UPSC DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS (13TH SEPTEMBER, 2023)

Derna City of Libya

Syllabus: Places in News

In News

• Devastating floods occurred in Derna, Libya due to the collision of Dams and flash floods caused by a Mediterranean storm named Daniel.

About Derna

• Derna (Darnah) is a port city in eastern Libya. 
• The city is bisected by the Wadi Derna, a seasonal river that flows from highlands to the south, and normally protected from flooding by dams.
• The city was once a hub for extremist groups in the years of chaos that followed the NATO.

Key Facts: Libya

• Capital: Tripoli
• Geographical Boundaries: It is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa.
  • North: Mediterranean Sea
  • East: Egypt
  • Southeast: Sudan
  • South: Chad
  • Southwest: Niger
  • West: Algeria
  • Northwest: Tunisia

• Historical Features:
  • Libya is made of three historical regions: Tripolitania, Fezzan, and Cyrenaica.
• The recent Libyan Crisis has led to a civil war, foreign military intervention, and the ousting and death of ruler Muammar Gaddafi. 

• Geographical Features:
  • The portion of the Mediterranean Sea north of Libya is often called the Libyan Sea. 
  • Libya has the 10th-largest proven oil reserves in the world.
  • Libyan Desert: 
    • This desert covers much of Libya. 
    • It is one of the most arid and sun-baked places on earth. 
    • In places, decades may pass without seeing any rainfall at all.
  • Slightly further to the south are the massifs of Arkenu, Uweinat, and Kissu.
    • These are ancient granite mountains.
• Climate:
  • Natural hazards come in the form of hot, dry, dust-laden sirocco (known in Libya as the gibli).
    • This is a southern wind blowing from one to four days in spring and autumn. 
  • There are also dust storms and sandstorms. 
  • Oases can also be found scattered throughout Libya

BRO Infrastructure Projects 

Syllabus: GS3/ Defence and Infrastructure 

News

• The Defence Minister has dedicated 90 infrastructure projects of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to the nation.

About

• The projects are worth over Rs 2,900 crore, spread across 11 States/Union Territories.
• Of these 90 projects, 36 are in Arunachal Pradesh; 26 in Ladakh; 11 in Jammu & Kashmir; five in Mizoram; three in Himachal Pradesh; two each in Sikkim, Uttarakhand & West Bengal and one each in Nagaland, Rajasthan and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Important projects 

• Devak Bridge: The bridge in Jammu has a 422.9-metre span and has come up on the Bishnah-Kaulpur-Phulpur Road, close to the Indo-Pak international border.
• Nechiphu Tunnel: It is the 500-meter long Nechiphu Tunnel on Balipara-Charduar-Tawang Road in Arunachal Pradesh. This tunnel, along with the under construction Sela Tunnel, will provide all-weather connectivity to the strategic Tawang Region.
• Bagdogra and Barrackpore Airfields:These airfields, constructed in West Bengal  at a cost of over Rs 500 crore, will bolster the preparedness of the Indian Air Force (IAF) along with facilitating commercial flight operations in the region.
• Nyoma Airfield: The Airfield is in Eastern Ladakh. This airfield, to be developed at a cost of approx. Rs 200 crore, will boost the air infrastructure in Ladakh and augment IAF’s capability along the Northern border. 

Nipah Virus

Syllabus:GS2/ Health

News

• Two deaths have been reported from Kozhikode district in Kerala due to Nipah infection.

About

• Nipah is a zoonotic disease, which means it is transmitted to humans through infected animals or contaminated food. 
• History: The first outbreaks of the Nipah virus among humans was reported from Malaysia (1998) and Singapore (1999). The virus takes its name from the village in Malaysia where the person in whom the virus was first isolated died of the disease.
• Host reservoir: The animal host reservoir of the virus is the fruit bat, commonly known as flying fox. Fruit bats are known to transmit this virus to other animals like pigs, and also dogs, cats, goats, horses and sheep.
• Symptoms: Fever, headache, cough, sore throat, difficulty in breathing, and vomiting.In severe cases, disorientation, drowsiness, seizures, encephalitis (swelling of the brain) can occur, progressing to coma and death.
• Transmission: It can also be transmitted directly from person to person through close contact with an infected person.Some cases of infection have also been reported among people who climb trees where bats often roost.

How fast does the Nipah virus spread?

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah has a relatively high case fatality ratio. The very high death rates contribute to low transmission.
• Reproductive number (R0):It is a measure of how quickly the virus spreads in the population. The reproductive number (R0) in the previous outbreaks of Nipah virus was about 0.48. 
  • A value less than one means less than one person is being infected by an already infected person. In such a scenario, the outbreak is expected to diminish relatively quickly.

