News In Short 28-12-2024

Baltic Sea

Syllabus: GS1/ Geography

Context

• NATO to enhance military presence in Baltic Sea after undersea power and internet cables cut.

About the Baltic Sea

• It is the youngest sea on Earth, formed 10,000-15,000 years ago as glaciers retreated at the end of the last Ice Age.
• It is located in Northern Europe, enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Sweden.
• It is one of the largest bodies of brackish water on the planet (Earth), connected to St. Petersburg by the Gulf of Finland.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – Created in 1949, it is an intergovernmental military alliance between countries of Europe and North America.  – It works on the principle of collective defence i.e. an attack on one member nation is treated as an attack on them all. – Headquartered in Brussels (Belgium), NATO currently has 32 member countries.

Source: Reuters

PM CARES Fund

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) received Rs 912 crore in contributions during the financial year 2022-23.

About

• The PM CARES Fund was registered as a Public Charitable Trust under the Registration Act, 1908 in 2020.
• It was established in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Objective: Dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected.
• Governance: The Prime Minister is the ex-officio chairman of the PM CARES Fund, while the Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister are ex-officio trustees of the Fund.
  • It is not a part of the government budget, and its workings are separate from the government’s direct financial control.
• Tax Benefits: Donations to PM CARES Fund would qualify for 80G benefits for 100% exemption under the Income Tax Act, 1961.
  • Donations will also qualify to be counted as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure under the Companies Act, 2013.

Source: IE

Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP)

Syllabus: GS3/Infrastructure

Context

• Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister has claimed that misinformation is being spread to mislead locals about the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP). 

About

• Location: The project is located in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, which is in the northeastern part of India. 
• Siang River: It is a major tributary of the Brahmaputra River.
  • It originates near Mount Kailash in Tibet, where it is known as the Yarlung Tsangpo. 
  • It traverses over 1,000 km eastward before entering Arunachal Pradesh as the Siang. 
  • Further downstream, in Assam, it joins tributaries like the Dibang and Lohit to become the Brahmaputra.
• Capacityof SUMP: Exceeding 10,000 MW.
• Multipurpose Nature: As a multipurpose project, the SUMP aims to serve more than just power generation:
  • Flood Control: The dam and reservoir would help in regulating the flow of the river, mitigating the risk of flooding downstream, particularly in Assam.
  • Irrigation: The project could provide water for irrigation, improving agricultural productivity in the region.
  • Water Supply: The water storage could be used for domestic and industrial purposes.
• Environmental and Social Concerns:
  • Displacement of Local Communities: The construction of dams and reservoirs result in the displacement of people who live along the river.
  • Ecological Impact: Alterations to the river ecosystem affect biodiversity, fisheries, and downstream water availability.
  • Seismic Risks: The region is earthquake-prone, raising concerns about the safety of large dams in such an area.

Source: IE

New method for detecting H. pylori

Syllabus :GS 3/Science and Tech 

In News

Researchers have developed a cost-effective point-of-care diagnostic service, FELUDA, for detecting H. pylori and its antibiotic resistance mutations in rural areas of India with limited access to diagnostic labs.

 H. pylori

• H. pylori is a gram-negative, microaerophilic bacterium that infects humans, typically residing in the stomach.
• It causes inflammation and ulceration of the stomach lining, leading to gastrointestinal issues.
  • It is the leading cause of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, gastric lymphoma, and gastric cancer
• Transmission occurs through fecal-oral, gastric-oral, oral-oral, or sexual routes, with lower socioeconomic status being a significant risk factor for higher infection prevalence.
• Global Impact of H. pylori: H. pylori infects over 43% of the global population and causes gastrointestinal disorders like peptic ulcers, gastritis, dyspepsia, and even gastric cancer.
  • Resistance to clarithromycin, caused by mutations in the 23S ribosomal RNA gene, is a growing public health threat, complicating treatment.
• Need for Novel Diagnostic Tools: To address this, there is a need for cost-effective, rapid diagnostic tools to detect H. pylori and its antibiotic resistance, particularly in underserved regions.
• CRISPR-Based Diagnostics: CRISPR technologies offer high accuracy in detecting specific mutations by designing guide RNAs for precise DNA recognition.
  • Researchers previously explored CRISPR-Cas9 methods but faced limitations due to the need for specific PAM sequences.
• Developments : Study explored en31-FnCas9, an engineered protein from Francisella novicida, which overcomes the PAM sequence limitation and successfully detects H. pylori mutations related to clarithromycin resistance.
  • The study  demonstrated the effectiveness of en31-FnCas9 in detecting H. pylori and its resistance mutations in gastric biopsy samples. 
  • It was combined with a lateral flow-based test strip (FELUDA) for rapid, visual results, making it ideal for remote clinical settings.

