In news

A recent study conducted by UNESCO has observed that one-third of the glaciers on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list are under threat, regardless of efforts to limit temperature increases.

Beyond News:

• The report outlines the threat to glaciers in 50 World Heritage sites and provides suggestions for the protection of the same.
  • Glaciers are bodies of moving ice that develop as snow accumulated in cold places compacts and recrystallizes.

Highlights of the Report:

• Word Heritage Glaciers (WHGs) are retreating at an accelerating rate since 2000 and contributing to almost 5% of the global observed sea-level rise.
• Glaciers in 1/3rd of WHG will disappear by 2050 and glaciers in around half of all sites could almost entirely disappear by 2100.
• An increase in melting may result in glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).
  • GLOFS occurs due to the collapse of banks of glacial lakes leading to sudden and violent flooding in downstream valleys.
• Limiting global warming to 5°C could save 2/3 of WHGs.

Importance of Glaciers

• Glaciers are a major supply of water for domestic use, agriculture, and power for half of humanity.
• They support numerous habitats and are essential to biodiversity.

Challenges

• Higher risk of natural disasters like flooding when glaciers melt quickly.
• The ensuing rise in sea levels might cause millions more people to be uprooted.
• 58 billion tonnes of ice are currently being lost by glaciers each year, which is around 5% of the observed rise in sea level globally and is equal to the annual water use of France and Spain combined.

Recommendations:

• Identify knowledge gaps and improve monitoring networks.
• Design and implement early warning and disaster risk reduction
• International fund for glaciers to support comprehensive research and develop effective response measures.
  • The fund would support the thorough investigation, encourage networks of communication between all interested parties, and implement early warning and disaster risk reduction strategies.

Content Source Link:

• https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-finds-some-iconic-world-heritage-glaciers-will-disappear-2050
• https://thelogicalindian.com/environment/glaciers-to-vanish-in-a-third-of-unesco-world-heritage-sites-by-2050-38445
• https://indiaeducationdiary.in/unesco-finds-that-some-iconic-world-heritage-glaciers-will-disappear-by-2050/

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In News

According to a new survey, since demonetization, the currency with the public is 71.84% higher than the level for November 2016.

Beyond News:

• Demonetisation is the act of stripping the legal tender status of a currency unit.
• The Government of India in 2016 announced the demonetisation of all Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes.
• It was an effort to fight black money and prevent the circulation of Fake notes and create a cashless economy by pushing digital transactions. 
• The study observed that consumers still prefer cash transactions, particularly for real estate agreements, even six years after demonetisation.

Reasons for Rising currency in circulation (CIC):

• People’s preference for Cash, especially in small cities.
• No bank account of 15 crore people. Privacy and autonomy are offered by cash payments, i.e. no third-party involvement.
• Simple, Fast and Reliable mode of payment.

Key Findings

• Failed Move:  The move ultimately failed because despite the Center's efforts to create a "cashless economy”, polls show that the amount of cash in circulation has risen over the past six years.
• Spike in Cash Transactions: 44% rise in cash transactions, especially in real estate deals, although digital transactions continue to rise in the economy. Other areas where cash use was reported to be high in 2021: Home repairs, salaries of household staff, and beauty services. 
• People using UPI:  Only about 250 million or about a fifth of the population of the overall universe are using services like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

 Benefits to less cash economy/digital transition:

• Increase transparency, and tax base and curb corruption.
• Curb circulation of fake currency.
• Regulators will have more control over the economy.
• Greater financial inclusion.
• FinTech not only facilitate payment, purchase and transfer but also help people invest, borrow, and track their expenses.

Content Source Link:

• https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/six-years-since-demonetisation-massive-jump-in-cash-with-public-at-3088-lakh-crore/article66103872.ece/amp/
• https://www.business-standard.com/article/finance/six-years-after-demonetisation-e-transactions-gain-but-cash-is-still-king-122110600982_1.html
• https://theprint.in/economy/six-years-on-jury-is-still-out-on-efficacy-of-demonetisation/1204336/

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In News:

The law minister has recently objected collegium system of appointing judges as “opaque” and “not accountable”.

