UPSC Current Affairs Pointers of the past week | July 1 to July 7, 2024

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Environment

The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) spotted at Naliya, Kutch. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran/File)

— Great Indian Bustard

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has approved Rs 56 crore for the next phase of the conservation of Great Indian Bustard (GIB) and Lesser Florican.
• Scientific name: Ardeotis nigriceps
• IUCN Red list status of Great Indian Bustard: Critically Endangered
• Indian Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule I
• Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS):  Appendix I
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix 1
• Plans to recover the species first started in 2013 under the National Bustard Recovery Plan, which later gave way to the Bustard Recovery Project in 2016. Later, in July 2018, a tripartite agreement was signed between MoEFCC, Rajasthan forest department and WII.
• As part of the project run by the three parties, two GIB conservation breeding centres and one Lesser Florican centre are functioning in Rajasthan’s Sam, Ramdevra and Sorsan respectively.

(Source: wwfindia.org)

— Chital

• Chital (Spotted deer) stocks are dwindling in the Kuno national park after the loss of an estimated 2,250 chital within a year.
• IUCN status: Least concerned
• It is a state animal of Telangana.

Report

— Lancet Report

• According to the Lancet Report, about 11.5 per cent of deaths in Delhi every year, roughly 12,000 deaths, can be attributed to air pollution.
• Across 10 cities — Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla and Varanasi — more than 33,000 deaths could be attributed to air pollution every year on an average, the study said.
• The study found 1.42 per cent rise in mortality for every increase of 10 micrograms/cu metre in the PM2.5 levels when all the ten cities were taken together.
• The report suggested that people living in less polluted cities carried a higher risk of mortality due to increase in pollution than those living in polluted cities.

(Just FYI: The main purpose of the data is to develop an understanding of the topic, you don’t need to learn all the data. Having an approximate idea of data can help you in the fact based questions of prelims and as fodder for the answers of UPSC Mains.)

Polity

The Quantum mission have four thematic focus areas — computing, communications, sensing and measurement technologies, and materials and devices.

— National Quantum Mission

• The National Quantum Mission (NQM) was approved by the Union Cabinet on 19th April 2023 at a total cost of Rs.6003.65 crore from 2023-24 to 2030-31.
• It aims to seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant & innovative ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT).
• Quantum exhibits the properties of Superposition and Entanglement. Superposition refers to the ability of these particles to exist in multiple locations simultaneously. This phenomenon persists only until the particle is observed. Once observed, the particle appears at one location and ceases to exist in the others.
• Entanglement is another unusual property where particles that have previously interacted can instantaneously influence each other’s behavior, regardless of the distance separating them. When one entangled particle is measured, the state of the other particle is immediately determined, even if they are far apart.

(Source: dst.gov.in)

— Smart Cities Mission

• The Smart Cities Mission has been extended for the third time till March 31, 2025.
• The objective of SCM is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment through the application of ‘Smart’ solutions.

— New Criminal Laws

• The three criminal laws which were passed in Parliament last December came into effect on July 1, 2024.
• The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) have replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 respectively.

Economy

The Indian Diary have been hit by a new “surplus” problem — of skimmed milk powder (SMP). (Express File)

— Project Nexus

• The RBI has joined Project Nexus, a multilateral international initiative to enable instant cross-border retail payments by interlinking domestic Fast Payments Systems (FPSs).
• India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and FPSs of Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand will be interlinked through Nexus.
• Project Nexus is conceptualised by the Innovation Hub of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
• It aims to connect the FPSs of four Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) — Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand; and India, who would be the founding members and first mover countries of this platform.

— Skimmed Milk Powder (SMP)

• The surplus of SMP has become a new problem for the dairy industry. It is obtained by removing water from pasteurised skim milk by spray-drying.
• Cow milk contains 3.5% fat and 8.5% solids-not-fat (SNF) on an average, with the same at 6.5% and 9% for buffalo milk. Being perishable, milk cannot be stocked. Only its solids (i.e. fat and SNF) are storable after separation of the cream and drying of the skimmed milk.

International Relations

Representatives of SCO Plus format Meeting in Astana. (Via X.com/DrSJaishankar)

— Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

• The SCO Summit was held in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana this month.
• India has hosted the 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State on 04 July 2023 in virtual format.
• SCO was established on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai as an international organisation.
• The member countries are India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. Belarus joined SCO as the 10th member state on 4th July, 2024.
• On 9 June 2017, India and Pakistan joined SCO as full-fledged member states.
• Afghanistan and Mongolia hold Observer Status.

— Deal with the Bangladesh Navy

• The Bangladesh Navy has signed a deal with India’s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) for an 800-tonne ocean-going tug.
• It is a major contract to be signed under a $500-million line of credit that was extended to Bangladesh by India for the purchase of defence equipment.

Science and Technology

At aphelion, Earth’s distance from the Sun is about 152.1 million km.

— Axiom-4 Mission

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has shortlisted two of its four trained Gaganyaan astronauts for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in collaboration with United States’ NASA later this year as part of the Axiom-4 mission. Only one of the astronauts will go on the mission.
• The Axiom-4 mission is the fourth private astronaut mission of NASA and a private US company Axiom Space. The mission is expected to dock with the ISS for fourteen days.

