Daily Current Affairs UPSC 7 March 2024

• CCI has introduced new regulations regarding Global turnover, Commitment, and Settlement under the Competition (Amendment) Act 2023.
• Key highlights of new regulations:
  • Penalties will now be based on 'global turnover' to address abuse of dominant position by enterprises.
  • Commitment and Settlement processes aim to efficiently resolve competition law concerns without lengthy legal processes.
  • Commitment involves a company offering to change business practices, while Settlement involves negotiated agreements for reduced fines.

• Certain cosmetic products have been found to contain harmful chemicals like Benzene.
• About Benzene:
  • Benzene is a colorless or light-yellow liquid with a sweet odor and high flammability.
  • It is highly volatile and a natural component of gasoline and tobacco smoke, soluble in water leading to contamination of surface waters and soil.
  • Applications include shoemaking, painting, printing, and rubber manufacturing.
  • Health impacts of Benzene include headaches, tremors, cancer, and hematological effects.

Blue Line

• US envoy to Lebanon stressed the need for change along the Blue Line for peace and security.
• About Blue Line:
  • The Blue Line is the unofficial border between Israel and Lebanon set by the United Nations in 2000.
  • Made of blue barrels, it runs from the Mediterranean to the Golan Heights.
  • Confirmed the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.
• Also, a learning ecosystem created by the UN System Staff College.

• US and India reaffirmed commitment to cooperation in GCTF at 20th US-India Counterterrorism Joint Working Group meeting.
• About GCTF:
  • GCTF is an informal, apolitical, multilateral counterterrorism platform launched in 2011.
  • Mission is to reduce terrorist recruitment and enhance countries' capabilities to deal with terrorist threats.
  • Currently has 32 members, including founding member India.
  • Co-chaired by Egypt and the European Union.

• CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum signed a MoU with Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology for fuel from Pine Needles
  • Technology involves Briquetting process for converting biomass residues into fuel.
  • Briquetting compacts waste materials into fuel.
• Pine Tree Information:
  • Pine trees are evergreen conifers that produce cones with seeds.
  • Native to northern temperate regions and found worldwide.
  • Shed older needles in the fall season.

• Sandoz received FDA approval for denosumab biosimilars.
  • Denosumab can treat primary and secondary bone loss like osteoporosis.
• About Biosimilar:
  • Biosimilars are similar in structure and function to biologic medicines.
  • They have the same risks and benefits as biologic medicines.
  • Biosimilars increase access to medications at potentially lower costs.
  • Manufacturing biosimilars is more complex than small-molecule generic medicines.

• Naval Detachment Minicoy has been commissioned in Indian Navy as INS Jatayu.
  • Minicoy is the southernmost island of Lakshadweep.
• About INS Jatayu:
  • India's second naval base in Lakshadweep after INS Dweeprakshak in Kavaratti.
  • Significance: Facilitate Indian Navy’s operational effort towards Anti-Piracy and Anti-Narcotics Operations in Western Arabian Sea.
  • Augment Indian Navy’s capability as the first responder in the India Ocean region and augment connectivity with the mainland.

• President of India conferred SNA Fellowships and Awards for the years 2022 and 2023.
• About SNA Awards:
  • Akademi awards have been conferred since 1952 and symbolize the highest achievement in music, dance, and drama.
  • Awards in Hindustani and Carnatic music were instituted in 1951, even before SNA was set up and these were known as Presidential Awards.
  • Honour of Akademi Fellow carries purse money of ₹3 Lakh while Akademi Award carries purse money of ₹1 lakh, besides a Tamrapatra and Angavastram.
  • SNA, setup in 1953, is the apex body in the field of performing arts for the preservation and promotion of India’s intangible cultural heritage.

• Commemoration of Govind Ballabh Pant's death anniversary on 7th March
• Freedom fighter and 1st Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
• Contributions:
  • Participation in movements like Civil disobedience, Quit India, etc.
  • Representation of revolutionaries in the Kakori case (1925)
  • Key role in reorganisation of States along linguistic lines and establishment of Hindi as an official language
• Awards: Bharat Ratna (1957)
• Values: Compassion, leadership, etc.

• Rules notified under Section 63 of Wildlife (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972.
  • Registration of ownership, transfer, birth, and death of surviving scheduled animal species included in Schedule IV of the WPA, 1972, or Appendices to CITES, is facilitated by Section 49 M.
  • Section 49M added through Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022.
• Key Highlights of Rules:
  • Mandatory electronic registration for possession of any animal species within 6 months
  • Reporting and registration of birth within 7 days
  • Reporting and registration of transfer within 15 days
  • Maintenance of stock for captive breeding with regular health check-ups and reporting escapes
• Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 and CITES:
  • Amendment seeks to implement CITES.
  • Schedule IV of WPA includes species listed under CITES.
  • Management authority grants export/import permits for trade of species.

• CITES Secretariat: Located in Geneva, Switzerland and administered by UNEP.
• Genesis of CITES: Drafted in 1973 as a result of a resolution by IUCN, entered into force in 1975.
• Members: Currently 184 Parties, including India.
• Objective: Ensure international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
• Legally binding on Parties.
• Appendices I, II, and III: Lists of species with varying levels of protection from over-exploitation.

