Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Mains level: Impact of climate change;
Why in the News?
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)‘s October 2024 report revealed that 2023 was the driest year for global rivers in 33 years, intensifying stress on water supplies globally.
What factors contributed to 2023 being the driest year for global rivers?
- Record High Temperatures: 2023 was marked as the hottest year on record, which significantly contributed to prolonged drought conditions and reduced river flows across many regions globally.
- Climate Change Impact: Rising temperatures have led to a more erratic hydrological cycle, resulting in both extreme droughts and flooding. This unpredictability has exacerbated water shortages in many areas.
- Transition from La Niña to El Niño: The climatic shift from La Niña to El Niño conditions in mid-2023 played a crucial role in altering weather patterns, leading to widespread dry conditions in many regions while simultaneously causing flooding in others.
- Glacier Melting: The report indicated that glaciers experienced their largest mass loss in 50 years, which threatens long-term water security for millions who rely on glacial meltwater for their water supply.
How has climate change impacted global water resources and glacier conditions?
- Increased Water Scarcity: The report highlighted that approximately 3.6 billion people currently lack reliable access to water for at least one month each year, a number expected to rise to over 5 billion by 2050 due to worsening water scarcity.
- Glacier Dependency: Many regions depend on glacial meltwater for their river systems. As glaciers continue to shrink, future water availability is jeopardized, particularly in areas like Europe and North America.
- Erratic Water Supply: The hydrological cycle’s acceleration leads to unpredictable rainfall patterns, causing both droughts and floods that disrupt agricultural and industrial water supplies.
What are the implications for global water access and management?
- Increased Demand vs. Supply Shortages: With growing populations and rising demand for water resources, the current trends indicate a critical imbalance between supply and demand, leading to heightened competition for available water resources.
- Need for Improved Monitoring: The WMO emphasizes the necessity for better data collection and sharing regarding water resources. This is crucial for effective management strategies that can adapt to changing conditions.
- Urgent Action Required: There is an urgent need for global cooperation and action to address these challenges. Enhanced monitoring systems and international collaboration are essential to mitigate the impacts of climate change on water resources.
Way forward:
- Strengthen Water Resource Management and Adaptation Strategies: Governments should implement integrated water resource management (IWRM) plans to address both water scarcity and flooding risks.
- Enhance Global Cooperation and Data-Driven Decision Making: Countries must prioritize data-sharing, improve monitoring of water resources, and foster cross-border collaborations to manage shared water systems effectively.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Mains level: Fake propaganda against India ;
Why in the News?
On October 2, the Washington DC-based United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a country update on India, highlighting what it described as “collapsing conditions for religious freedom.”
Mandate of the USCIRF
- Monitoring Religious Freedom: The USCIRF is tasked with monitoring the universal right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in countries outside the U.S. This includes assessing violations based on international human rights standards, particularly Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- Annual Reports: The commission produces annual reports that evaluate religious freedom conditions and recommend countries for designation as “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) or for inclusion on the “Special Watch List” (SWL).
- Policy Recommendations: USCIRF provides policy recommendations to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress regarding actions to address violations of religious freedom.
How does the UNSCIRF designate a country as a ‘Country of Particular concern’?
- Criteria for CPC Designation: A country is designated as a CPC if it engages in or tolerates “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations” of religious freedom. This includes severe actions such as torture, prolonged detention without charges, and other flagrant denials of basic rights.
- Recommendation Process: The USCIRF assesses countries based on its findings and recommends those that meet the CPC criteria. The U.S. Secretary of State ultimately decides whether to accept these recommendations and designate countries accordingly.
How has the Indian government reacted to the report?
- Rejection of Findings: The Indian government has strongly rejected the USCIRF’s report, labeling it as biased and politically motivated. Officials argue that the commission misrepresents facts regarding religious freedom in India.
- Defense of Policies: The Ministry of External Affairs stated that India is committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of all its citizens, regardless of their faith, and urged USCIRF to refrain from agenda-driven narratives.
Way forward:
- Engage in Diplomatic Dialogue: India should proactively engage with international bodies like USCIRF to address concerns, clarify its stance, and present factual data on religious freedom, fostering mutual understanding.
- Strengthen Domestic Protections: India should reinforce legal and institutional frameworks to safeguard minority rights and religious freedoms, ensuring transparent mechanisms to address grievances and counter negative perceptions globally.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Textile sector;
Why in the News?
