Daily Current Affairs UPSC 05 April 2024

National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO)

• NOTTO plans to create a national digital database of organ donors for smooth transplants.
• India had 16,041 organ transplants in 2022, but nearly 500,000 organ failure recipients are on the waitlist.
• About NOTTO:
  • National organization under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
  • Functions include coordinating and networking for organ and tissue procurement and distribution, as well as maintaining a registry of organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)

• NATO celebrated its 75th anniversary.
• About NATO:
  • Founded in 1949 with headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
  • Currently has 32 member countries from Europe and North America, with Sweden being the latest to join.
  • Based on the principle of collective defense, where an attack on one ally is considered an attack on all allies.
  • Largest peacetime military alliance globally.

Plankton crash

• Plankton crash and red color of Promenade beach in Puducherry.
• Noctiluca scintillans plankton turn red in large numbers.
  • Pigments stick to rocks and sea floor, causing 'red tides'.
• Lack of nutrients or CO2 can lead to plankton crashes.
• Sudden changes in water quality can also cause plankton to die.

Mulching

• Mulching in Phey village in Ladakh for organic watermelon.
• Significance of mulching in a cold desert like Ladakh for hot climate plants.
• About Mulching:
  • Covering topsoil with plant material like leaves, grass, twigs, etc.
  • Helps create soil structure with pores for rainwater infiltration.
• Benefits of Mulching:
  • Prevents soil erosion.
  • Increases organic matter in soil.

Hydroponics

• Hydroponics in India's Sustainable Food Sector.
• About Hydroponics:
  • Hydroponics is a soil-less farming technique using water-based nutrients.
  • Can use substrates like vermiculite, coconut coir, perlite.
  • Significance: Saves water, land, resources, increases plant yields.
  • Challenges: Lack of technical knowledge, high initial set-up cost, constant human intervention needed.

Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC)

• NASA developing Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC).
• Coordinated Lunar Time:
  • LTC to be used for moon and other celestial bodies.
  • LTC aims to provide consistent time-keeping for lunar missions.
  • Earth-based clock on moon would lose 58.7 microseconds per day due to time dilation.
• Time dilation means time passes at different rates for observers depending on motion or position in gravitational field.

OpenAI’s new Voice Engine

• OpenAI's latest innovation is the Voice Engine, an AI model that can mimic any voice in any language.
• Users can upload short audio samples and generate audio in the same voice and speaking style.
• The Voice Engine is not yet available for public use.
• Applications of the Voice Engine include providing reading assistance, translating content, and helping patients recover their voice.
• Potential disadvantages include misuse such as cloning public figures' voices, privacy concerns, and the lack of regulations.

Kumittipathi rock painting

• Miscreants have damaged rock art paintings at the cave at Kumittipathi, Tamil Nadu.
• About Kumittipathi rock painting:
  • Vandals have destroyed ancient rock art at Kumittipathi, Tamil Nadu.
  • Believed to be 3000 years old.
  • Artists used inorganic white pigment and natural gum.
  • Depicts an elephant, ther (chariot or peacock), and early dwellers' lives.
  • Different from other rock painting sites in Tamil Nadu as they are inside a cave.

Romania (Capital: Bucharest)

• Romania's research center has developed the world's most powerful laser, promising revolutionary advances in various sectors like health and space.
• This development showcases Romania's technological capabilities and potential for innovation.
• Political Features of Romania:
  • Romania is located in Southeastern Europe and is bordered by Ukraine to the north, Moldova to the northeast, Bulgaria to the south, Serbia to the southwest, and Hungary to the west.
  • The country is bounded by the Black Sea to the southeast.
  • Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007, highlighting its integration into international organizations.
• Geographical Features of Romania:
  • Romania has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons.
  • The relief is dominated by the Carpathian Mountains, providing a diverse landscape.
  • Major rivers in Romania include the Danube, Tisza, and Prut.
  • The highest peak in Romania is Mount Moldoveanu, showcasing the country's natural beauty and diverse geography.

“Synchronizing energy transitions toward possible Net Zero for India: Affordable and clean energy for All” Report

• Study on minimizing power costs for consumers and finding an optimal power source mix for net-zero emissions.
• Launched by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India
• Key Highlights of the Report:
  
  • Coal is expected to remain a key component of India's energy system for the next two decades.
  • Achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 will require a significant increase in nuclear power and renewable energy generation.
  • Refurbishing, recycling, and mineral recovery will be crucial in meeting future mineral demands.
  • Exploring carbon dioxide technologies like bioenergy with carbon capture and storage and CCUS will be essential.
• Key Recommendations:
  • Conduct life cycle assessments of alternative energy systems and provide incentives based on their net mitigation potential.
  • Invest in developing renewable and battery technologies using domestically available mineral resources, such as vanadium-based flow batteries.
  • Implement regulatory changes to allow for hydrogen blending into natural gas networks.
  • Establish uranium storage facilities to ensure resilience to disruptions in nuclear power.

India’s Net-Zero Target:

• India's Net-Zero Target Announcement:
  • India announced at COP 26 of UNFCCC in 2021 its goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2070.
  • This means that India aims to balance the amount of greenhouse gases it emits with the amount removed from the atmosphere.
• Indian Railway's Net-Zero Carbon Emitter Goal:
  • The Indian Railway has set a more ambitious target of becoming a net zero carbon emitter by 2030.
  • This involves reducing carbon emissions from its operations and potentially offsetting any remaining emissions through carbon removal or offset projects.

