National Current Affairs – UPSC/IAS Exams- 12th June 2019

CO2 emissions rose by 2% in 2018: study

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: The BP Statistical Review of World Energy said that Global carbon emissions grew by 2.0% last year, the highest rate since 2010-2011, and said that the trend is “unsustainable”.

More on the Topic:

• The BP Statistical Review of World Energy is viewed as an energy industry standard. It also found that global energy demand grew by 2.9%.
• Carbon emissions contribute to climate change, which can have serious consequences for humans and their environment.
• The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. These carbon emissions raise global temperatures by trapping solar energy in the atmosphere.
• This alters water supplies and weather patterns, changes the growing season for food crops and threatens coastal communities with increasing sea levels.
• Carbon dioxide persists in the atmosphere for 50 to 200 years, so emissions released now will continue to warm the climate in the future.
• Climate change is expected to increase rainfall in some areas, thereby causing an increase in the sediment and pollutants washed into drinking water supplies. Rising sea levels will cause saltwater to infiltrate some freshwater systems, increasing the need for desalination and drinking water treatment.
• Global warming has the potential to result in more wildfires, droughts and tropical storms.
• Changing weather affects the agricultural industry and the human food supply. Carbon emissions contribute to increasing temperatures and decreasing precipitation, changing the growing conditions for food crops in many areas.
• Carbon emissions will cause global temperatures to rise by approximately 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.5 degrees Fahrenheit) over the next 100 years.
• This slight change can have dramatic effects on shorelines, especially those densely populated by humans where rising sea levels flood buildings and roads and influence shipping traffic.

Way Forward:

• Some of the approaches that could remove or absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are better agricultural practices that leave carbon in the ground, use of biochar, undertaking afforestation and reforestation.
• One method that is widely discussed is bioenergy for fuel in combination with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). This involves the use of plants as fuel. The released carbon dioxide is then captured and safely stored indefinitely.
• However, due to competition for land for food and other purposes, and due to technological limitations, this approach is believed to be inappropriate for extensive use.
• Other methods to suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and increase carbon dioxide absorption by the oceans are also being explored, but their long-term implications are not clear.
• Some scientists have been discussing the possibility of injecting cooling aerosols at a large scale in the atmosphere, but these geoengineering technologies pose huge risks and are also not long-term solutions.

Source: The Hindu

Defence Space Research Agency (DSRO)

Topic: Science and Technology

In News: To enhance the capabilities of the armed forces to fight wars in space, the government has approved the setting up of a new agency which will develop sophisticated weapon systems and technologies.

More on the Topic:

• The Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cleared the setting up of the Defence Space Research Agency (DSRO) which has been entrusted with the task of creating space warfare weapon systems and technologies.
• The agency would be provided with a team of scientists which would be working in close coordination with the tri-services integrated Defence staff officers.
• It would be providing the research and development support to the Defence Space Agency (DSA) which comprises members of the three services. The DSA has been created “to help the country fight wars in the space”.
• The Defence Space Agency is being set up in Bengaluru under an Air Vice Marshal-rank officer and will gradually take over the space-related capabilities of the three forces.

Background:

• In March, India had carried out the Anti Satellite Test (ASAT) which demonstrated its capability to shoot down satellites and joined an elite club of four nations with similar capability.
• The test also helped the country develop deterrence capability against adversaries who may want to attack Indian satellites to cripple systems in times of war.

Source: The Hindu

Quad Grouping

Topic: International Relations

In News: There is need for flexibility, agility and speed in solving regional problems and the Quad is “one of many such small groupings” in solving them, asserted Harinder Sidhu, Australia’s High Commissioner in India.

More on the topic:

• The quadrilateral grouping comprising India, Australia, Japan and the U.S. was revived in 2017 but the grouping has so far shied away from adding a military aspect to it. The latest meeting was held last month in Bangkok.
• The quadrilateral comes in the backdrop of growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea.
• It has also raised concerns regarding freedom of trade and navigation through the waters of the south and East China seas. To counter hegemony of China in the region.
• Single Navy of any country can’t provide security in vast oceans.
• It will increase connectivity in the Indonesian Pacific region and provide economic opportunity.
• It will provide safety to international maritime trade routes like Mallaca strait.
• India has taken a significant turn in its policy for the subcontinent by joining quad grouping.It provides New Delhi a powerful platform to advance its interests in East Asia.
• It will deepen India’s ties with US, Australia and Japan with benefits in diplomatic leverage and sharing of burden in defense.
• It will also provide India significant chance in shaping US policies in Afghanistan-Pakistan to the benefit of India.
• It will provide a powerful platform to advance Indian interest in region and strengthen Act East policy.
• Foster economic growth with better market adaptation, so it will lead to more employment opportunity in India.
• It helps India and other three Nations to counter China’s OBOR. As India is refused to join OBOR it helps India to connect with other markets like Central Asian and South East Asian markets.

Source: The Hindu

‘Brain Fever’

Topic: Health

In News: At least 28 children have died in the past one month in Muzaffarpur district of north Bihar, allegedly due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).

More on the Topic:

• Every year during summer time, especially in the season of luscious fruit litchi, AES outbreak gets reported and takes the lives of children in the district, which is India’s largest litchi cultivation region.
• “It generally hits those children who go to sleep empty stomach at night and eat litchis fallen on the ground. Earlier, three different teams of doctors had reached three different conclusions about the reason of children’s deaths in summer season in Muzaffarpur.”
• According to doctors, high temperatures along with excessive humidity is considered to be an ideal situation for the outbreak of AES, which has symptoms of high fever, vomiting, nausea and unconsciousness.
• Since 2010, 398 children have died in Muzaffarpur due to suspected AES.