Union Minister announced the Indian textile sector’s $350 billion business target by 2030, aiming to generate 3.5 crore jobs, despite recent challenges affecting the projected 10% CAGR.
Present Status:
- The Indian textile and apparel industry is currently valued at $153 billion (2021), contributing significantly to India’s GDP (2.3%) and manufacturing GVA (10.6%).
- The industry employs around 105 million people and is highly dependent on global markets, with 80% of its capacity in MSMEs.
- India was the third largest textile exporter in FY22, but faced a slowdown in FY23 and FY24, with significant drops in exports and domestic demand.
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What caused the slump in the Indian textile sector in the last two financial years?
- Geopolitical Tensions: Global geopolitical issues reduced demand in key export markets.
- High Raw Material Prices: Cotton and Man-Made Fibre (MMF) prices surged, hurting competitiveness.
- Import Duties: A 10% import duty on cotton made Indian cotton more expensive than global prices.
- Supply Chain Disruptions: Quality control measures affected the availability and price stability of MMF, further straining production.
What are the other challenges?
- Evolving Business Models: The rise of e-commerce and direct-to-consumer retailing is reshaping traditional business systems in the textile industry.
- Sustainability Standards: Global brands are increasingly focusing on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria, forcing Indian manufacturers to adopt sustainable practices.
- Changing Consumer Preferences: Growing demand for comfort wear, athleisure, and multi-brand outlets is shifting consumer behavior, impacting smaller or less-known brands.
- Labour Costs and Productivity: Labour constitutes 10% of production costs, and the industry faces pressure to improve productivity through technology adoption and workforce skilling.
Way forward:
- Enhance Global Competitiveness: The government should consider reducing import duties on key raw materials like cotton and stabilize supply chains by aligning domestic prices with international markets, ensuring competitiveness in global exports.
- Invest in Technology and Sustainability: The industry should focus on adopting advanced technologies to improve productivity and meet global ESG sustainability standards, while simultaneously upskilling the workforce to handle these technological advancements effectively.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Artificial Neural Network, Physics Nobel, 2024
Why in the News?
John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, 2024 for their pioneering work that laid the foundation for machine learning and artificial neural network.
What is Artificial Neural Network?
- Artificial neural networks are systems inspired by the structure of the brain.
- In these networks, nodes represent the brain’s neurons, and they influence each other through connections, similar to synapses in the brain.
- These connections can be made stronger or weaker through training.
- For instance, connections between nodes with high values can become stronger as the network learns.
- Since the 1980s, Hopfield and Hinton have been conducting important research on artificial neural networks.
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Significance of their contribution
- Hinton’s work on the Boltzmann machine and other neural networks helped drive the explosive growth of machine learning.
- His methods continue to play a significant role in modern AI, enabling technologies like image classification and pattern recognition.
PYQ:
[2020] With the present state of development, Artificial Intelligence can effectively do which of the following?
1 Bring down electricity consumption in industrial units
2. Create meaningful short stories and songs
3. Disease diagnosis
4. Text-to-Speech Conversion
5. Wireless transmission of electrical energy
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2, 3 and 5 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2, 4 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 |
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Combination Therapeutic Clotting Implant
Why in the News?
Scientists at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, in collaboration with other researchers have developed the Combination Therapeutic Clotting Implant.
What is the Combination Therapeutic Clotting Implant?
- It is a hybrid implant made of metal-based nano-medicine combined with patient-derived blood clotting components.
- It is designed to reduce localized tumor recurrence after surgery.
- It uses nanotechnology and autologous fibrin (derived from the patient’s own blood) to enhance post-surgical cancer treatment by providing localized therapy and promoting healing in the tumor bed.
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How does It Work?
- The implant is created using Nano-Micro-Sera (NMS), which consists of drug and metal-based nanomedicine stabilized by the patient’s own serum protein corona.
- The hybrid implant is reinforced into autologous fibrin, which quickly bonds with damaged tissue in the tumor bed after surgery.
- Once the surgical site is closed, the implant delivers localized chemo-phototherapy, triggering immunogenic cell death (ICD).
- This process activates dendritic cells and T-cells, which boosts the body’s immune response and prevents the recurrence of tumors.
