Daily Current Affairs UPSC 31 October and 01, 02, 03, 04 November 2024

World Cities Day

• Designated by United Nations General Assembly.
• Celebrated annually on 31st October.
• Promotes global urbanization and sustainable urban development.
• Theme for 2024 is "Youth leading climate and local action for cities".

Urbanization Statistics:

• World: Cities projected to house 70% of world's population by 2050.
• India: By 2036, towns and cities in India will be home to 40% of population, up from 31% in 2011.

Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC)

WHO and partners activated GHEC in response to a recent Mpox outbreak.

About GHEC:

• Genesis: WHO founded GHEC in 2023 after the COVID-19 pandemic response highlighted the need for better-coordinated support.
• Objective: Strengthening response to health emergencies and providing a collaboration platform for countries and health emergency networks.
• Role: Supports countries with health emergency workforce, surge deployment of experts, and networking of technical leaders.
• NOTE: Refer to NewsToday document dated 16 Sep 2024 for more information on Mpox.

The ‘peace with nature’ coalition

• The ‘peace with nature’ coalition was launched by Colombia at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

About The ‘peace with nature’ coalition:

• The coalition includes countries from four continents such as Mexico, Sweden, Uganda, and Chile.
• None of the countries in the coalition are from the Asia-Pacific region.
• The coalition is open to countries that agree to a set of principles aimed at changing humanity’s relationship with nature.
• The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a legally binding treaty for the conservation of biological diversity that has been ratified by 196 nations.

The Iron Beam

Israel expects its “Iron Beam” laser defense system to be operational within one year.

About Iron Beam:

• Israel's Iron Beam laser defense system aims to intercept and destroy projectiles with precision using a high-powered laser.
• The system operates at the speed of light and has a range from several hundred meters to multiple kilometers.
• It is a cost-effective alternative to interceptor missiles and supplements existing aerial defense capacities like the Iron Dome.
• Limitations of Iron Beam: The system struggles in poor weather and low-visibility conditions.

Asset Recovery Interagency Network-Asia Pacific (ARIN-AP)

• India, represented by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), has joined the Steering Committee of ARIN-AP.
• India will have a role in decision-making and administrative responsibilities within ARIN-AP.
• India will assume the presidency of ARIN-AP and host the Annual General Meeting in 2026.

About ARIN-AP:

• ARIN-AP is a multi-agency network focused on combating economic crimes in the Asia-Pacific region.
• ARIN-AP is a member of the Global CARIN Network, which specializes in asset tracing, freezing, seizure, and confiscation.
• ARIN-AP has 28 member jurisdictions, including India, and nine observer jurisdictions.

Aditya-L1 mission

Aditya-L1 Mission Overview:

• Aditya-L1 mission recently shared its first science result.
• The Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) on Aditya-L1 accurately predicted the onset time of a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun.
• CMEs can cause damage to satellites in near-earth space and disrupt radio communication networks on Earth.

About Aditya L1 Mission:

• Aditya-L1 is a spacecraft dedicated to studying the Sun.
• It is placed in a halo orbit around the first earth-Sun Lagrange point (L1).
• Lagrange Point 1 is where the gravitational forces of the Sun and Earth are in equilibrium.

Exercises in News

• Garud Shakti: Indian Army contingent participating in India-Indonesia Joint Special Forces Exercise GARUD SHAKTI 24 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
• SIMBEX- 2024: Conclusion of the 31st edition of Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) in Visakhapatnam.

Indian Green Building Council (IGBC)

'Durgesh Aranya Zoological Park' at Bankhandi:

• Located in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh.
• Set to become India's first zoo to receive IGBC certification for sustainable and eco-friendly initiatives.

About Indian Green Building Council (IGBC):

• Established in 2001 as part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
• Vision to enable a sustainable built environment for all and make India a global leader in sustainability by 2025.
• Role includes developing green building rating programs, certification services, and training programs.
• Organizes the Green Building Congress, an annual event on green buildings.