(Please Note: It is a developing story, so certain facts are expected to change. Keep a track!)

— Aphelion

• Earth reaches aphelion every July. This year it did so on 5th July.
• It is a point in the orbit of the Earth when it is most distant from the Sun. At aphelion, Earth’s distance from the Sun is about 152.1 million km.
• In early January, Earth reaches perihelion — the point at which it is closest to the Sun. At perihelion, the distance between Earth and the Sun is roughly 147.1 million km

Diseases

Zika virus has once again surfaced in the western part of India with a Pune. (File Image)

— Zika Virus

• A mosquito-borne disease—Zika virus—has gained global attention in recent years due to its potential to cause serious health complications, particularly in pregnant women and their unborn children.
• It mainly occurs in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, the Americas, Southern Asia, and the Western Pacific.
• In India, the first case of Zika virus infection was reported in Gujarat in 2016, and since then, the country has experienced sporadic outbreaks in several states.
• It is infected by Aedes species mosquitoes, which are the same ones that spread dengue and chikungunya viruses, and bite during the first week of infection.
• It is primarily transmitted through mosquito bites, sex, and breastfeeding.

— Dengue

• Delhi has reported more dengue cases this year as compared to the previous five years.
• Dengue virus is transmitted through the bite of a female Aedes (Ae.) mosquito. Aedes is a day time feeder and can fly up to a limited distance of 400 meters. Dengue mosquitoes can’t breed once the temperature falls below 16 degrees.
• IgM and IgG antibodies test and NS1 antigen test are conducted to detect Dengue fever. Both are done through ELISA kits and hence are popularly known as Elisa test.

— Epilepsy

• A UK-based teenager, Oran Knowlson, has become the first person in the world to receive a brain implant to control epileptic seizures. The deep brain stimulation (DBS) device, which sends electrical signals deep into the brain, has successfully reduced Knowlson’s daytime seizures by 80 percent.
• Epilepsy is a condition that leads to recurring seizures. It sees a person experience jerking of arms and legs, temporary confusion, staring spells, or stiff muscles. It is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
• In India, between 3 and 11.9 per 1,000 people suffer from epilepsy, according to a comment in a 2022 Lancet study.

(Just FYI: UPSC has consistently included questions on health and diseases in its examinations over the years. For instance, in 2014, a question about the Ebola virus appeared in the Prelims, and in 2017, a question about the Zika virus was featured. Therefore, it is crucial to stay updated on diseases that are currently in the news.)

Gallantry Awards

On the eve of the 75th Republic Day, President Droupadi Murmu has approved gallantry awards. (Representative)

— Kirti Chakras

• President Smt Droupadi Murmu conferred 10 Kirti Chakras (seven posthumous) and 26 Shaurya Chakras (seven posthumous) to the personnel of the Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces and State/Union Territory Police during Defence Investiture Ceremony (Phase-1) at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on July 05, 2024.
• Post-independence, first three gallantry awards namely Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra were instituted by the Government of India on 26th January, 1950 which were deemed to have effect from the 15th August, 1947.
• In Januaray 1967, three gallantry awards i.e. Ashoka Chakra Class-I, Ashoka Chakra Class-II and Ashoka Chakra Class-III were renamed as Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra respectively.
• These gallantry awards are announced twice in a year – first on the occasion of Republic Day and then on the occasion of Independence Day.
• Order of precedence of these awards is the Param Vir Chakra, the Ashoka Chakra, the Mahavir Chakra, the Kirti Chakra, the Vir Chakra, and the Shaurya Chakra.

(Source: gallantryawards.gov.in )

Person in News

Keir Starmer, leader of Britain’s Labour Party and his wife Victoria Starmer attend a reception to celebrate Starmer’s win in the election, at Tate Modern, in London. (Reuters)

— Keir Starmer

• On July 5, the Labour Party of the United Kingdom emerged victorious with Keir Starmer as the new Prime Minister. It ended the 14-year rule of the Conservatives.
• Rishi Sunak, the country’s first British Indian-origin prime minister from the Conservative Party, suffered defeat in the election.

— General Upendra Dwivedi

• General Upendra Dwivedi took charge as the 30th Chief of the Army Staff.
• He succeeds Gen Manoj Pande who retired on 30th June after an illustrious four-decade career.

— Justice Sheel Nagu

• Justice Sheel Nagu has been appointed as the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court.
• There are a total of 25 High courts in India.
• D.Y. Chandrachud is the Chief Justice of India who is set to retire in November 2024 after serving a two-year-long tenure.

— Abdul Hamid

• RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has recently released a book on Hamid titled ‘Mere Papa Paramvir’ and another book titled ‘Bharat ka Musalman’.
• Abdul Hamid laid his life down while fighting Pakistan Army’s Patton tanks in the Battle of Asal Uttar — one of the largest tank battles fought during the 1965 India-Pakistan War.
• Hamid was awarded Param Vir Chakra — India’s highest gallantry award — posthumously.

