Daily NEWS 13 February 2024

Alaskapox:

• Alaskapox is a recently discovered viral disease that has caused the first death in Alaska.
• It belongs to the orthopoxvirus family, which includes viruses that infect and cause disease in humans.
• The virus is a double-stranded DNA virus and is related to smallpox and cowpox.
• Alaskapox was first identified in an adult in Fairbanks, Alaska in 2015 and primarily affects small mammals.
• There have been no documented cases of human-to-human transmission of the Alaskapox virus.
• Symptoms of Alaskapox include skin lesions, swollen lymph nodes, and joint and muscle pain.

Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC):

• Researchers have developed an early warning indicator for the breakdown of the AMOC.
• The AMOC is considered one of the tipping elements in the climate system.
• It is a system of ocean currents that transport warm water from the tropics to the North Atlantic.
• The AMOC is driven by temperature and salt content differences.
• The AMOC is being weakened by the rapid melting of Greenland's glaciers and Arctic ice sheets.
• The collapse of the AMOC could lead to a rise in Atlantic Sea levels, changes in wet and dry seasons in the Amazon, more erratic temperature fluctuations, and a warmer southern hemisphere.

Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT):

• Delays and disruptions due to absence of a full bench.
• Established under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Act, 1992.
• Hears and disposes appeals against orders passed by SEBI.
• Appointments made by the Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India or his/her nominee.

Unified Payment Interface (UPI):

• Inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India with Mauritius and Sri Lanka.
• Boosts digital transformation and promotes tourism.
• Strengthens bilateral economic ties.
• Powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application.
• Developed by National Payments Corporation of India under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

Resolution Professionals:

• IBBI circular requires RPs to share reports on insolvency applications with debtors and creditors.
• RPs are appointed to conduct the corporate insolvency resolution process.
• RPs submit a report recommending approval or rejection of an application for initiating the insolvency resolution process.

C-DOT and IIT-Kharagpur partnership for Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme:

• C-DOT and IIT-Kharagpur have signed an agreement to develop prototypes for 10-Gigabit-capable symmetric Passive Optical Network (PON), Optical Line Terminal (OLT), and Optical Network Unit (ONU).
• This agreement falls under the TTDF scheme.
• The TTDF scheme was launched by the Universal Service Obligation Fund, a body under the Department of Telecommunications in 2022.
• The scheme aims to provide funding support to domestic companies involved in the design, development, and commercialization of telecommunication products and solutions.
• The goal is to enable affordable broadband and mobile services in rural and remote areas.

Unani System of Medicine:

• World Unani Day celebrated on 11th February, marking birth anniversary of Hakim Ajmal Khan.
• Unani system originated in Greece and is one of the oldest healthcare systems.
• Based on the Humoral Theory, which recognizes four humors in the body.
• Came to India in the 8th century and is recognized as one of the AYUSH systems.

Suspension of Forest staff members in Kawal Tiger Reserve:

• Six Forest staff members have been suspended for negligence in controlling teak smuggling in the Kawal Tiger Reserve.
• The Kawal Tiger Reserve located in Telangana and is in the southern-most tip of the Central Indian Tiger Landscape.
• It has linkages with Tadoba-Andhari (Maharashtra) and Indravati (Chhattisgarh) tiger reserves.
• The reserve is part of the Deccan peninsula-central highlands and is nestled in the Sahyadri Mountain Ranges.
• It is a major catchment area for the Godavari River and rivulets like Peddavagu and Kadam.
• The vegetation in the reserve is predominantly Southern Tropical dry-deciduous, with a focus on teak and bamboo.
• The fauna includes Nilgai, Chinkara, Black buck, Sambar, spotted deer, Tiger, Leopard, and more.

Dhokra Shilpkala:

• Ocher Studio in Chhattisgarh is helping preserve Dhokra Shilpkala.
• Dhokra Shilpkala is a 4000-year-old metal casting art using the lost-wax technique.
• Originated from tribal communities in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha.
• Inspired by nature, mythology, and everyday life.
• Threatened by rapid urbanization, diminishing skilled artisans, and modern materials/technologies.
• Bastar Dhokra handicraft from Chhattisgarh has been granted a GI Tag.

UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) report on "State of the World’s Migratory Species" launched:

• UNEP-WCMC report on "State of the World's Migratory Species" launched at the 14th Conference of Parties in Uzbekistan.
• 1 in 5 CMS-listed species are threatened with extinction and 44% have decreasing population trend.
• 82% of Appendix I species are threatened with extinction and 76% are declining.
• 18% of Appendix II species are globally threatened and 42% have decreasing trend.
• 97% of CMS-listed fish are threatened with extinction.
• Extinction risk is growing for both CMS listed species and all migratory species.
• 399 migratory species (threatened or near extinction) are not currently listed under CMS.
• Main threats to migratory species: habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation; overexploitation.
• Other threats: climate change and severe weather, pollution, invasive species, and diseases.
• Importance of migratory species: climate change mitigation, regulation of ecosystems through predation and grazing, important source of food and ecotourism attractions.
• Recommendations: identify, protect, connect and restore sites for migratory species; strengthen collaborative international efforts to tackle overexploitation; scale up efforts to tackle climate change, light, noise, chemical and plastic pollution; prioritize research on 'Data Deficient' migratory species.

About CMS

• Introduction to CMS: A brief overview of the CMS (Bonn Convention) as an environmental treaty under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) signed in 1979.
• Purpose of CMS: Explaining the global platform provided by CMS for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats.
• CMS Appendices: Describing the two appendices of CMS, namely Appendix I and Appendix II, which categorize migratory species based on their conservation status and the need for international agreements.
• Appendix I: Highlighting that Appendix I includes migratory species that have been assessed as being in danger of extinction.
• Appendix II: Explaining that Appendix II consists of migratory species that require international agreements for their conservation.
• CMS Parties: Mentioning that CMS has 133 parties, including India, who are signatories to the treaty.

First Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council meeting of Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) held in United States:

• First Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council meeting of Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) held in the United States.
• GBFF aims to increase funding for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
• Ratified by 186 countries and launched in 2023 at the Seventh GEF Assembly in Vancouver, Canada.
• Decisions of the GBFF Council are made by consensus.
• The World Bank has been invited to serve as the Trustee of GBFF.

Key highlights of the meeting:

• GEF member governments have agreed to invest $1.1 billion for international action on biodiversity, climate change, nature renewal, and pollution control.
• They have endorsed $203 million for 21 climate change adaptation projects funded by the Least Developed Countries Fund and Special Climate Change Fund.
• Spain has announced a contribution of 10 million euros to GBFF, joining contributions from Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.
• GBFF Resource Allocation Policy and Project Cycle Policy have been approved to allocate donor funds based on availability.

About KMGBF:

• Adopted at COP15 (held in Montreal) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
• KMGBF has set 23 targets to be achieved by 2030, including 30% conservation of land and sea, 50% reduction of invasive species, and raising at least $200 billion per year.

About GEF:

• Established in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, it is a partnership of 18 agencies addressing global environmental issues.
• GEF's main governing body, the Council, consists of 32 members appointed by constituencies of GEF member countries.
• GEF serves as a "financial mechanism" to five conventions: Convention on Biological Diversity, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare released report on Quality of Medical Education:

Status of Medical Education in India:

• India has 702 medical colleges, making it one of the largest medical education systems.
• The doctor to population ratio in India is 1:856, which falls short of the WHO recommendation of 1:1000.
• The actual health research expenditure as a percentage of GDP has remained at 0.02 since 2021-22.

Issues in Medical Education System

• Many Indian students pursue their medical education abroad, creating a paradox as the system produces a significant number of physicians.
• There is a shortage of seats at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
• Medical colleges are unevenly distributed, with a high concentration in urban areas.
• Insufficient funds are available for medical research.
• Existing infrastructure is not optimally utilized.

Recommendations

• Expand the government's existing scheme for establishing new medical colleges to increase the number of medical seats.
• Streamline the recruitment process to prevent the presence of ghost faculty in medical colleges.
• Utilize technology for distance learning and virtual classrooms to address the shortage of seats.
• The National Medical Commission (NMC) should maintain a real-time national database of doctors and study best practices from similar organizations in other countries.
• Develop a comprehensive India-specific plan for the next 20-25 years and encourage private investment in the medical sector.

