever since “shall beryllium deemed to beryllium citizens of India”

— It provides that anyone who entered and resided successful Assam aft January 1, 1966 but earlier March 24, 1971 who has been “detected to beryllium a foreigner” would person the accidental to registry themselves according to rules made by the Central Government.

— Following specified registration, they would beryllium granted the rights of citizens but that they would not beryllium included successful electoral rolls for the purposes of voting successful elections for a play of 10 years. Those entering aft March 24, 1971, would beryllium considered amerciable immigrants.

International Cooperation

• United Nations Interim Force successful Lebanon (UNIFIL)

— India has expressed interest implicit the “deteriorating” information concern aft 2 UN peacekeepers from Sri Lanka were wounded successful an Israeli onslaught successful confederate Lebanon.

— The Security Council created UNIFIL successful March 1978 to corroborate Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, reconstruct planetary bid and information and assistance the Lebanese Government successful restoring its effectual authorization successful the area.

— India is the 2nd largest contributing state successful the UNIFIL aft Indonesia (as of April 2024).

(Source: peacekeeping.un.org)

• Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

— The 149th Assembly of the IPU took spot successful Geneva, Switzerland, connected 13-17 October 2024.

— The taxable is Harnessing science, technology, and innovation (STI) for a much peaceful and sustainable aboriginal and providing a level for delegates to deliberate, speech views and galvanize parliamentary action.

— The Indian delegations were led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

(Source: ipu.org)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif astatine the 23rd Meeting of the Heads of Government (HoG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). (AP)

• Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

— The 23rd Heads of Government Meeting of the SCO concluded successful Islamabad. It was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

— The SCO was established successful Shanghai connected June 15, 2001, arsenic an planetary organisation, and included Uzbekistan arsenic a sixth member.

— Today, it comprises 10 subordinate countries- India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. India and Pakistan became afloat members successful 2017, Iran joined past year, and Belarus this year. Afghanistan and Mongolia clasp Observer Status.

Indices

(Just FYI: UPSC has straight asked questions astir the work of important indices and reports. In 2016, a question was asked by UPSC connected indicators utilized successful calculating the Global Hunger Index. In this regard, knowing astir these indices, method of calculation, work agencies, and India’s show successful these indices becomes important.)

• Global Hunger Index

— India ranked 105th retired of 125 countries successful the Global Hunger Index 2024, with a people of 27.3, indicating a superior level of hunger.

— The hunger levels successful 42 countries are astatine alarming levels, making the extremity of Zero Hunger by 2030 unattainable.

— The GHI is published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe annually to measurement and way hunger astatine global, regional, and nationalist levels.

— GHI is calculated based connected a look that combines 4 indicators that unneurotic seizure the multidimensional quality of hunger: undernourishment, kid stunting, kid wasting, and kid mortality.

— The show of India connected assorted parameters of GHI:

13.7 per cent of India’s colonisation suffers from undernourishment,

35.5 per cent of children nether the property of 5 are stunted

18.7 per cent acquisition kid wasting and

2.9 per cent of children bash not scope their 5th birthday.

Methodology of calculating GHI. (Source: GHI)

• Multidimensional Poverty Index

— The 2024 Multidimensional Poverty Index was published connected 17th October connected the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty by OPHI and the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme. It was launched successful 2010.

— The 5 countries with the largest fig of radical surviving successful poorness are India (234 million), Pakistan (93 million), Ethiopia (86 million), Nigeria (74 million) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (66 million). Together, these 5 countries relationship for astir fractional (48.1 percent) of the 1.1 cardinal mediocre people.

— The MPI uses 10 indicators covering 3 main areas: (i) health, (ii) education, and (iii) modular of living. These 3 dimensions person one-third value each successful the last index.

Structure of Global Multidimensional Poverty Index. Source: HDRO and OPHI.

(Source: ophi.org.uk)

Science and Technology

•  Europa Clipper

— Europa Clipper is simply a NASA spacecraft that is the archetypal ngo designed to behaviour a elaborate survey of Jupiter’s satellite Europa. It was launched connected October 14, 2024, and volition scope Jupiter successful April 2030.

— Europa is 1 of Jupiter’s 95 known moons and is astir the size of our ain moon. It’s encased successful an crystal expanse estimated to beryllium 10 miles to 15 miles oregon much thick. Scientists judge this frozen crust hides an water that could beryllium 80 miles oregon much deep.

