News In Short 21-10-2024

India’s Progress  for Eliminating Kala-azar Disease

Syllabus : GS 2/Health 

In News

• India is on track to eliminate Kala-azar as a public health problem; it has maintained case numbers below one per 10,000 people for two consecutive years, in line with WHO criteria for elimination certification.

Kala-azar

• Visceral leishmaniasis, commonly known as kala-azar, is a slow-progressing disease caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani in India. 
• Leishmania parasites are transmitted by the bites of infected female phlebotomine sandflies, which feed on blood to produce eggs.
  •  These parasites can be sourced from around 70 animal species, including humans.
• The term “kala-azar,” meaning “black disease,” refers to the skin discoloration associated with the infection. 
• The parasite primarily targets the reticuloendothelial system, particularly affecting the bone marrow, spleen, and liver.
• The disease’s elimination target has shifted over the years, with earlier goals set for 2010, 2015, 2017, and 2020.
  • The WHO now aims for elimination by 2030.
• Historically, states like Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and parts of Uttar Pradesh have reported the highest cases, particularly Bihar, which accounts for over 70%. 

Source :TH

2nd Indian Lighthouse Festival

Syllabus: GS3/Infrastructure

Context

• The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, dedicated key maritime projects to the nation during the 2nd Indian Lighthouse Festival.

About

• The new Kalwan reef Lighthouse in Gujarat as well as two projects in Odisha were inaugurated. 
• The festival is organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW).
• It is aimed to explore the vast potential of lighthouse tourism and strategies for preserving these maritime structures, blending tourism development with heritage conservation.
• Lighthouse tourism has been providing employment to many people and at the same time informing our next generations about the country’s maritime history.
  • With an investment of Rs 60 crore, 75 iconic lighthouses across 9 coastal states and one union territory have been developed.

Source: PIB 

eShram-One Stop Solution

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The Union Minister of Labor & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports launched the ‘eShram-One Stop Solution’ .

About

• It will act as a mediator to ensure that unorganized workers have easy access to a variety of Government schemes/programs. 
  • It will help unorganized workers become aware of the schemes designed for them.
• It will facilitate in identification and implementation of the Social Security & Welfare Schemes for the unorganised worker and to help saturation of the schemes in the fast and effective manner. 
• Consequently, 12 schemes of different Central Ministries / Departments have already been integrated/ mapped with the eShram.

Source: PIB

Use of Mining Dust to Enhance Carbon Capture

Syllabus : GS 3/Environment 

In News

• Alt Carbon, a company based in Darjeeling, is using crushed basaltic rock from mining to enhance carbon sequestration through a process called enhanced rock weathering. 

About Process

• It is a geo-chemical method, where rocks naturally break down over time, allowing atmospheric carbon to react with minerals and form bicarbonates.
• It uses crushed basaltic rock, rich in calcium and magnesium, sourced from mining regions like Maharashtra and West Bengal, which significantly increases the surface area for weathering.

Need and Importance 

• Oceans capture about 30% of CO2 from human activities. However, natural weathering processes are slow, taking thousands of years.
  • Due to rising CO2 levels, there’s a push from governments and businesses to expedite carbon removal processes, leading to the concept of “enhanced” rock weathering.
• Enhanced rock weathering accelerates the natural process by crushing basaltic rock, increasing its surface area, and speeding up bicarbonate formation.

•  The crushed basalt dust is applied to tea estates in Darjeeling, enriching the soil and enhancing carbon sequestration.
• Each tonne of sequestered carbon generates a carbon credit, which can be sold to companies for offsetting emissions.

Challenges

• There are concerns regarding the accuracy of carbon sequestration measurements across different projects, with significant variations reported in studies.

Do you know ? – Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial facilities and power plants or removing it directly from the atmosphere, followed by safely transporting and permanently storing it in geological formations.  – This practice is becoming increasingly vital as CO2 emissions are contributing to climate change, leading to wildfires, floods, and storms, while also threatening marine life due to rising ocean acidity.

Source: TH

Plankton Bloom

Syllabus: GS3/Environment

Context

• Researchers have described a species of bioluminescent phytoplankton, called Pyrocystis noctiluca, that balloons to six times their original size of a few hundred microns.
  • P. noctiluca cells behave more like little submarines which can control their density so they can choose where they want to reach the ocean’s surface.

What are Planktons?