Model Mains Question: Compare the recent Nipah outbreak at Kerala to the recent Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) outbreak at Bihar and suggest measures to improve the biological disaster mitigation outcomes.

Source: The Hindu

Pro-tem speaker of Lok Sabha

Topic: Polity and Governance

In News: BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh Virendra Kumar will be the Pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

More on the Topic:

• As Pro-tem Speaker, he will preside over the first sitting of the Lok Sabha, administer the oath of office to the newly elected MPs, and oversee the election of the Speaker.
• In the first week of the session, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker will be elected.
• Operative person on the chair of the speaker of the Lok Sabha on state Legislative Assemblies, temporarily holding the post is called the Pro-tem speaker.
• He has to work for a limited Period, till the new speaker and deputy speakers are elected after the election.
• The House chooses one of them with an agreement to work as a Pro tem speaker.
• A Protem speaker is elected to handle the activities of the House. The powers regarding the Pro tem speakers are not clarified but this is very clear that Pro tem speaker does not have as much power as the permanent speaker has.
• He cannot or at least does not exercise the serious powers of the speaker like defection etc. But in regular routine work, he enjoys the same position power and privilege and immunities as that of a regular speaker.

Source: The Hindu

Bharat Stage – VI (BS – VI) norms

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) released India’s first Type Approval Certificate (TAC) for Bharat Stage – VI (BS – VI) norms for the two wheeler segment.

More on the Topic:

• This is India’s first certification in the two wheeler segment for the BS – VI norms that are the latest emission norms as notified by the Government of India.
• Bharat Stage norms are the automotive emission norms which the automotive manufacturers have to comply to sell their vehicles in India. These norms are applicable to all two wheelers, three wheelers, fourwheelers and construction equipment vehicles.
• To curb growing menace of air pollution through the vehicles emission, the Government of India has decided to leapfrog from the exiting BS – IV norms to the BS- VI, thereby skipping the BS – V norms, and to implement the BS – VI norms with effect from 1st April 2020.
• Only those vehicles will be sold and registered in India from 1st April 2020 onwards,which comply to these norms. The norms are stringent and at par with global standards.

About ICAT:

• ICAT is the premier testing and certification agency authorized by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for providing testing and certification services to the vehicle and component manufacturers in India and abroad.
• It has the latest equipment, facilities and capabilities to develop, validate, test and certify the engines and vehicles for the latest norms in the field of emission and many other facilities like crash lab, NVH lab, EMC lab and test tracks.

Source: The Hindu

Three Language Formula

Topic: Polity and Governance

In News: The Draft New Education Policy 2019 referred to the mandatory teaching of Hindi in States where Hindi is not spoken. It has begun a new wave of debates on three language formula all over again.

More on the Topic:

• The draft evoked a hostile response from political leaders in Tamil Nadu, who were quick to dub the proposal as an attempt to impose Hindi on the unwilling State.
• Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam president M.K. Stalin warned that his party would be forced to launch another agitation against Hindi imposition. The State had witnessed massive protests against earlier attempts to impose Hindi in 1937 and 1965.
• The Centre sought to defuse the situation by first reminding them that it was only a draft, and that the policy was yet to be finalised. Subsequently, the reference to Hindi was dropped by the committee.

About Three language Formula:

• It is commonly understood that the three languages referred to are Hindi, English and the regional language of the respective States.
• Though the teaching of Hindi across the country was part of a long-standing system, it was crystallised into a policy in an official document only in the National Policy on Education, 1968.
• This document said regional languages were already in use as the media of education in the primary and secondary stages. In addition, it said, “At the secondary stage, State governments should adopt and vigorously implement the three-language formula, which includes the study of a modern Indian language, preferably one of the southern languages, apart from Hindi and English in the Hindi-speaking States.”
• In the ‘non-Hindi speaking States’, Hindi should be studied along with the regional language and English. It added: “Suitable courses in Hindi and/or English should also be available in universities and colleges with a view to improving the proficiency of students in these languages up to the prescribed university standards.”

Hindi as a Link Language:

• On promotion of Hindi, the NPE 1968 said every effort should be made to promote the language and that “in developing Hindi as the link language, due care should be taken to ensure that it will serve, as provided for in Article 351 of the Constitution, as a medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture of India.
• The establishment, in non-Hindi States, of colleges and other institutions of higher education which use Hindi, as the medium of education should be encouraged”.

What is the backdrop to the Hindi imposition row:

• The State has been traditionally opposed to any attempt to introduce Hindi as a compulsory language of learning or administration. The origin of the linguistic row, however, goes back to the debate on official language.
• In the Constituent Assembly, Hindi was voted as the official language by a single vote. However, it added that English would continue to be used as an associate official language for 15 years.
• The Official Languages Act came into effect on the expiry of this 15-year period in 1965. This was the background in which the anti-Hindi agitation took place. However, as early as in 1959, Jawaharlal Nehru had given an assurance in Parliament that English would continue to be in use as long as non-Hindi speaking people wanted it.

Way Forward:

• There are many ways to promote languages.India has,thanks to cricket commentaries, cinema, film songs and television become largely a bilingual country, with English joining as a trilingual second or third language in the gates of its metropolises. So, imposition of Hindi ‘from above’ is unnecessary and counterproductive when other means are already producing positive outcomes.