Beyond News:

• The collegium system is not rooted in the Constitution or a specific law promulgated by Parliament but has evolved through judgments of the Supreme Court.
• As per convention, the government writes to the outgoing CJI before his retirement and the CJI recommends the name of the most senior judge as the successor about a month before retirement.
• Previously, the Supreme Court had struck down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) of 2015.
• Unlike other countries, judges in India appoint judges through the collegium process which takes a lot of time for the entire process of recommending names.

Collegium system:

• About: The collegium system is the way by which judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts are appointed and transferred.
• Need for collegium: The present form of collegium system was born out of years of friction between the judiciary and the executive which was further accentuated by instances of court-

• packing (the practice of changing the composition of judges in a court), mass transfer of high court judges and two supersessions to the office of the CJI in the 1970s.
• Evolution of collegium: The post-emergency period saw the evolution of the collegium system through Three Judges cases.
• Supreme Court Collegium: It is a five-member body, which is headed by the incumbent CJI and comprises the four other senior most judges of the court at that time.
• High Court collegium: It is led by the incumbent Chief Justice and two other senior most judges of that court.
• Appointment: The CJI and the judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President under clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution.
• Power to veto: The collegium can veto the government if the names are sent back by the latter for reconsideration.

Source:

• https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/collegium-system-opaque-judiciary-enter-executives-domain-law-minister-kiren-rijiju-8251336/
• https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/collegium-system-not-transparent-needs-improvement-njac-bench-judges/story-DUtK9IvgkVdVXpgVbP5zlM.html

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In news

Recently, a political party called for a proposal to remove the Tamil Nadu Governor.

Beyond News:

• The proposal to remove Governor from his office is against the backdrop of the TN Governor openly contradicting the legislature’s policy in public and unduly delaying assent to Bills.

Governor's appointment & Removal

• Under Articles 155 and 156 of the Constitution, a Governor is appointed by the President and holds office “during the pleasure of the President”.
• If this pleasure is withdrawn before the completion of the five-year term, the Governor has to step down.
• Further, as the President works on the aid and advice of the Prime Minister and the council of ministers, in effect, the Governor can be appointed and removed by the central government.
• While the Governor’s duties and responsibilities lie in a particular state, there is no provision for impeaching the Governor.

Governor-State Relations

• Article 163 of the Constitution says the Governor will normally be aided and advised by the Council of Ministers except in those functions which require his discretion, such as:
  • giving or withholding assent to a Bill passed by the state legislature
  • assenting to the convening of the state legislative assembly
  • determining the time needed for a party to prove its majority, and which party must be called first to do so, generally after a hung verdict in an election.
• However, in case of disagreements, there are no provisions laid down in the Constitution for the manner in which the Governor and the state must engage
• Related Court Interpretations
  • Surya Narain Choudhary vs Union of India (1981): Rajasthan High Court held that the pleasure of the President was not justiciable, the Governor had no security of tenure and can be removed at any time by the President withdrawing pleasure.
  • BP Singhal vs Union of India (2010): Supreme Court upheld that “no limitations or restrictions are placed on the ‘at pleasure’ doctrine”, but that “does not dispense with the need for a cause for withdrawal of the pleasure”

Recommendations for changing the way the governors are appointed:

• National Commission To Review the Working of the Constitution (2000)

• The Governor of a State should be appointed by the President, after consultation with the Chief Minister of that State, ensuring Political coherency
  • Sarkaria Commission (1983)
• It proposed that the Vice President of India and the Speaker of Lok Sabha should be consulted by the Prime Minister in the selection of Governors.
  • Madan Mohan Punchhi Committee (2007)
• A committee comprising the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Vice President, Speaker, and the concerned Chief Minister should choose the Governor.
• Also recommended deleting the “Doctrine of Pleasure” from the Constitution.
• Favoured a provision for the impeachment of the Governor by the state legislature.