Most Favoured Nation (MFN) Duty

Syllabus: GS3/Indian Economy

Context

• India has withdrawn additional duties on eight US origin products, including apples, walnuts and almonds.

About:

• The relaxation of an additional duties (20% each on apples and walnuts and Rs 20 per kg on Almonds) by the Union government which was imposed as a retaliatory measure on the US’s products in 2019 over and above the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) as a retaliation to US’s protectionist measure of increasing tariffs on certain steel and Aluminium products.

Most Favoured Nation (MFN) duty:

• The MFN clause is the founding principle of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
  • Under the WTO agreements, countries cannot normally discriminate between their trading partners.
• In general, MFN means that every time a country lowers a trade barrier or opens up a market, it has to do so for the same goods or services from all its trading partners — whether rich or poor, weak or strong.
• It is a priority in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
• The loss of MFN status exposes a country to discriminatory import tariffs on its products.

Exception:

• Countries can set up a free trade agreement that applies only to goods traded within the group – discriminating against goods from outside.
  • They can give developing countries special access to their markets.
  • A country can raise barriers against products that are considered to be traded unfairly from specific countries.
• In services, countries are allowed to discriminate,  on a limited basis.

Ayushman Bhava’ Campaign

Syllabus:GS2/Governance

News

• The “Ayushman Bhava ” campaign will be introduced during Seva Pakhwada to ensure optimum delivery of health schemes to every intended beneficiary.

What is the ‘Ayushman Bhava’ campaign?

• The ‘Ayushman Bhav’ campaign is a comprehensive nationwide healthcare initiative that aims to provide saturation coverage of healthcare services, reaching every village and town in the country.
• The campaign is a collaborative effort spearheaded by gram panchayats in coordination with the Department of Health, other government departments, and local elected bodies in the rural and urban areas. 
• Significance: this would ensure that patients getting screened at the Health Melas can access timely treatment at the Health Melas.

Components of  ‘Ayushman Bhava’ campaign

• Ayushman Bhava is an umbrella campaign comprising three key components:
  • Ayushman Apke Dwar 3.0: It is aimed at creation and distribution of Ayushman cards to all remaining eligible beneficiaries; 
  • Ayushman Mela: weekly Health Melas will be held at the level of Ayushman Bharat (AB)-Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) and 
  • Ayushman Sabha: A village/ward level sabha to be held to enhance awareness about various health care schemes and services.

World Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Day

Syllabus: GS-2/Health

Context

• World Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Day is observed on 7th September every year to raise awareness about Duchenne muscular dystrophy. 

About:

• The purpose of the day is to improve the quality of life for those who have dystrophinopathies (X linked muscle disorders) through education, advocacy, and social inclusion. 
• The theme for 2023 is Duchenne: Breaking Barriers.
• This day is observed by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India.

What is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)?

• It is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness due to the alterations of a protein called dystrophin that helps keep muscle cells intact.
  • Dystrophin, an enzyme secreted in the muscles, helps in wear and tear and regeneration of muscles.
• It was first described by the French neurologist Guillaume Benjamin Amand Duchenne in the 1860s. In 1986, a particular gene on the X chromosome was identified that leads to DMD when flawed. 
• Symptoms: Muscle weakness is the principal symptom. It first affects the proximal muscles (those close to the core of the body) and later affects the distal limb muscles (those close to the extremities).
  • Later on, the heart and respiratory muscles are affected as well. 
• Carriers: DMD carriers are females who have a normal dystrophin gene on one X chromosome and an abnormal dystrophin gene on the other X chromosome. 
• Survival: Until relatively recently, boys with DMD usually did not survive much beyond their teen years but due to advances in cardiac and respiratory care, life expectancy is increasing and survival into the early 30s is becoming more common than before.
• Treatment: Currently available treatments were gene therapy, Exon-skipping and disease modifying agents (anti-inflammatory medicines such as steroids).
• Recent treatment: Using a food additive – a beta-glucan produced by N-163 strain of a yeast Aureobasidium pullulans.
  • Along with regular treatment, the participants, all aged above three years, were given the beta-glucan in the form of a food supplement.

IGOT Karmayogi Platform Launches Aspirational Blocks Programme Module

Syllabus: GS2/ Governance, Government Policies & Intervention

In News

• iGOT Karmayogi Bharat in partnership with NITI Aayog, has launched a new learning module dedicated to the Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP).
  • iGOT Karmayogi Bharat  is a comprehensive online platform to guide individual civil service officials in their capacity building journey. 