• Report prepared by CII and supported by Ministry of Women and Children Development
• Care economy includes paid and unpaid labor supporting caregiving.
  • Doing housework, tending to elderly and young family members, and caring for the sick and disabled are all included in this.

• Need for Care Economy in India:
  • India's changing demographics between 2020 and 2050 could result in
  • The need for additional senior care.
  • Significant burden of dependency on children.
  • Widespread gender disparities in unpaid care and household labor account for between 15% and 17% of GDP in economic value.
  • Investments in care infrastructure can create new business opportunities and jobs.
• Key Recommendations:
  • Incentives for MSMEs/startups in maternity and paternity leave policies.
  • Subsidies for care services for elderly and childcare to NGO/SHGs.
  • Public investment in care infrastructure and Public Private Partnership.
  • Skill training and certification for care workers.
  • Institutional mechanisms for quality assurance and data collection.

• Public Sector: - Programs introduced by the government include the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojna, Palna Ghar, Saksham Anganwadi Poshan 2.0, and others.
• Private Sector:
  • Care facilities that are privately held, like centers for dependent people and children.
  • Individual caregivers offering assistance at home.
• Community Based Organization:
  • Services for community-run care.
  • Operators of Crèche.

• The Consumer Protection Act of 2019, the advisory highlights the proscription against advertising, promoting, or endorsing illegal acts that are banned by many laws.
• Reasons for advisory: - Increasing instances of direct and surrogate advertisement of illegal activities like betting and gambling
• Key highlights of the advisory:
  • Scrutiny of advertisements promoting prohibited activities
  • Stringent measures against violators, including manufacturers, advertisers, endorsers, etc.
  • The 2022 Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, which forbid the promotion of goods or services that are illegal under any applicable laws.
• Status of Betting and Gambling in India:
  • State subject under Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.
  • Listed as Entry 34 and Entry 62 (for the purpose of taxation) of the State List.
• Based on erstwhile Public Gambling Act, 1867, Most states have their own laws on betting and gambling
• Ministry of Information & Broadcasting issued advisory on online betting platforms in 2023.

• Statutory body under Consumer Protection Act 2019.
• Objective to promote and protect consumer rights.
• Composition includes Chief Commissioner and other Commissioners.
• Powers include conducting investigations and ordering recalls of unsafe goods and services.

• PLFS was introduced in 2017 with the primary goal of estimating the major indicators of employment and unemployment (LFPR, WPR, and UR):
  • Within the brief three-month period, only the urban regions included in "Current Weekly Status" (CWS) and
  • Every year in both "Usual Status" and CWS in both urban and rural locations.
• Important PLFS indicators include:
  • The percentage of the population that is either employed, looking for work, or available for work is known as the labor force participation rate, or LFPR.
  • Worker Population Ratio (WPR): The proportion of the population that is employed.
  • The percentage of people in the labor force who are jobless is known as the unemployment rate (UR).
• Activity Status in PLFS:
  • Usual Status: Reference period of 365 days
  • Current Weekly Status (CWS): Reference period of 7 days
• Key Findings of PLFS:

• Department of Legal Affairs and Legislative Department requested Law Commission to examine possibility of enacting these laws in 2017.
• The Trade Secrets Act would protect confidential business information, while the Economic Espionage Act would address deliberate acquisition of information for foreign benefit.
• Reasons for Enacting Laws:
  • Facilitate technology transfer and industry cooperation.
  • Protect intellectual property of MSMEs and Startups.
  • Safeguard critical technologies from economic espionage.
  • Ensure legal certainty and compliance.
• Key Recommendations for New Laws:
  • Separate laws for trade secrets and economic espionage.
  • Broad definition of trade secrets for judicial interpretation.
  • Exceptions for Whistle Blowers, Compulsory Licensing, and Government use.

• No singular law on misappropriation of trade secrets in India.
• Indian Contract Act, Specific Relief Act, IPC.
• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita have provisions related to contractual matters and theft.

• First ever Biocuration conference in India
  • Biocuration involves collecting, curating, and integrating information related to  biological sciences into databases.
• Organized by the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC), supported by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
• Bio-economy Growth in India:
  • Bioeconomy involves production, utilization, and conservation of biological resources
  • Bio-manufacturing and Bio-foundry highlighted as key drivers of bio-economy growth
  • Bio-manufacturing uses natural and engineered biological systems to produce biomaterials
  • Bio-foundry accelerates discovery and bioengineering for the bioeconomy
  • It is predicated on the Design-Build-Test-Learn (DBTL) cycle methodology.
  • Will offer environmentally friendly substitutes including biodegradable polymers, bioplastics, biopharmaceuticals, and bio-agricultural inputs. This is why it is important.
  • Will replace the paradigm of consumption-based production with one founded on regenerative principles.

• New scheme of bio-manufacturing and bio-foundry proposed in Interim Budget 2024-2025.
• Promotion of biotechnology research, Bio StartUps, Bio-incubators, and Bio-clusters.
• National Biotechnology Development Strategy, 2015.
• National mission on Bio-economy, 2016 by Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD).
• National Biopharma mission, 2017.