Source:

• What does the law say on how a Governor can be sacked?
• How to end these ugly Governor-CM conflicts

Image source:

• https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/indiatoday/images/bodyeditor/202009/Governors-Oct5-2_1-x788.jpg?j2NQLvaQGFXwlXxCOCgP6uhTNK6bRZZL

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• Context: Recently PM attended celebrations of 553rd Prakash Utsav of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

• Guru Nanak Dev was a 16th-century religious reformer and the founder of Sikhism.
• He was born during the Delhi Sultanate period.
• Birthplace: Talwandi near Lahore (present-day Nankana Sahib).
• His teachings can be found in Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib.
• His birth anniversary is observed annually on the full moon date of the Kartik month or Kartik Purnima.
• Social Reforms and philosophy

1. Egalitarian social order in times of great inequalities. He promoted pluralism.
2. Langar: common community kitchen for all.
3. Sangat: common mode of worship

• Pangat: common social institute wherein people sit in the same row as equals.

2. He also promoted the upliftment of women.
3. He stood against superstitions in society and called for simple living.

• He visited a number of places including Ceylon, Iran and other countries west to Mecca Medina to spread the holy message of peace, compassion, truthfulness, brotherhood, love and equality of rights.

Sources:

• https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1874377
• https://www.sikhnet.com/news/guru-nanak-initiated-social-reforms
• https://www.allaboutsikhs.com/sikh-way-of-life/sikh-institutions/sangat-and-pangat/

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• Context: Recently a man received the first-ever transplant of a gene-edited pig heart in surgery.

• Xenotransplantation is the process of transplanting organs from one species (non-human) to another (human).
• Key Highlights

1. During the experiment, the heart of a pig had undergone gene-editing and has been used to remove sugar in its cells that’s responsible for that hyper-fast organ rejection.
2. The research team found that the ECG parameters of the pig heart after being transplanted into a human were different from native pig hearts as the electric signals were slower.

Source:

• https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/world/genetically-modified-pig-heart-took-longer-than-usual-to-beat-for-human-receiver-scientists-85808#:~:text=There%20was%20a%20hitch%20in,after%20the%20transplant%20in%20January

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• Context: The Supreme Court has recently upheld the Employees’ Pension (Amendment) Scheme, 2014 but quashed the threshold limit of Rs 15,000 monthly salary for joining the pension fund.
• Under Article 142, the Supreme Court ruling gives EPFO members, who have availed of the EPS, another opportunity over the next four months to opt and contribute up to 33% of their actual salaries as against 8.33% of the pensionable salarycapped at Rs 15,000 a month towards pension.

• The court held the amendment requiring members to contribute an additional 16 % of their salary exceeding Rs 15,000 a monthas ultra vires the provisions of the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.
• Implication:
  • People who have subscribed to EPF will be able to get a pension on their full salary instead of Rs. 15000 cap.
  • Employees and Employers, who have contributed to the EPF without any approval from Assistant Provident Commissioner, may not get the benefit of judgment.
  • The amendment done in 2014 may remain applicable to the companies which manage their EPF corpus through trusts.

Source:

• https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/explained-the-supreme-court-order-on-pf-pensions/article66112704.ece

• Context: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has recently highlighted the need to update the National Population Register (NPR) database across the country.

• NPR is a databasecontaining a list of all usual residents (a person who has resided in a place for six months or more and intends to reside there for another six months or more)of the country.
• Itsobjective is to have a comprehensive identity database of people residing in the country.
• It isgenerated through house-to-house enumeration during the “house-listing” phase of the census.
• The NPR wasfirst collected in 2010 and then updated in 2015.
• It is prepared under the provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.
• It is mandatory for every “usual resident of India”to register in the NPR.

Sources:

• https://www.business-standard.com/about/what-is-national-population-register-npr
• https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/explainer-what-is-npr-national-population-register-nrc-census-1631251-2019-12-24

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Exam View: Clean Energy, Solar waste, International Solar Alliance National Solar Mission, Net-Zero Emission Target.

In News: Solar energy can help India achieve net zero. Grid-interactive mini-grids and community rooftop solar installations will enable this shift. Solar energy is the one which could become the cornerstone of the net-zero India that we are aiming to see in 2070.

The world is on the cusp of a solar revolution. Not only is solar the world’s most abundant and clean energy source, with its widespread acceptance, but it has also become the common energy imperative to drive international climate action.