About

• The curated module, now accessible on the iGOT Karmayogi platform, comprises ten comprehensive courses tailored to meet the specific needs of Block officials.
• These courses cover a wide range of subjects, including time management, communication for citizen-centricity, leadership, sustainable development goals, problem-solving, self-leadership, stress management, yoga at the workplace, and team building.

Significance

• It will enhance the functional, domain, and behavioral competencies of 5000 Block-level officials. 
• By equipping them with the necessary tools, this initiative intends to improve their effectiveness in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities.

Aspirational Blocks Programme

• NITI Aayog has launched the Aspirational Blocks Programme, building on the success of the Aspirational Districts Programme.
• The Programme is aimed at improving the performance of areas that are lagging on various development parameters. It was announced in the Union Budget 2022-23.

Aspirational District Programme

• Launched in January 2018, it aims to quickly and effectively transform 112 most under-developed districts across the country. 
• The broad contours of the programme are Convergence (of Central & State Schemes), Collaboration (of Central, State level Nodal Officers & District Collectors), and Competition among districts through monthly delta ranking; all driven by a mass movement.

World Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Day

Syllabus: GS-2/Health

Context

• World Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Day is observed on 7th September every year to raise awareness about Duchenne muscular dystrophy. 

About:

• The purpose of the day is to improve the quality of life for those who have dystrophinopathies (X linked muscle disorders) through education, advocacy, and social inclusion. 
• The theme for 2023 is Duchenne: Breaking Barriers.
• This day is observed by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India.

What is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)?

• It is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness due to the alterations of a protein called dystrophin that helps keep muscle cells intact.
  • Dystrophin, an enzyme secreted in the muscles, helps in wear and tear and regeneration of muscles.
• It was first described by the French neurologist Guillaume Benjamin Amand Duchenne in the 1860s. In 1986, a particular gene on the X chromosome was identified that leads to DMD when flawed. 
• Symptoms: Muscle weakness is the principal symptom. It first affects the proximal muscles (those close to the core of the body) and later affects the distal limb muscles (those close to the extremities).
  • Later on, the heart and respiratory muscles are affected as well. 
• Carriers: DMD carriers are females who have a normal dystrophin gene on one X chromosome and an abnormal dystrophin gene on the other X chromosome. 
• Survival: Until relatively recently, boys with DMD usually did not survive much beyond their teen years but due to advances in cardiac and respiratory care, life expectancy is increasing and survival into the early 30s is becoming more common than before.
• Treatment: Currently available treatments were gene therapy, Exon-skipping and disease modifying agents (anti-inflammatory medicines such as steroids).
• Recent treatment: Using a food additive – a beta-glucan produced by N-163 strain of a yeast Aureobasidium pullulans.
  • Along with regular treatment, the participants, all aged above three years, were given the beta-glucan in the form of a food supplement.

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award

Syllabus: Miscellaneous/ Awards

Context

• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) announced the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award (SSB) for 2022.

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award

• About: The award is named after the late Dr (Sir) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, the Founder-Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) India and is known as the ‘Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB)’ Award for Science and Technology.
• Purpose: It is the national honor bestowed upon young scientists and engineers in India to recognize their research and development activities.
• Eligibility: Any citizen of India engaged in research in any field of science and technology up to the age of 45 years is eligible for the prize.
  • Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) working in India are also eligible.
  • The prize is awarded on the basis of contributions made through work done in India only during the five years preceding the year of the prize.
• Nature of the prize: The prize comprises a citation, a plaque, and a cash award of Rs. 5 lakh.
  • In addition, recipients also get Rs. 15,000 per month up to the age of 65 years.

Diesel Vehicles

Syllabus: GS3/Environmental Pollution and Degradation

Context

• The Union Road Transport Minister said that people need to move away from fuels such as petrol and diesel, and said he might consider proposing an additional 10% GST be imposed on diesel vehicles as ‘pollution tax’.

About:

• It is imperative to actively embrace cleaner and greener alternative fuels which should be import substitutes, cost-effective, indigenous, and pollution-free.
• It is in line with the target to achieve ‘Carbon Net Zero by 2070’.

• According to estimates by the Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell, diesel accounts for about 40% of India’s petroleum products consumption.
  • Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Haryana together account for almost 40% of the diesel sold in India.