Digital India Service Center Project (DICSC)

Introduction of DICSC project by MeitY.

About DICSC:

• Aim to bridge digital divide in rural India by providing e-governance, financial, and commercial services.
• One-stop solution for essential services like Aadhaar registration, banking, tele-law.
• Equipped with high-speed broadband connectivity and modern infrastructure.
• Implementation by Common Services Centres e-Governance Services India Limited.

Odisha Commemorates 25 Years of Resilience Since Devastating Supercyclone in 1999

• In 1999, Odisha faced a devastating supercyclone that claimed over 9,000 lives.
• Since then, Odisha has improved its cyclone management and was praised by the UN in 2013 and 2014.

Challenges in 1999 Disaster Response:

• Ignored Warnings: Authorities underestimated the severity of the storm despite alerts from IMD.
• Lack of Preparedness: Inadequate landfall warnings, limited resources, and poor communication strategy were observed.

Disaster resilient initiatives taken since 1999:

State:

• Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA): Established as India's first state-level disaster management agency to improve decentralized disaster response and reduce bureaucratic delays.
• Mission Zero Casualty: OSDMA introduced measures such as cyclone shelters, rapid response teams, and streamlined protocols to minimize human casualties during cyclones and floods.
• Community-centred efforts: Engaging local volunteers, including members from gram panchayats and women's SHGs, to lead rescue operations and mitigate disaster risks.

Centre:

• Improved Early Warning and Response Systems: The IMD now provides cloud imagery every 15 minutes, compared to significant delays in 1999.
• Disaster Management Act (DMA), 2005: Establishment of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under this act.

About Cyclones

• Cyclones are caused by atmospheric disturbances around a low-pressure area with swift and destructive air circulation.
• Classification:
  
  • Extra tropical cyclones or temperate cyclones: Found in temperate zones and high latitude regions.
  • Tropical cyclones: Occur between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer.
• Terminologies used by IMD: Low-pressure systems in the Bay of Bengal are classified based on wind speed as Super Cyclone (221 Km/h), Severe Cyclonic Storm (88-117 Km/h), and Cyclonic Storm (61-88 Km/h).

Indian Scientists develop Model to understand the Equatorial ElectroJet (EEJ)

• Indian scientists have created a model to understand the Equatorial ElectroJet (EEJ).
• The model will help in studying the impact of EEJ on orbiting satellites, GNSS-based navigation, satellite .communication links, and electrical power grids

About the Equatorial ElectroJet (EEJ):

• EEJ is a strong current of 100 kA flowing in Earth's ionosphere at 100km altitude.
• It is a few hundred kilometers wide, approximately 600 km.
• Formed at Earth's magnetic equator where magnetic field lines are parallel to the surface, leading to intense current density in the ionosphere.
• EEJ travels along the magnetic equator, with eastward flow during the day and reversal at night.
• It produces a distinct magnetic signature on the ground and in space, measured by magnetometers.

Effects of Equatorial Electrojet (EEJ)

• EEJ strengthens Earth's geomagnetic field near the equator.
• Disruptions in EEJ can affect power infrastructure and electricity monitoring systems in equatorial regions.

About the Magnetic Equator

• The magnetic equator is a line where the magnetic needle has zero dip.
• Unlike the Earth's geographic equator, the magnetic equator is not fixed and slowly changes.
• The geographic equator is a fixed great circle around the Earth at Zero-degree latitude.

India launches ‘National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) 2024-2030’

• Updated NBSAP introduced at COP 16 to CBD in Colombia.
• Framework for biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of resources, and fair benefit sharing.

Key Highlights of NBSAP 2024-30:

Background:

• First NBSAP created in 1999.
• NBAP adopted in 2008, updated in 2014 to align with Aichi Biodiversity Targets
• Alignment with KMGBF: KMGBF adopted in 2022 aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
• 23 National Biodiversity Targets: Focus on reducing threats to biodiversity, ensuring sustainable use of resources, and enhancing tools for implementation.
• Implementation: MoEFCC serves as the central agency.
• Capacity Building: Efforts may include need and gap assessment, target group identification, identifying experts/environment, and training for knowledge and skills acquisition.

