25 Apr 2024: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

25 April 2024 CNA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. GS 1 Related
B. GS 2 Related
C. GS 3 Related
ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
1. On the National Clean Air Programme
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
1. Powerful antidotes to toxins in Cobra
D. GS 4 Related
E. Editorials
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
1. The Indian seafarer deserves better in choppy high seas
SOCIAL ISSUES
1. The reality of the Swachh Bharat Mission
F. Prelims Facts
1. No forests or wildlife will be left if animal-human conflicts are 
not resolved, SC warns
2. EVM microcontrollers do not recognize parties or candidates, says SC
G. Tidbits
H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions
I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
FIP Magazine

Category: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

1. Powerful antidotes to toxins in Cobra

Syllabus: Science and Technology – Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life

Mains: Technology in Healthcare

Context: 

  • Venomous snake bites cause over 100,000 deaths annually, with an additional 400,000 people suffering permanent disabilities. 
  • These incidents predominantly affect low and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia, with India alone reporting about 58,000 deaths per year.

Neglected Crisis

  • Snakebite envenoming has been largely ignored globally and is considered a “poor man’s disease” despite its high mortality rates. 
  • This changed in 2017 when the World Health Organization classified it as a high-priority neglected tropical disease.

Outdated Antivenom Production: 

  • The current antivenom production method is outdated, relying on injecting horses with venom and harvesting their blood for antibodies. 
  • This method has limitations, including the potential for allergic reactions in humans and the production of non-specific antibodies.

Innovative Approach to Antivenom: 

  • Scientists, funded by the Wellcome Trust, are developing antivenoms using human antibodies to counteract the diversity of snake venoms, particularly in India, where regional differences in venom composition exist.

Focus on Three-Finger Toxins: 

  • The research focuses on three-finger toxins (3FTxs), prevalent in elapid snake venoms, which include cobras and mambas. 
  • These toxins block acetylcholine receptors, leading to paralysis and death.

Antibody Screening: 

  • Researchers led by Joseph Jardine at the Scripps Research Institute conducted extensive screenings of human antibodies to identify those most effective against these toxins, surpassing the variability and scope of animal-derived antibodies.

Promising Results with 95Mat5: 

  • An antibody named 95Mat5 showed broad effectiveness in neutralizing these toxins in vitro and in vivo, offering protection against several elapid venoms in mice, although it was less effective against king cobra venom.

Implications for Future Antivenom Development: 

  • This study paves the way for more targeted and broadly effective antivenoms, potentially leading to a universal solution that could address multiple snake species.

Continued Research and Development: 

  • The success of 95Mat5 encourages further research into antibodies that can neutralize other venom toxins, aiming for a comprehensive antivenom that could mitigate the global impact of snake bites.

Category: SOCIAL ISSUES

1. The reality of the Swachh Bharat Mission

Syllabus: GS-1, Role of Women and Women’s Organization, Population and Associated Issues, Poverty and Developmental issues, Urbanization, their problems and their remedies.

Mains: Sanitation

EPI Ranking and Response: 

  • India was ranked at the bottom among 180 countries in the 2022 Environment Performance Index (EPI). The EPI assesses countries based on climate change performance, environmental health, and ecosystem vitality, using 40 indicators across 11 categories. 
  • The Indian government criticized the EPI’s methodology, claiming it did not objectively reflect the Indian scenario.

Government Development Campaigns: 

  • Over the past decade, the Modi government has launched several development campaigns including the Swacch Bharat Mission (SBM), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and National Clean Air Programme. 
  • These missions aim to enhance living standards and address issues such as WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Health) and clean energy.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Overview: 

  • The SBM, launched to eliminate open defecation and improve waste management, is politically successful but has faced criticism for perpetuating caste-based roles in sanitation jobs.

Challenges with SBM Implementation:

  • The Union government declared India open defecation-free, but reports and studies indicate otherwise, pointing to poor construction quality of toilets and lack of access to sanitation facilities, especially in slums and rural areas.
  • Large, capital-intensive technologies intended to replace manual waste management have not met expectations, leading to resource shortages and health crises due to poor waste management.
  • The involvement of private contractors has led to continued employment of marginalized communities in sanitation roles, further entrenching caste discrimination.

Technological Interventions and Failures:

  • The government has promoted technological solutions for solid and liquid waste management, such as waste-to-energy plants and biological methanation, which have largely failed to deliver successful outcomes.
  • Investments in expensive machinery and vehicles for waste management have been handed over to large contractors, turning sanitation into a profit-driven sector while perpetuating caste-based employment practices.

Staffing Issues in Municipalities: 

  • The article cites specific examples like the Shimla Municipal Corporation, which is understaffed with sanitation inspectors, and other municipalities lacking adequate numbers of inspectors, affecting the effectiveness of sanitation management.

Broader Impact on EPI Performance: 

  • The failures of various development programs, including those related to environmental and sanitation issues, have negatively impacted India’s performance in the EPI.