Solar energy is playing a key role not only in the developing world to tackle energy access and energy security, but also in developed countries to facilitate energy transition through integration with battery energy storage, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and hydrogen production.

India, being a tropical country is endowed with plenty of solar energy; hence, the exploitation of solar energy becomes an important component of the renewable energy sector. India is endowed with vast solar energy potential. About 5,000 trillion kWh per year of energy is incident over India’s land area with most parts receiving 4-7 kWh per sq. m per day. India is now the fourth-largest solar power producer in the world.

Despite technological superiority over other energy technologies, solar energy is facing an important challenge as the global photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing supply chain is concentrated in a handful of countries, which resulted in recent price surges because of the choking of existing limited supply chains.

Government Initiatives:

• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyaan (PM KUSUM): This scheme aims to add solar and other renewable capacities of 25,750 MW by 2022.
• UDAY or Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojna: It was launched to find permanent solar power solutions to the financial mess that the power distribution was facing at that time. It aims at reforming the power sector, operational improvement, development in renewable energy, reduction of cost of generation of power, energy efficiency, and conservation.
• Solar Park Scheme: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has come up with a scheme to set up a number of solar parks across several states, each with a capacity of almost 500 MW.
• Rooftop Scheme: Under the rooftop scheme executed by SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India), 200 MW of projects has been allocated, out of which 45 MW of capacity have been commissioned.

• Increased cooperation among countries will be the backbone of the energy transition, propelling investment and creating millions of new green jobs. While governments and stakeholders have begun to pay increasing attention to solar PV manufacturing, more needs to be done. The strategic importance of this sector in a rapidly decarbonising world requires like-minded countries to act together.
• There is a need for support in the early years and as a global community, we need to support countries in enabling an environment for manufacturing. With 110 members and signatory countries, the International Solar Alliance is making efforts to bring about this change.
• Newer technologies will come into the market, including solar-plus batteries becoming competitive. New solar PV manufacturing facilities along the supply chain could attract billions in investment by 2030.
• Annual investment levels need to double throughout the supply chain. Polysilicon, ingots and wafers manufacturing are the critical stages and would need to attract the majority of investments to support growing demand.

Solar energy is available in abundance, there is no suitable technology other than solar that allows households and communities to become self-sufficient in terms of energy. Grid-interactive mini grids and community rooftop solar installations will enable this shift. Solar energy is the one which could become the cornerstone of the net-zero India that we are aiming to see in 2070.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/solar-energy-can-help-india-achieve-net-zero-101667831390065.html

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• Why in news? Scientists have identified genes that can increase drought resistance in plants.
• About: Orphan crops are a diverse set of minor crops like tef, finger millet, yam, roots and tubers that tend to be regionally important but not traded around the world.

• They are largely grown and used locally by communities.
• They are not part of the main crops that are traded internationally and which have often been considered staple crops, such as rice or maize.
• They are Resilient, being both drought- and frost-tolerant as well as able to grow in harsher environments than many staple crops.

https://www.icrisat.org/is-there-a-future-for-orphan-crops/#:~:text=Orphan%20crops%2C%20also%20known%20in,fiber%2C%20latex%2C%20and%20dyes

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• Why in news? Scientists have demonstrated that the associated Cas9 enzyme, can bind to and cut the target DNA at very low temperatures.

• About: CRISPR-Cas9 is a unique technology that enables geneticists and medical researchers to edit parts of the genome by removing, adding or altering sections of the DNA sequence.
• It acts as molecular scissors to cut DNA at a location specified by a guide RNA.
• Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) is a gene editing technology, which replicates the natural defence mechanism in bacteria to fight virus attacks, using a special protein called Cas9.
• CRISPR technology does not involve the introduction of any new gene from the outside.