Resource Mobilization:

• Recognizes India as a leading country for implementing BIOFIN at the national level.
• BIOFIN is a global partnership launched by UNDP and the European Commission to support countries in managing biodiversity and ecosystems financially.
• Calls for support from private entrepreneurs, business houses, donors, and international agencies for initiatives like Greenbonds, Green Fund, and Payment for Ecosystem Services.

MoEFCC approved Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMPs) of 10 coastal districts of Kerala

Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur, Ernakulam, etc.

About CZMP:

• CZMP is a strategic framework for managing and regulating human activities in coastal areas.

Key components of CZMPs:

• Zoning: CZMPs divide coastal areas into different zones like No Development Zones (NDZ) and Coastal Regulation Zones.
• Public Participation: Involves discussions with the public to consider their opinions and concerns.
• Approval of CZMP is a pre-condition for states to make the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2019 applicable and avail relaxed norms under it.

About CRZ:

• Central Government declares coastal stretches of the country and water areas up to territorial water limits as CRZ.
• CRZ was first notified in 1991 under the Environment Protection Act of 1986, with subsequent updates in 2011 and 2019.

Centre for Science and Environment release a report on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Plastic Packaging

• The Centre for Science and Environment released a report on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Plastic Packaging.
• Plastic waste is expected to triple globally by 2060, with less than 20% being recycled.
• EPR is a recognized policy principle to address the plastic crisis.

EPR for Plastic Packaging:

• Genesis of EPR for Plastic Packaging: Introduced in the Plastic Waste Management Rules (2016) and Extended Producer Guidelines notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change in 2022.
• Tenure of EPR: Until fiscal year 2027-28
• PIBOs (Producers, Importers, Brand Owners, Manufacturers) are responsible for collecting back 100% of the plastic packaging they put in the market
• EPR regime involves the generation of EPR certificates by plastic waste processors for recycling and disposal, which are traded with polluters
• PIBOs must purchase EPR certificates from PWPs as proof of compliance.

Challenges in the current EPR regime for plastic:

• Unmonitored and unregulated importers.
• Difficulty in distinguishing between packaging and non-packaging plastic waste.
• Issuance of fraudulent certificates by PWPs to PIBOs.

Recommendations for improvement:

• Establish fair EPR pricing.
• Invalidate fake EPR certificates.
• Include the informal sector in EPR guidelines.

About EPR:

• Definition: Policy principle holding producers accountable for product lifecycle.
• Elements: Producer responsibility, waste minimization, lifecycle approach, polluter pays principle.
• Types of waste streams: Packaging, electronic, battery, hazardous waste.
• Implementing agencies: PROs assist polluters in EPR compliance.

Astronomers discovered the first "black hole triple system"

• Typically, binary black hole systems involve two black holes orbiting each other.
• V404 Cygni was thought to be a binary system but was found to be a triple system.

About V404 Cygni System:

• Contains a central black hole consuming a small star every 6.5 days.
• A second star orbits the black hole at a vast distance, completing one orbit every 70,000 years.
• Located within the Milky Way and approximately 8,000 light-years from Earth.

Significance of the New Discovery:

• Challenges traditional black hole formation theory:
  
  • Distant star's presence debunks supernova explosion theory.
  • Supernova explosions should have expelled objects from its vicinity.
• Direct collapse theory: Black hole formed through quiet implosion, allowing objects to maintain orbital connections.

About Black Hole

• Cosmic body with intense gravity.
• Event Horizon defines boundary where escape velocity exceeds speed of light.
• 2019: Event Horizon Telescope captured first image of black hole.
• Supermassive black hole in galaxy M87, 55 million light-years away.