Advantages of Diesel:

• The higher fuel economy of diesel engines compared to petrol engines. Diesel has greater energy content per litre, as they have higher compression ratios and diesel engines are inherently efficient. This makes diesel the fuel of choice for heavy vehicles.
• It does not use high-voltage spark ignition (spark plugs).
  • It offers more torque (rotational or turning force), and is less likely to stall as they are controlled by a mechanical or electronic governor, thereby proving to be better for haulage.

Disadvantages:

• The higher compression ratio of diesel engines increased the emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), a potential greenhouse gas and pollutant, and production of ground-level ozone which damages crops, trees and other vegetation.
• Environmental impact as global climate change affects air and water quality, weather patterns, sea levels, ecosystems, and agriculture.
• Concerns like human health conditions like asthma and respiratory illnesses like heart and lung disease, especially in children and the elderly.

(Fig: Emissions From Diesel Engine)

Way Forward:

• Government aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to produce 40% of India’s electricity from renewables as part of its goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2070, by focusing on the alternative fuels like biofuels, ethanol, green hydrogen, in addition to electric vehicles.

Vaishali’ festival of democracy

Syllabus: GS1/Art & Culture

Context

• Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to organise a festival of democracy in Nalanda University, Bihar.

About:

• The ‘Vaishali’ festival of democracy was organised by the Union Culture Ministry in ‘Bharat Mandapam’ as part of the side events of the G-20 Summit.
• The exhibition titled “Bharat: mother of democracy” was aimed at highlighting the democratic ethos of India.
• It holds significant historical and cultural importance, as it commemorates the birthplace of democracy and celebrates the enduring values of democratic governance.

Ancient city of Vaishali:

• It is a great Buddhist pilgrimage and birthplace of Lord Mahavira, the last Tirthankar of Jainism. It is believed to be the first republic in the world.
• Buddha visited this place thrice, delivered his last sermon and announced his Nirvana here at Vaishali.
• After the death of Buddha, the Second Buddhist Council was held at Vaishali.

Gana or Sangha:

• It was a different form of government of the Magadha empire.
• In a gana or a sangha there were many rulers, each one was known as a raja who performed rituals together. They also met in assemblies, and decided what had to be done and how, through discussion and debate.
  • However, women, dasas and kammakaras could not participate in these assemblies.
• Both the Buddha and Mahavira (about whom you will read in Chapter 7) belonged to ganas or sanghas.
• Ajatshatru, the great Magadh King, annexed Vaishali in the fifth century BC and after that Vaishali gradually lost its glory and power.
• UNESCO declared the ruins of Nalanda Mahavihara, a world heritage site.

Reasons behind Morocco’s earthquake

GS Paper 1 Syllabus: Geography: Geomorphology

Context: A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck Morocco, causing extensive damage and a death toll exceeding 2,400 people. The earthquake’s epicentre was in the Atlas Mountains near Marrakech.

Reason for the Earthquake:

The earthquake in Morocco resulted from a geological phenomenon known as a “reverse fault.” 

• Tectonic Plate Interaction: Morocco is situated in an area where the Eurasian and African tectonic plates converge.
• Plate Boundary Activity: The Atlas Mountains, where the earthquake occurred, are actively rising due to the convergence of these two large tectonic plates
• Seismic Stress Accumulation: Although the region had not experienced major recorded earthquakes before, stress had been accumulating underground for an extended period due to the slow movement of tectonic plates.
• Oblique-Reverse Fault: This type of faulting is common in areas of compression along the convergent plate boundaries. The stress along these fault lines can induce earthquakes as rocks abruptly shift to release accumulated stress.

More about Oblique-Reverse Fault: 

An oblique-reverse fault is a geological fault characterized by both horizontal and vertical movements along the fault plane. In this type of fault, rocks on one side of the fault plane move vertically upward while also sliding horizontally in a lateral direction. This movement occurs due to the compression of tectonic plates, where one plate is converging into another.

National Strategy for Robotics (NSR)

GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Science and Technology

Various types of faults:

Why the earthquake in Morocco has caused so much damage?

Earthquake Prone areas in India:

The Western Himalayas in India are considered one of the most dangerous seismic zones globally, and the entire Himalayan region, spanning from the Hindu Kush mountains to Arunachal Pradesh, is at risk of a major earthquake with a magnitude exceeding 8 on the Richter scale. This heightened risk is attributed to the substantial energy accumulation along faultlines due to the ongoing interaction of various tectonic plates.

However, earthquakes cannot be accurately predicted because there is currently no equipment or method to detect precursory signals within the Earth that would indicate an impending major earthquake. Such signals would need to be specific to significant seismic events and not indicative of minor movements in the Earth’s crust.