National Current Affairs – UPSC/IAS Exams- 16th August 2019

by Mentors4ias · August 16, 2019

Micro-plastics in Arctic snow

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: Minute micro-plastic particles have been detected in the Arctic and the Alps, carried by the wind and later washed out in the snow, this calls for urgent research to assess the health risks of inhalation.

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The new study, conducted by scientists at Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute and Switzerland’s Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, found that microplastic particles can be transported tremendous distances through the atmosphere.
Every year, several million tonnes of plastic litter course through rivers and out to the oceans, where they are gradually broken down into smaller fragments through the motion of waves and the ultraviolet light of the sun.
It’s readily apparent that the majority of the microplastic in the snow comes from the air.
These particles, defined as shreds less than five millimeters in length, are later washed out of the air by precipitation, particularly snow.
The team’s hypothesis for airborne transportation builds on past research conducted on pollen, where experts confirmed that pollen from near the equator ends up in the Arctic.
Similarly, dust from the Sahara desert can cover thousands of kilometres and end up in northeast Europe.

About the Threat of Micro Plastics:

When plastics (and so called ‘biodegradable’ plastic bags) do break down, they simply break into smaller pieces of plastic. This makes it easier for turtles, seabirds and fish to mistake them for food and fill their stomachs with indigestible waste, which slowly starves them.
A study revealed that microplastics have been found in the guts of every marine mammal washed up on Britain’s shores.
Microplastic pollution may be having a profound impact on people’s hormones, affecting blood pressure, fertility, immune systems and causing multiple diseases including cancer. There is a need for more research to know the exact effects.

Smart’ clothing

Topic: Science and Technology

In News: Researchers in Singapore have invented ‘smart’ clothing that can boost signals and save battery life on wireless devices such as headphones and smart watches.

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The invention called “metamaterial” allows radio waves like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to glide across clothing between wearable devices instead of radiating outwards in all directions.
This means sensors and wearable technology such as Apple Watches and AirPods can establish stronger connections faster and save energy.
This T-shirt increases the wireless connectivity of devices around body by 1,000 times. It could be used for measuring the vital signs of athletes or hospital patients.

Source: The Hindu

Tuberculosis

Topic: Health

In News: A new treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is showing 90% success rate in treatment of Multi Drug resultant Tb.

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The three-drug regimen consists of bedaquiline, pretomanid and linezolid — collectively known as the BPaL regimen.
Pretomanid is the novel compound developed by the New York-based non-profit organisation TB Alliance.

About TB:

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but they can also damage other parts of the body.
TB spreads through the air when a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, or talks. If you have been exposed, you should go to your doctor for tests. You are more likely to get TB if you have a weak immune system.
Each day, thousands of people with TB die, often because of inequitable access to quality diagnosis and treatment.
In addition, the rapid emergence of drug-resistant forms of TB (DR-TB) in many countries brings a fresh set of needs including new and comprehensive diagnostic tests and second-line TB drugs, and health systems trained anew to manage DR-TB.

Indian Experience:

India not only accounts for a fifth of the world’s TB burden, it also has the largest number of people living with multidrug-resistant TB.
India has fought to retain its status as a maker and distributor of generic medicines, thereby protecting the right to health of people in developing countries.
India’s vision: To end TB by 2025, five years ahead of the World’s Target under SDG’s
India’s estimated annual TB burden is 28 lakhs, 27% of the global total; our population is only 18%. Every day 1,200 Indians die of TB — 10 every three minutes.
According to Health Ministry data, only 63% of the patients infected with the airborne disease are currently under treatment. Further, 1,47,000 patients are resistant to first- and second-line TB medicines.
At the current rate of progress, global targets to eliminate TB by 2030 will be missed by a 150 years.

Major initiatives taken by India:

Shift to Daily regime of medication: With DOT Centres, the treatment will be at individual door level leading to no defaulter.
Cash benefit for TB patients & Medical Practitioner:
Web-based Application – Nikshay: To enable health functionaries at various levels across the country to monitor TB cases in their areas
Introduction of Cartridge-Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT): It is a revolutionary rapid molecular test which simultaneously detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin drug resistance.

Model Mains Question: TB remains one of the leading causes of death from any single infectious agent worldwide. Comment on the national and global efforts to eliminate the disease by 2035.

Source: The Hindu, Wikipeida

Pension scheme for small traders

Topic: Government Policies

In News: The Centre’s pension scheme for small traders, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned in his Independence Day speech as one of the promises met by his government since its re-election in May, is yet to start, according to Union Labour and Employment Ministry.

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The Pradhan Mantri Laghu Vyapari Maan-Dhan scheme, which is an extension of the PM Shram Yogi Maan-dhan Yojana, will make all beneficiaries eligible for a monthly pension of Rs 3000 after the age of 60 at a miniscule monthly contribution.
All shopkeepers and self-employed persons, as well as retail traders with GST turnover below Rs 1.5 crore and aged between 18-40 years, can enroll for the scheme.
Interested persons can enrol themselves through over 25 lakh common service centres spread across the country. The government will make a matching contribution in the subscribers’ account.
Government will establish a pension fund to run the scheme. The Life Insurance Corporation of India has been chosen as pension fund manager responsible for managing the pension fund, central record keeping agency and responsible for pension pay out.