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/crispr-gene-editing-possible-in-temperature-sensitive-organisms-plants-11667476784940.html

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• Why in news? Ministry of Home Affairs has asked the States/Union Territories to appoint a Child Welfare Police Officer (CWPO) in every police station to exclusively deal with children, either as victims or perpetrators.
• About: CWPO is stipulated in an advisory issued by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
• At least one officer, not below the rank of an Assistant Sub-Inspector, must be designated as CWPO in every police station as per the provisions under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
• The unit would comprise CWPOs and two social workers having experience of working in the field of child welfare, of whom one shall be a woman, to co-ordinate all functions of police in relation to children.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/home-ministry-asks-states-to-appoint-child-welfare-police-officers/article66091919.ece

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• Why in news? Shaking and Swelling of the ground at Mauna Loa, indicates that it could erupt anytime.
• About: Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that together make up the Big Island of Hawaii, which is the southernmost island in the Hawaiian archipelago.
• It’s not the tallest (that title goes to Mauna Kea) but it’s the largest and makes up about half of the island’s land mass.
• It sits immediately north of Kilauea volcano, which is currently erupting from its summit crater.

• Mauna Loa last erupted 38 years ago. In written history, dating to 1843, it’s erupted 33 times.
• It’s about 200 miles (320 kilometres) south of Hawaii’s most populous island, Oahu, where the state capital Honolulu and beach resort Waikiki are both located.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/where-will-mauna-loa-hawaiis-biggest-volcano-erupt-from-8248122/

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Why in news? Tokhü Emong festival of the Lotha Nagas was celebrated to spread awareness about the Nagaland’s avian diversity.

About:

• Tokhu Emong is a post-harvest festival, of the Lotha Community of Nagaland.
• It is celebrated on 7th November every year, this colour-filled festival stretches over to 9 days.

• Significant attraction of this festival includes community songs, dances, feast, fun and frolic.
• Through the commencement of this festival, people relive the stories of their ancestors composed decades before.
• During the festival, gracious offerings are made to the ‘Sky God’ and ‘Earth God’ seeking for blessings.
• A perfect blend of religion, culture and entertainment, ‘Tokhu Emong’ is widely celebrated in the Wokha district.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/beyond-amur-falcons-nagaland-to-undertake-first-bird-count/article66090812.ece

https://www.northeasttoday.in/2021/11/06/tokhu-emong-vibrant-harvest-festival-of-nagalands-lotha-community/

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• Why in news? Cordy gold nanoparticles (Cor-AuNPs), has earned an international patent from Germany.
• About: These nanoparticles, derived from the synthesis of the extracts of Cordyceps militaris and gold salts, could make drug delivery in the human body faster and safer.
• Cordyceps militaris is a high-value parasitic fungus, lab-grown at the Department of Biotechnology’s Technology Incubation Centre (TIC) in Bodoland University.

• Cordyceps militaris, called super mushroom because of its tremendous medicinal properties, adds bioactive components to the synthesis of gold nanoparticles for better penetration.
• The wild Cordyceps mushroom is found in the eastern Himalayan belt.
• Biosynthesised nanogold particles indicate a new application of nanoparticles in the development of therapeutic drugs that can be delivered as ointments, tablets, capsules, and in other forms.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/gold-gets-nano-boost-from-super-mushroom-for-better-drug-delivery/article66090620.ece#:~:text=Photo%3A%20Special%20Arrangement-,Assam's%20Bodoland%20University%20is%20part%20of%20collaborative%20research%20on%20a,super%20mushroom%20for%20greater%20efficacy

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Background

Mathura-Vrindavan, one of India’s largest pilgrimage centres, aims to become a “net zero carbon emission” tourist destination by 2041.

About Net-Zero tourist destination

• Mathura is the abode of Lord Krishna, which finds mention in the epic Ramayana. Also, it was the capital of Kushan King Kanishka(130AD).
• To attain a net zero carbon emission status, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions re-absorbed from the atmosphere, by oceans and forests.
• For Attaining such a status in Mathura, tourist vehicles will be banned from the entire region, to be replaced by electric vehicles for public transport.

Quote

“NET-ZERO offers not only a solution to climate change and air pollution, but an opportunity to create a cheaper, more resilient energy system, a more productive economy, and a better quality of life for all”

― Mathew Hampshire-Waugh

Source

Mathura-Vrindavan aims to become a carbon neutral tourist destination by 2041

Image source

https://assets.weforum.org/editor/YSHprZLQDrGpnwSGQhM2KR0kHKI4YBHPRbydzZdHimo.png

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