Decline in Campus placements at Premier Institutions in India

• Reasons for decline in campus placements at premier institutions in India.
• Global economic slowdown:
  • Lack of international firms coming to campuses.
  • Increasing unemployment rate (8% in Feb 2024)
  • Concerns regarding jobless growth in India.
• Reasons for jobless growth in India:
  • Increasing investments in capital equipment and automation threatening jobs.
  • Sectoral inefficiencies with primary sector employing >50% of workforce but contributing <20% to GDP.
  • Labor market rigidity pushing employers towards capital intensive modes of production.
  • Poor employability with only 50.3% of youth considered employable.
  • Poor participation in Global Value Chains (GVCs) leading to decline in labor intensive sector.
• Way Forward:
  • Skilling of labor force to bridge the gap between demand and supply of skills.
  • Incentives to labor-intensive sectors such as textile and auto sector through PLI schemes and employment subsidies.
  • Modernization and diversification of agriculture sector to address sectoral inefficiencies.

Initiatives to improve employability:

• National Skill Development Mission (NSDM) introduced in 2015 to enhance the skills of the workforce.
• National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) to promote apprenticeship training for youth.
• Schemes to stimulate manufacturing sector growth: Make in India initiative, Industrial Corridor Development Programme, Production Linked Incentive scheme, etc.

India's first homegrown gene therapy (CAR-T cell therapy) for cancer launched by the President

• India's First Homegrown Gene Therapy for Cancer Launched by the President.
• Developed through collaboration between IIT Bombay, Tata Memorial Hospital, and ImmunoACT.
• Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR-T) Cell Therapy:
  • Modifies T-cells into potent cancer fighters known as CAR-T cells.
  • T-cells are taken from patient blood and changed in lab by adding a gene for a man-made receptor (CAR).
  • CARs help T-cells recognize and attach to specific proteins on cancer cells.
  • CAR-T cells are then given back to the patient.
• Benefits of CAR-T Cell Therapy:
  • Can treat cancer for an extended period.
  • Potential to cure specific cancers completely.
  • Short treatment time and rapid recovery.
• Challenges of CAR-T Cell Therapy:
  • Therapy for one cancer may not work for another type.
  • Negative effects on the nervous system.
  • Risk of infection and other complications.

CAR T-cell Therapy:

• CAR T-cell Therapy Process:
  • Remove blood from patient to isolate T cells.
  • Make CAR T cells in the lab by inserting gene for CAR.
  • Grow millions of CAR T cells.
  • Infuse CAR T cells back into patient.
• How CAR T cells work:
  • CAR T cells bind to cancer cells.
  • CAR T cells kill cancer cells by targeting specific antigens on their surface.
• Benefits of CAR T-cell Therapy:
  • Targeted treatment for specific cancer cells.
  • Potential for long-lasting remission in some patients.
  • Minimal side effects compared to traditional cancer treatments.

Agni-prime the new generation ballistic missile flight tested successfully.

• Successful test conducted by Strategic Forces Command (SFC) and DRDO.
  • SFC manages the country's nuclear weapons stockpile.
• About Agni-Prime Missile:
  • Two-stage canisterised solid propellant missile with a range of 1,000 to 2,000 km.
  • Nuclear-capable advanced variant of the Agni missile series.
  • Lighter and guided by advanced ring-laser gyroscopes.
  • First of new generation post-IGMDP
• Significance of Agni-Prime:
  • Preloaded warhead allows for quick launch.
  • Can be stored for long periods with minimal inspection.
  • High accuracy for precise targeting purposes.

About IGMDP:

• Initiation of IGMDP in 1983 for missile technology self-sufficiency
• Development of missiles under the program:
  • Prithvi: Short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile
  • Agni: Intermediate-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile
  • Trisul: Short-range low-level surface-to-air missile
  • Akash: Medium-range surface-to-air missile
  • Nag: Third-generation anti-tank missile

Uttarakhand Government to evaluate risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)

• Uttarakhand Government's initiative to assess risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs).
• Expert teams formed to evaluate risk of 5 potentially hazardous glacial lakes in Uttarakhand.
• GLOFs defined as sudden release of water from glacial lakes, with recent example in Sikkim in 2023.
• GLOFs recognized as potential disaster in National Disaster Management Plan 2019.
• GLOF vulnerability in India includes Himalayan states and UTs like Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim.
• Geological Survey of India found 13 out of 486 glacial lakes in Uttarakhand vulnerable to GLOFs.
• Reasons for GLOFs:
  • Geological factors like earthquakes and breach of moraine dams.
  • Morphological factors like mass movement into glacial lakes and water seepage through glacial structures.
  • Physical factors like excessive precipitation and Cryoseism.
  • Anthropogenic factors like climate change and global warming.
• Strategies to manage GLOF risks:
  • Hazard risk zonation and mapping.
  • Monitoring of glacial lakes using remote sensing and GIS technology.
  • Restrictions and regulations on construction activities in hazard-prone areas.

The government sought technical assistance from ILO to create a framework for living wage

• Government seeks ILO assistance for living wage framework.
• India currently follows stagnant minimum wage since 2017.
• Code on Wages proposes universal wage floor for all states.
• Issues with current system:
  • Minimum Wages Act, 1948 lacks specificity on minimum wage.
  • Confusion in fixing minimum wages under different acts.
  • Lack of enforceability of national wage floor across states.
  • Gender disparity in minimum wages
• Advantages of Living Wage:
  • Accelerates poverty alleviation efforts.
  • Addresses wage insufficiency and promotes equitable economy.
• Challenges of Living Wage:
  • Implementing national living wage framework across diverse regions.
  • Financial strain on small businesses and MSMEs due to increased labor costs.

Difference between living wage and minimum wage:

• Definition:
  • Living Wage: The wage needed to afford a decent standard of living for workers and their families.
  • Minimum Wage: The lowest legal hourly wage that employers must pay their workers.
• Aim:
  • Living Wage: To improve workers' quality of life.
  • Minimum Wage: To protect workers from exploitation.