Significance of the Implant
- The implant offers an affordable and effective solution for localized post-surgical cancer management, especially for marginalized patients.
- By using the patient’s own serum proteins and fibrin, the implant ensures personalized treatment, reducing the risk of systemic toxicity.
- The implant’s design is resource-efficient, making it accessible for bedside fabrication with simple equipment, ensuring wider availability.
- It has demonstrated superior outcomes in suppressing recurrent breast tumors, and its use could prevent tumor recurrence and reducing the chances of metastasis.
PYQ:
[2015] With reference to the use of nanotechnology in health sector, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Targeted drug delivery is made possible by nanotechnology.
2. Nanotechnology can largely contribute to gene therapy.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 |
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: 'Humsafar Policy' and its features
Why in the News?
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has launched the ‘Humsafar Policy’ in New Delhi to improve travel convenience on National Highways and boost the development of Wayside Amenities.
About the ‘Humsafar Policy’
- The Humsafar Policy is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to enhance the convenience and experience of travelers on National Highways (NHs).
- It focuses on developing Wayside Amenities along highways to provide a range of facilities for highway users, ensuring smooth, safe, and comfortable journeys.
- The policy also emphasizes environmental sustainability by incorporating eco-friendly practices like water conservation, solar energy, and waste recycling.
Features of the Humsafar Policy
- Wayside Amenities: Includes food courts, fuel stations, EV charging stations, parking, toilets, ATMs, and pharmacies.
- Standardized Facilities: Ensures well-maintained and hygienic services for commuters.
- Visibility for Service Providers: Featured on the ‘Rajmarg Yatra’ app, with signage space and renewal fee waivers for high-rated providers.
- Monitoring & Inspection: Regular third-party checks to maintain service quality, with alerts for low-rated facilities.
- Green Focus: Encourages solar energy, water conservation, and waste recycling.
Significance
- Better User Experience: Enhances travel with high-quality facilities.
- Economic Impact: Creates jobs and supports local communities.
- Standardization: Ensures consistent quality and accountability.
- Technological Integration: The ‘Rajmarg Yatra’ app gives real-time facility info and allows feedback from users.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Hanle Dark Sky Reserve
Why in the News?
Expert astro-photographers and astronomers have gathered at the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve from for the second Star Party.
Star Party and Its Details
- The Star Party at the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve is a gathering of amateur astronomers and astro-photographers who travel to Hanle to observe and capture celestial phenomena.
- It was hosted by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) from and attended by over 45 astronomy enthusiasts from across India.
- Participants brought their own telescopes and cameras to capture unique celestial events, including faint galaxies, the Zodiacal Light, and the rare sight of Venus casting a shadow.
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About Hanle Dark Sky Reserve (HDSR)
- The HDSR is a designated area in Changthang region of eastern Ladakh created to control man-made light pollution and protect the naturally dark night skies.
- It spans approximately 1,073 square kilometers and is home to the Indian Astronomical Observatory, operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA).
- Established to promote astronomy and astrophotography, it offers some of the darkest skies in India, ideal for astronomical research.
- Hanley is also the home to second-highest optical telescope in the world, established in 2001 by IIA.
Special Features of HDSR and the Surrounding Region
- High Altitude: Hanle is situated at a high altitude, providing clearer skies with minimal atmospheric interference.
- Minimal Light Pollution: The region has low light pollution, which makes it perfect for observing faint celestial objects.
- Dry Climate: The dry weather in the region contributes to excellent visibility, reducing the impact of humidity on astronomical observations.
Significance of HDSR
- Astrophotography and Research: The dark skies allow for detailed observation of celestial phenomena and astrophotography, attracting enthusiasts and researchers.
- Astro-Tourism: The reserve fosters astro-tourism, boosting the local economy by creating jobs for guides and supporting infrastructure.
- Preservation of Night Skies: It plays a crucial role in preserving the natural darkness of the sky, curbing light pollution in the region.
- International Attention: The reserve has attracted amateur and professional astronomers from across India and beyond, making it a hub for astronomical events.
| PYQ:
[2018] Consider the following phenomena:
- Light is affected by gravity.
- The Universe is constantly expanding.
- Matter warps its surrounding space-time.
Which of the above is/are the prediction/predictions of Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, often discussed in media?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3 |
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