(Source: nasa.gov)

Defence

THAAD has been developed by Lockheed Martin Corporation. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

• THAAD

— US to nonstop THAAD defence artillery strategy to Israel underlining its “ironclad committedness to the defence of Israel”.

— THAAD stands for Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence, and the artillery is utilized to intercept and destruct force missiles.

— A THAAD artillery consists of 95 soldiers, six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors (eight per launcher), radar surveillance and radar, and a tactical occurrence component.

— THAAD provides a “rapidly deployable capableness against short-range (up to 1,000 km), medium-range (1,000–3,000 km), and constricted intermediate-range (3,000–5,000 km) ballistic rocket threats wrong oregon extracurricular the ambiance during their last (terminal) signifier of flight.

— It Employs “hit-to-kill” exertion to destruct menace missiles, the THAAD tin support a larger country than the older Patriot Air and Missile Defense System. It has been developed by Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Diseases

(Just FYI: UPSC has consistently included questions connected wellness and diseases successful its examinations implicit the years. For instance, successful 2014, a question astir the Ebola microorganism appeared successful the Prelims, and successful 2017, a question astir the Zika microorganism was featured. Therefore, it is important to enactment updated connected diseases that are presently successful the news.)

• Nemaline Myopathy

— Recently, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud shared the challenges faced by his foster daughters, who are battling a uncommon congenital upset called nemaline myopathy.

— Nemaline myopathy, besides known arsenic rod myopathy oregon nemaline rod myopathy, is simply a uncommon congenital upset that affects the skeletal muscles, causing musculus weakness and different associated symptoms.

— The word “nemaline” comes from the Greek connection “nema,” meaning thread-like, referring to the rod-like structures (nemaline bodies) recovered successful the musculus cells of affected individuals.

— One of the superior challenges successful diagnosing nemaline myopathy is its rarity. So it tin beryllium misdiagnosed arsenic existing muscular disorders. This hold tin beryllium costly.

• Diphtheria 

— A three-year-old miss died of suspected diphtheria successful Punjab’s Faridkot past week.

— A toxin produced by immoderate strains of the Corynebacterium diphtheria bacteria results successful diphtheria. It affects the respiratory tract and spreads passim the body.

— The communal symptoms are fever, chills, swelling successful lymph nodes, fatigue, shortness of breath, etc. It is besides a highly contagious disease, though fatality rates are low.

Murine typhus is an infectious illness caused by the flea-borne bacteria Rickettsia typhi. It is transmitted to humans done the bites of infected fleas. (Representational/ Wikimedia Commons)

• Murine Typhus

— A 75-year-old antheral from Kerala who precocious travelled to Vietnam and Cambodia was connected Friday (October 11) diagnosed with the bacterial illness murine typhus.

— Murine typhus is an infectious illness caused by the flea-borne bacteria Rickettsia typhi.

— It is transmitted to humans done the bites of infected fleas. The illness is besides known arsenic endemic typhus, flea-borne typhus oregon flea-borne spotted fever.

— Rodents similar rats, mice and mongoose, are known to beryllium reservoirs of the disease.

— The symptoms usually look 7 to 14 days aft the vulnerability and see fever, headaches, assemblage aches, associated pains, nausea, vomiting, and tummy aches.

Persons successful News

•  Shubha Tole

— Professor Shubha Tole, neuroscientist and dean of postgraduate studies, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, is president-elect of the International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO).

— IBRO is simply a planetary relation of neuroscience societies established successful 1961 that aims to beforehand and enactment neuroscience astir the satellite done training, education, research, outreach and engagement activities, and the work of 2 journals, Neuroscience and IBRO Neuroscience Reports.

Yahya Sinwar was Hamas’s apical antheral connected the crushed successful Gaza. (AP)

• Yahya Sinwar

— Yahwa Sinwar, de facto main of Hamas, was killed by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) during a subject cognition successful the metropolis of Rafah successful the confederate Gaza Strip connected 16th October.

— Israel has agelong viewed Sinwar arsenic the mastermind of the October 7 attack, and referred to him arsenic “a dormant antheral walking”.

Places successful News

(Just FYI: The determination of the spot is important, considering that UPSC has asked respective questions astir places that were successful the news, specified arsenic Aleppo and Kirkuk, successful the 2018 UPSC Prelims. The champion mode to retrieve them is to crippled them connected a satellite map.)

•  Jamnagar

— Former cricketer Ajay Jadeja has been declared heir to Jamnagar’s royal throne.