— Lieutenant-General Jennie Carignan

• For the first time, Canada has appointed a woman as a Chief of the Defense Staff, the country’s top soldier.
• Carignan, originally a military engineer, has commanded troops in Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq and Syria during her 35 years in the army.

— Ismail Kadare 

• Renowned Albanian novelist Ismail Kadare has died at the age of 88.
• Kadare became internationally recognised after his novel “The General of the Dead Army” was published in 1963 when Albania was still governed by the communist government of late dictator Enver Hoxha.
• In 2023 French President Emmanuel Macron awarded him the Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor title.

(FYI fact: The 2024 UPSC Prelims included a question about the author of the books “The India Way” and “Why Bharat Matters.” It is crucial to keep track of significant books and writers who are currently in the news.)

Places in News

Protesters block Nairobi- Mombasa highway in the Mlolongo area, Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

— Leang Karampuang cave

• Researchers have determined that the world’s oldest known figurative cave painting dates back 51,200 years.
• It is located in the Leang Karampuang cave on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
• The finding is based on dating using uranium series (U-series) analysis of calcite deposits overlying rock art in the limestone caves.

— Kota Bharu

• The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) will connect Kota Bharu on the Kelantan River, close to Malaysia’s northeastern coast with Port Klang on the strategically important Strait of Malacca on the country’s west coast.

— Mombasa

• Protests continued in Kenya’s capital and elsewhere Tuesday over a finance bill that would raise the cost of living, even after the president said he would not sign it.
• The main highway to Kenya’s second-largest city, Mombasa, was closed as protesters lit bonfires.
• There are concerns among the protestors that resident William Ruto might change his mind and sign the finance bill.

(Just FYI: The location of the place is important, considering that UPSC has asked several questions about places that were in the news, such as Aleppo and Kirkuk, in the 2018 UPSC Prelims. The best way to remember them is to plot them on a world map.)

Sports

— T20 World Cup 

• India won the T20 World Cup trophy, ending its 13-year wait for a World Cup and 17 years since it last kissed the T20 Cup.
• India defeated South Africa by 7 runs in the finals held in Kensington Oval in Barbados on 30th June, 2024. Virat Kohli was named the Man-of-the-Match of the final. Jasprit Bumrah was named as the Player of the series
• The T20 World Cup, first played in 2007, is an international cricket championship, usually held once every two years.
• The inaugural men’s Twenty20 edition, featuring 12 teams, was held in South Africa. The Indian cricket team, led by MS Dhoni, was crowned the champions after beating Pakistan by five runs in the final at Johannesburg.

— FIDE World Championship Match

• Singapore won hosting rights for the World Chess Championship, which will see 18-year-old Gukesh take on world champion Ding Liren in a bid to become the youngest world champion in history.
• The World Championship match is scheduled for the period between November 20 and December 15.

(Just FYI: With the unpredictability of the UPSC examinations and questions like the ICC World Test Championship question 2021, you can’t be sure of anything. It is wise to know what it is and not go into too much detail.)

Terms making buzz

A sculpture of the Buddha from the Kushana period, currently in the Mathura Museum. The Buddha is depicted with the abhaya mudra. (Wikimedia Commons)

— Abhaya Mudra: In Buddhist tradition, the abhaya mudra is associated with the Buddha immediately after he obtained Enlightenment, “portraying a sense of the security, serenity, and compassion that derive from enlightenment.”

— Nova explosion: A nova explosion is the dramatic instance of a star exploding as it interacts with another, nearby star. It’s a one of many, repeated moments during the long, slow, death of two neighboring stars in the same system.

— Angel Tax: It is levied when an unlisted company issues shares to an investor at a price higher than its fair market value. It was first introduced in 2012. its scope was widened even to non-resident investors from April 1, 2024.

— Hurricane Beryl: Beryl made landfall on the island of Carriacou in Grenada (Caribbean island) as the earliest Category 4 storm in the Atlantic on July 1, 2024.

— Adjournment Sine die: It is a Latin term meaning no definite date or period to resume. In legislative terms, it means terminating a sitting of Parliament for an indefinite period.

— July 4: July 4 marks the 248th Independence Day of the United States. It was the day when the Declaration of Independence, the document which marked the foundation of the US as a union of states liberated from Britain, was signed.

— Shandong: It is China’s second aircraft carrier was seen patrolling the waters of the Philippines.

Test Your Knowledge

(Note: The best way to remember facts is to recall them, try to solve these questions on your own.)

A. Project Nexus which was in the news recently is related with

(a) It aims to connect domestic instant payment systems to improve access to cross-border payments.

(b) It is concerned with the rise in cybercrime in India and neighbouring countries.

(c) It targets the growing nexus of drugs in Punjab and Haryana.

(d) It is related to increasing cooperation within various government ministries.

B. Kota Bharu, which was recently in the news for East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) is located in which country?

(a) Malaysia

(b) Vietnam

(c) Thailand

(d) Myanmar

C. Consider the following statements:

1. The property of entanglement is the ability of a particle to instantaneously influence the behaviour of another with whom it had an earlier ‘interaction’.

2. Superposition makes it possible for the quantum bit to exist in both 0 and 1 state simultaneously.

Which of the above statements are not correct?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

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