Source: The Hindu

Agritech Sector

Topic: Economy

In News: NASSCOM’s Agritech In India: Emerging Trends in 2019 report noted that India is home to more than 450 startups in the agriculture technology sector, of the global total of about 3,100.

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With Indian farmers facing post-harvest losses amounting to a whopping ₹93,000 crore, a slew of agritech start-ups are now trying to bridge that gap with demand driven cold chains, warehouse monitoring solutions and market linkages that can significantly boost farmer income.
These efforts to create supply chain efficiency are the focus of more than 50% of India’s booming agritech industry, which has received 300% more funding in the first half of 2019 than in the whole of 2018.
According to government data, post-harvest losses are highest in the fruit and vegetable sector with as much as 16% of produce going waste. Some of the biggest agritech deals have been aimed at addressing this issue, creating direct market linkages through digital platforms such as Ninjacart and Crofarm.
These could support evolving business areas such as farm to fork, or direct delivery of produce from farmers to hotels, restaurants and cafes.

Other Agri-Technologies:

Other innovations include image sensing for quality grading, storage monitoring based on the Internet of Things and the digitisation of mandis, as well as farmer producer organisations.
Start-ups offer technology solutions to increase crop productivity, using big data analytics, Artificial Intelligence and remote sensing to improve land management, crop cycle monitoring and harvest traceability.
Another group aims at solving farmers’ credit issues, providing low cost and timely financing for agricultural equipment and allowing access to low cost digital loans using virtual credit cards.
India’s agriculture sector is advancing steadily towards its digital transformation and the start-up ecosystem is playing a critical role here, bringing innovation and disruption in much-needed areas.

Model Mains Question: Comment on the importance of Technologies in doubling farmer’s income.

Source: Hindu and Wikipedia

Burrowing frog species confirmed in Jharkhand

Topic: Environment and Ecology

In News: A new species of burrowing frog has been confirmed in Jharkhand’s Chhota Nagpur Plateau.

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It has been named as Spahaerotheca Magadhaand will be known by the common name of ‘Magadha Burrowing Frog’.
The frog is endemic to agricultural areas in Nawadih and Joungi village of Jharkhand’s Koderma district.
The frog is the newest species of the genus Spahaerotheca, of which, 10 other species are found in South Asia.

Source: The Hindu and Wikipedia

CBI- Its Time for Reform

Topic: Polity and Governance

In News: Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi recommended a comprehensive legislation to make the Central Bureau of Investigation functional as an efficient and impartial investigative agency.

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He mentioned legal ambiguity, weak human resource, lack of adequate investment, accountability, and political and administrative interference as key concerns.
Efforts to reform the CBI have been going on since the famous Vineet Narain judgment of 1997 through which the Supreme Court gave a set of directions to the government to ensure the autonomy of the organisation.
By 2013, it was clear that reform efforts had failed. This is when the Supreme Court had made its infamous observation that the CBI “was a caged parrot speaking in its master’s voice”.

Concerns:

The real problem for the CBI lies in its charter of duties. These are not protected by legislation. Instead, its functions are based merely on a government resolution that draws its powers from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, which makes the CBI the premier investigative arm of the Union government. Every successive government has found it useful to keep the ‘parrot in the cage’ to make it do its (dirty) work.
Corruption in the CBI has always been spoken of in undertones, for the simple reason that it is the nation’s apex anti-corruption investigation agency. Its action — or inaction — can make or break a major case. If there are corrupt officers in its midst, they are in a position to benefit illegally.
As the officers are drawn from Centre Services there are transfers and deputations which help the government’s vested interests at times.
Since police is a State subject under the Constitution, and the CBI acts as per the procedure prescribed by the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which makes it a police agency, the CBI needs the consent of the State government in question before it can make its presence in that State. This is a cumbersome procedure and has led to some ridiculous situations.

Needed Reforms:

Ensure that CBI operates under a formal, modern legal framework that has been written for a contemporary investigative agency.
The 19th and 24th reports of the parliamentary standing committees (2007 and 2008) recommended that the need of the hour is to strengthen the CBI in terms of legal mandate, infrastructure and resources.
It is high time that the CBI is given pan-India jurisdiction. It must have inherent powers to investigate corruption cases against officers of All India Services irrespective of the assignments they are holding or the state they are serving in.
Besides appointing the head of the CBI through a collegium, as recommended by the Lokpal Act, the government must ensure financial autonomy for the outfit.
It is also possible to consider granting the CBI and other federal investigation agencies the kind of autonomy that the Comptroller and Auditor General enjoys as he is only accountable to Parliament.
One of the demands that has been before Supreme Court, and in line with international best practices, is for the CBI to develop its own dedicated cadre of officers who are not bothered about deputation and abrupt transfers.
A more efficient parliamentary oversight over the federal criminal and intelligence agencies could be a way forward to ensure better accountability, despite concerns regarding political misuse of the oversight.