Source:PIB

Smart Cities Mission (SCM)

Syllabus: GS2-Welfare Schemes

Context

• A study by the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, reveals that the introduction of smart classrooms under the Smart Cities Mission has led to a 22% increase in overall enrolment in 19 cities from 2015-16 to 2023-24.

About the Smart Cities Mission (SCM)

• It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched in 2015.
• It covers 100 cities and is being implemented by the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) and all state and union territory (UT) governments.
• Originally slated for completion by 2019-20, the SCM has been extended to 31 March 2025, with 91% of projects completed as of November 2024.
•  The six fundamental principles on which the concept of Smart Cities is based are:

• Objective & Significance:
  • To promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to their citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of ‘Smart’ Solutions.
  • Make Cities liveable, inclusive, sustainable (Area-based development).
  • Create employment opportunities.

Source: TH

Panama Canal 

Syllabus :GS 1/Places 

In News

Donald Trump threatened to reimpose U.S. control over the canal, citing high fees and concerns over Chinese influence in nearby ports.

• Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino rejected Trump’s threat, reaffirming that the canal is under Panama’s full control.

About Panama Canal 

• The Panama Canal is an 82-km (51-mile) artificial waterway connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, saving ships thousands of miles and weeks of travel.
• Construction History: Spanish colonizers studied the canal in the 1530s, and after a failed French attempt, the U.S. took over in 1903, after supporting Panama’s independence.
  • The U.S. paid Panama $10 million and an annual annuity for the canal’s construction and administration, which led to the canal’s opening in 1914.
• Importance: It shortens travel time for ships, such as the journey from Los Angeles to New York, by about 8,000 miles (22 days) compared to the southern route around South America.
• U.S. Control and Handovers: Tensions grew over U.S. control, especially after the 1956 Suez Crisis.
  • In 1977, the Carter-Torrijos Treaty granted Panama full control of the canal by 1999.
• Recent Developments: Climate change and droughts have lowered water levels, limiting transits in the canal.

Source: DD News

813th Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti

Syllabus: GS1/ History and Culture

Context

• The 813th Urs of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti begins with a flag ceremony at Durgah Khwaja Saheb, Ajmer.

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti

• Early Life: Moinuddin was a revered Sufi saint, born in 1141 CE in Persia (modern-day Iran) and believed to be a descendant of Muhammad.
• Spiritual Training: Khwaja Moinuddin received formal education in Bukhara and Samarkand, centers of Islamic learning.
  • After encountering the mystic Ibrahim Qandozi, he set out on a spiritual journey.
  • He was later initiated into the Chishti Sufi order by Khwaja Usman Harooni near Herat.
• In 1192  CE, Moinuddin arrived in Ajmer, during the decline of the Chauhan dynasty following its defeat by Muhammad of Ghor.
• Disciples: Khwaja Moinuddin’s teachings were carried forward by prominent disciples like Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, Baba Fariduddin, Nizamuddin Auliya, and Chirag Dehalvi.

Contributions and Teachings 

• Promotion of Sufi Values: Khwaja Moinuddin propagated Sufism as a devotional and ascetic path within Islam.
  • He emphasized divine love, service to humanity, and equality, transcending religious boundaries.
• Interfaith Harmony: By engaging with Hindu mystics and sages, he fostered a spirit of mutual respect and understanding, rejecting religious orthodoxy.
• He earned the title “Garib Nawaz” (friend of the poor) for his selfless service.
• Legacy: Mughal Emperor Akbar revered Moinuddin and made pilgrimages to his shrine.

Source: AIR

Current Account Deficit

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy

Context

• India’s current account deficit (CAD) marginally moderated to $11.2 billion, equivalent to 1.2% of gross domestic product (GDP), during the July-September 2024 quarter. 

Current Account Deficit (CAD)

• The current account deficit occurs when a country’s imports of goods and services exceed its exports. 
• It is a crucial indicator of a nation’s economic health and reflects the balance of trade, net income from abroad, and net current transfers.

Components of CAD

• Trade Balance: The difference between the value of exports and imports of goods.
• Services: Includes software exports, travel, and other service receipts.
• Net Income: Comprises interest, dividends, and remittances.
• Net Transfers: Includes private remittances from expatriates.

Significance of lower CAD

• Economic Stability: It reduces vulnerabilities to global economic shocks, such as changes in commodity prices or interest rates in advanced economies.
• Reduced External Debt: With a lower CAD, India borrows less from foreign sources to bridge its deficit, keeping the external debt-to-GDP ratio manageable.
• Global Confidence: A low CAD boosts India’s credibility in global financial markets, enhancing its credit rating.

Source: IE