Development Model Critique: 

  • The article suggests that India’s development model is unsustainable, as highlighted by the EPI. 
  • It calls for a reevaluation of development policies in light of their impact on human rights and climate change, referencing a Supreme Court observation on the link between climate change and basic human rights.

F. Prelims Facts

1. No forests or wildlife will be left if animal-human conflicts are not resolved, SC warns

  • Supreme Court’s Warning: The Supreme Court emphasized the critical danger human-wildlife conflicts pose to the existence of forests and wildlife, highlighting the necessity for a balance that considers the rights of both animals and humans.
  • Observation by Justice B.R. Gavai: Justice Gavai noted that without resolving conflicts between animals and humans, forests and wildlife cannot survive.
  • Background of the Case: The case involved the demarcation of boundaries at Assam’s Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and addressing the rights of local villagers, including marginalized communities such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and backward classes.
  • Assam Government’s Initiative: The Assam government formed a special committee led by the Chief Secretary (Forests) to recommend changes to the sanctuary’s boundaries to safeguard both wildlife and human inhabitants.
  • Survey and Proposals: A preliminary survey and mapping of the sanctuary were completed, proposing modifications that balance land for settlers and wildlife conservation, particularly considering the growing rhinoceros population.
  • National Board of Wildlife’s Role: The State’s proposals for the sanctuary are to be approved by the National Board of Wildlife and further reviewed by the Supreme Court.
  • Inclusion of Wildlife Representatives: The court ordered the inclusion of the Chief Wildlife Warden and the Field Director of the Pobitora sanctuary in the special committee to ensure wildlife concerns are represented.
  • Respect for Environmental Activists: Justice Gavai acknowledged the importance of environmental activism but stressed the need to also consider the human aspects of wildlife conservation issues.
  • Legal Actions: On March 13, the Supreme Court stayed the Assam government’s decision to denotify the Pobitora wildlife sanctuary, indicating the court’s active involvement in overseeing environmental governance.

2. EVM microcontrollers do not recognize parties or candidates, says SC

  • Microcontroller Nature: The Supreme Court described the microcontrollers in electronic voting machines (EVMs) as “agnostic,” meaning they do not recognize political parties or candidates but only register voter button presses.
  • Interchangeable Buttons: Justice Sanjiv Khanna explained that the buttons on EVMs are interchangeable across different constituencies, preventing any fixed button assignments to specific parties.
  • Manufacturer Programming: The programming of EVMs is completed by manufacturers without prior knowledge of which party will be assigned to which button in the elections.
  • Legal Challenge and Rigging Concerns: The case arose from petitions that claimed the EVM system was non-transparent and susceptible to tampering.
  • Source Code Confidentiality: The court ruled against disclosing the EVM source code, arguing that it would lead to potential misuse and compromise the system’s integrity.
  • Court Proceedings: Justices Khanna and Dipankar Datta reserved judgment on April 18 but reconvened with additional questions for the Election Commission (EC) regarding EVM and VVPAT operations.
  • Election Commission’s Responses: The Deputy Election Commissioner addressed the court’s queries, stating that all parts of the EVM (ballot units, control units, and VVPATs) contain microprocessors that are one-time programmable and detailed storage protocols for EVMs post-election.

G. Tidbits

Nothing here for today!!!

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Consider the following statements with respect to the National Clean Air Programme:
  1. It was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in January 2019.
  2. It is the first-ever effort in the country to frame a national framework for air quality management with a time-bound reduction target.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

  1. Only 1
  2. Only 2
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation: Both the statements are correct. 

Q2. Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) was launched on October 2, 2014, to fulfil the vision 
of a cleaner India by October 2, 2019. Consider the following statements:
  1. The objective of the Mission was to eliminate open defecation, eradicate manual scavenging, and promote scientific solid waste management. 
  2. SBM aimed to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) status by October 2019, with a subsequent goal to transition to ODF Plus by 2024-25.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

  1. Only 1
  2. Only 2
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation: Both the statements are correct.

Q3. Consider the following statements:
  1. An Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is an area of the ocean extending up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) immediately offshore from a country’s land coast. 
  2. The territorial sea extends to a limit of 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a coastal State.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

  1. Only 1
  2. Only 2
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation: Both the statements are correct.

Q4. In the light of recent controversy regarding the use of Electronic Voting 
Machines (EVM), consider the following statements:
  1. They were first used in the Paravur Assembly Constituency of Kerala in 1982. 
  2. It has been devised and designed by the Technical Experts Committee (TEC) of the Election Commission.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

  1. Only 1
  2. Only 2
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation: Both the statements are correct.

Q5. How many among the following is/are the government measures to 
tackle human-animal conflicts?
  1. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002
  2. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) 
  3. The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

Choose the correct option from the code given below:

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. All three
  4. None
CHECK ANSWERS:-

Answer: c

Explanation: All three are government measures to tackle human-animal conflicts.

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