— Jamnagar was founded by Jam Rawal successful 1540 CE arsenic the superior of the Princely State of Nawanagar. The territory is present known arsenic Jamnagar.

— The Ranji Trophy is named aft Ranjitsinhji, nawab of Jamnagar, and was started by the Board of Control for Cricket successful India (BCCI) successful 1934 aft his decease successful 1933.

• Lukla

— Over 1,000 overseas tourists person been stranded successful Nepal aft atrocious upwind led to the cancellation of flights to Lukla, the gateway to Mt Everest, according to state-run media Tuesday.

— Lukla is simply a tiny elevation municipality successful Nepal that has the airdrome nearest to the Mt Everest basal camp.

— Lukla Airport was built successful 1964 with the assistance of Sir Edmund Hillary, the archetypal idiosyncratic to acme Mount Everest.

• Jigawa, Nigeria

— A substance tanker overturned successful Nigeria’s authorities of Jigawa aft the operator mislaid power of the vehicle, spilling petrol which exploded and killed astatine slightest 147 people.

— Jigawa is located successful bluish Nigeria. It was created from the northeastern fractional of Kano authorities successful 1991.

Miscellaneous

• Statue of Lady Justice

— The Supreme Court has unveiled a caller “Lady Justice” statue.

— The new, six-foot-tall statue successful the judges’ room is of a saree-clad pistillate with nary blindfold, holding scales and, alternatively of the sword, a transcript of the Constitution of India.

— The archetypal Roman emperor Augustus (27 BCE-14 CE) introduced the worship of Justice successful the signifier of a goddess known arsenic Justitia (or Iustitia).

Sports

(Just FYI: With the unpredictability of the UPSC examinations and questions similar the ICC World Test Championship question 2021, you can’t beryllium definite of anything. It is omniscient to cognize what it is and not spell into excessively overmuch detail.)

• Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Hockey 2024

— The eighth variation of the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Hockey is scheduled successful Rajgir, Bihar, from November 11 to 20.

— The mascot for the tourney is ‘Gudia,’ which is inspired by Bihar’s authorities bird, the sparrow. The logo symbolizes the affluent taste and humanities practice of glorious Bihar and its wide development.

— The Indian women’s hockey squad won the tourney backmost successful 2016 and besides reclaimed the rubric past twelvemonth successful Ranchi, beating Japan successful the final.

— On 14th October, Bihar’s Chief Minister kicked disconnected the Trophy Gaurav Yatra from Patna. This yatra volition walk done Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, Jharkhand, and each the 38 districts of Bihar.

(Source: olympics.com)

Terms making buzz

— Dragon drones: Dragon drones fundamentally merchandise a substance called thermite — a substance of aluminium and robust oxide. When ignited (usually with the assistance of an electrical fuse), thermite triggers a self-sustaining absorption that is rather hard to extinguish. It tin pain done astir anything, from apparel to trees to military-grade vehicles, and tin adjacent pain underwater. On humans, it causes severe, perchance fatal, burns and bony damage. It is precocious utilized successful the Russia-Ukraine War.

— Bone Ossification test: One of the accused of sidesplitting Baba Siddique underwent bony ossification trial to find the property of the person. Ossification is the earthy process of bony formation. This starts from the aboriginal developmental signifier of the foetus and continues until precocious adolescence, but differs somewhat from idiosyncratic to individual.

— Marine Heat Waves (MHWs): MHWs are defined by the antithetic warming of water waters. In caller years, planetary warming has made MHWs much predominant and intense.

Test Your Knowledge

(Note: The champion mode to retrieve facts for UPSC and different competitory exams is to callback them done MCQs. Try to lick the pursuing questions connected your own.)

A. Consider the pursuing statements:

1. Murine typhus is an infectious illness caused by the flea-borne bacteria Bartonellosis.

2. Rodents similar rats, mice and mongoose, are known to beryllium reservoirs of the disease.

Which of the pursuing statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

B. The Europa Clipper ngo to survey Jupiter’s satellite Europa, was initiated by which abstraction agency?

(a) NASA

(b) ESA

(c) JAXA

(d) ISRO

C. Multidimensional Poverty Index is released by which of the pursuing organisations?

(a) UNDP

(b) Concern Worldwide

(c) WEF

(d) UNICEF

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For your answers, queries and suggestions constitute astatine khushboo.kumari@indianexpress.com