• Plankton are tiny organisms that drift in oceans, seas, and freshwater bodies. They are categorized into two main types:
  • Phytoplankton: These are microscopic plants, primarily algae, that perform photosynthesis and are crucial for producing oxygen and serving as the base of aquatic food webs.
  • Zooplankton: These are small animals or the larval stages of larger animals. They feed on phytoplankton and other zooplankton.
• Plankton can vary in size from tiny bacteria to larger organisms like jellyfish. 
• They are important for nutrient cycling and serve as food for many marine species, including fish and whales.

Plankton Bloom

• A plankton bloom refers to a sudden increase in the population of plankton—both phytoplankton and zooplankton in aquatic ecosystems.
  • Physical conditions and nutrient levels can lead to high abundances of particular plankton types. 
  • Blooms can be quick events that begin and end within a few days or they may last several weeks. 
  • They can occur on a relatively small scale or cover hundreds of square kilometers of the ocean’s surface.

Source: TH

Pyromes

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

In News

• Carbon dioxide emissions from forest fires increased by 60% between 2001 and 2023: Study
  • The increase is attributed to climate change, which has caused a geographical shift in forest fire patterns, raising the carbon combustion rate by 47% across all forest regions.

About

• ‘Pyromes’ are defined as regions where forest fire patterns are affected by similar environmental, human, and climatic factors, thereby revealing the elements pushing recent increases in forest fires.
• Grouping forests into pyromes isolates the impacts of climate change, apart from other influencing drivers such as land use and vegetation.

Source: DTE

European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI)

Syllabus: GS3/ Defence

In News

• Switzerland has officially joined the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI)

About European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI)

• It is a collaborative project aimed at building a unified air and missile defense system across Europe. 
• The initiative was introduced by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in August 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• The initiative facilitates better coordination among European nations regarding air defense and creates opportunities for shared resources and expertise.  It will strengthen NATO’s integrated air and missile defence.

Source: Print

Quad Countries Participation in Military Exercises

Syllabus :GS 3/Defense

In News

• The Quad, consisting of India, Australia, Japan, and the U.S., conducted back-to-back naval exercises to enhance interoperability and anti-submarine warfare skills.

About the Exercises

• Exercise Malabar:
  • Evolution: Originally a bilateral drill between India and the U.S. in 1992, Malabar has transformed into a key multilateral event focusing on interoperability and shared maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific.
  • Objectives: Malabar aims to improve collaboration and engagement in maritime security amid complex challenges, as stated by the Indian Navy.
• Exercise Kakadu: Prior to Malabar, Exercise Kakadu was held from September 9 to 20, hosted by the Royal Australian Navy, involving around 3,000 personnel from 30 nations and significant naval assets.
  • Exercise Kakadu highlighted Australia’s dedication to regional maritime security and international partnerships through collaboration with multiple nations.

Source :TH

Carbon Emissions from Fire

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

Context

• A study revealed that the Carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from forest fires grew by 60 per cent across all forests globally since 2001.

About

• Global Scenario: Globally, wildfires contributed significantly to CO₂ emissions.
  • Wildfires across 11 countries have produced over 375 million tonnes of CO2 emissions till the first half of 2024.
• Indian Scenario: India’s Third Biennial Update Report to UNFCCC states that the country’s emissions from forest fires contribute a mere 1-1.5% of all global emissions from wildfires, despite being home to about 2% of the total global forest area.

Implications

• Climate Change: Wildfire emissions exacerbate climate change by adding more greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere.
  • As temperatures rise and droughts become more common, the risk of wildfires increases, further contributing to global warming.  
• Air Quality: Wildfire smoke contains harmful pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). 

Source: DTE

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

• The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections, mandated to be held every five years, were last conducted in 2011.

About

• The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) is an important Sikh religious organization responsible for managing and overseeing the affairs of Sikh gurdwaras (places of worship) in the state of Punjab, as well as other parts of India and abroad.
• Origin: The SGPC was created in response to demands by Sikhs for control over their religious institutions, which were under the influence of corrupt mahants (priests) appointed by the British colonial government.
  • The SGPC operates under the Gurdwara Act of 1925, which grants it authority to manage Sikh religious affairs and institutions.
• Structure: It is a democratically elected body with members elected by Sikh voters. 
• The SGPC also plays a key role in promoting Sikh teachings and spreading awareness about Sikhism.

Source: IE