Medical Education Regulation in India:

• National Medical Commission (NMC): This regulatory body oversees medical education in India and ensures the quality and standards of medical colleges and courses.
• Dental Council of India: This council is responsible for regulating dental education in India, including the approval of dental colleges and the maintenance of quality standards.
• Pharmacy Council of India: This council regulates pharmacy education in India, ensuring that pharmacy colleges meet the required standards and that pharmacists are trained properly.
• Allied Health Professional Council of India: This council is responsible for regulating the education and training of allied health professionals, such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and medical laboratory technologists.
• Indian Nursing Council: This council oversees the education and training of nurses in India, ensuring that nursing colleges meet the required standards and that nurses are adequately trained.

22nd Law Commission of India (LCI) submits its 286th Report titled “A Comprehensive Review of the Epidemic Diseases Act (EDA), 1897":

• The 22nd Law Commission of India submitted its 286th Report titled “A Comprehensive Review of the Epidemic Diseases Act (EDA), 1897".
• Existing legislation EDA 1897 does not comprehensively address concerns regarding containment and management of future epidemics in the country.

About EDA, 1897:

• The EDA 1897 provides for the prevention of the spread of epidemic diseases.
• It granted extensive powers to State Governments to regulate, prevent, and control epidemic diseases.
• The Epidemic Diseases Bill was introduced in the Council of Governor-General of India in Calcutta by John Woodburn.
• The colonial government introduced EDA to tackle the epidemic of bubonic plague in the Bombay Presidency in 1896.
• Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020: Enacted in response to violence faced by healthcare workers during COVID-19. Amended EDA 1897.

Limitations of EDA, 1897:

• Colonial era law is incapable of handling changing variants of communicable diseases.
• Does not define an 'epidemic' or an 'infectious' disease, and does not differentiate between an 'outbreak', 'epidemic', and 'pandemic'.
• Lack of decentralization and demarcation of power between Centre, State, and local authorities.
• Lacks stipulated guidelines for isolation and quarantine.
• Makes no mention of safe disposal of infectious medical waste and human corpses.

Recommendations for improvement:

• Define terminologies like outbreak, epidemic, etc. in a comprehensive manner.
• Develop a dedicated Standard Operating Procedure to effectively respond to epidemics.
• Encourage collaboration between states and the central government in preparing and regularly revising an Epidemic Plan.
• Establish a broad framework for imposing lockdowns and restrictions on the movement of people and vehicles. 

PRS Legislative Research released Vital Stats on Functioning of the 17th Lok Sabha:

• Overview of the 17th Lok Sabha's sessions and activities.
• Question Hour functioning in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
• Cancellation of Question Hour in the monsoon session of 2020 due to the pandemic.
• Issues arising from the functioning of the Lok Sabha.
• Fewest sittings and highest number of suspensions compared to previous Lok Sabhas.
• Decrease in average annual sitting days.
• Failure to elect a Deputy Speaker for the entire duration.
• Low percentage of bills referred to committees for scrutiny and majority of bills passed without recorded voting.
• Bills passed with minimal discussion time.
• Reduction in time spent on budget discussions.
• Suggestions for improving Lok Sabha functioning.
• Increase in the frequency of Parliament sittings.
• Detailed scrutiny of bills with sufficient discussion and referral to committees.
• Adequate discussion time for the Opposition.
• Constructive consultations between political parties.

Observations of Black Hole M87 data captured by Event Horizon telescope (EHT) in 2018 show persistent shadow of the black hole:

• Familiar shadow observed in 2018 matches the size of the shadow observed in 2017.
• Black hole has a strong gravitational pull that nothing, not even light, can escape.
• Gravitational pull becomes strongest at the Event Horizon, the boundary from which particles cannot escape.
• Event horizon captures light and the distorted space-time around it causes light to be redirected through gravitational lensing.
• Gravitational lensing occurs when a massive celestial body causes light to visibly bend.
• This is an example of Einstein's theory of general relativity, where time and space are fused together in spacetime.
• Massive objects cause spacetime to curve, resulting in gravity.
• Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) is a network of synchronized radio observatories around the world.
• EHT combines as a single telescope with an aperture the size of Earth to observe radio light associated with black holes.
• EHT uses Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) to link radio telescopes across the globe.
• Currently, no Indian radio telescope is part of EHT.