DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 5th April 2024

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – Womens Rights

Context: The Union government recently modified the Surrogacy (Regulation) Rules, 2022    to permit married couples to use donor eggs or donor sperm for surrogacy. The notification outlines that the child to be born through surrogacy must have at least one gamete from the intended parents.

Background:-

• Modified Surrogacy (Regulation) Rules, 2022, permit married couples to use donor eggs or donor sperm for surrogacy — a move that provided a big relief to those with medical complications. This revoked a previous amendment made in March 2023 that banned the use of such donor gametes.

About Surrogacy in India:

• It is a contractual process by which a women carries and delivers a child for a couple/individual after an embryo is implanted in her through in-vitro fertilisation(IVF).
• Commercial surrogacy is banned in India.Only altruistic arrangements where women acting as surrogates do not receive any monetary remuneration or compensation are allowed.
• Only married couples and ever-married single women (widowed or divorced) can seek a surrogacy.
• Would be parents can only pay for an altruistic surrogates insurance coverage and medical expense in India.

Latest changes to the Surrogacy Regulation Act (2021)

• On March 14, 2023, Form 2 (Consent of the Surrogate Mother and Agreement for Surrogacy) of the Surrogacy Rules read with Rule 7 was amended to stipulate that donor eggs could not be used for gestational surrogacy of an intending couple.
• This has now been amended by a notification of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare allowing married couples to use a donor gamete on the condition that a District Magistrate Board certifies that either the husband or the wife suffers from a medical condition.
• However, the notification outlines that the child to be born through surrogacy must have at least one gamete from the intending parents. This implies that a married couple where both partners are unable to use their gametes due to an existing medical condition cannot opt for surrogacy.
• The regulatory change is however not applicable to ever married single women as it specifies that a widow or a divorcee undergoing surrogacy must use self-eggs and donor sperm

Who all cannot access surrogacy in India?

• Single persons (ever married i.e. widowed or divorced women are permitted to access), live-in couples, LGBTQ couples, couples older than 45 years.

Source: The Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – Geography

Context: The Uttarakhand government has constituted two teams of experts to evaluate the risk posed by five potentially hazardous glacial lakes in the region. These lakes are prone to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), the kind of events that have resulted in several disasters in the Himalayan states in recent years.

Background:

• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which operates under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has identified 188 glacial lakes in the Himalayan states that can potentially be breached because of heavy rainfall. Thirteen of them are in Uttarakhand.

About Glacial Lake Outburst Floods

• GLOFs are disaster events caused by the abrupt discharge of water from glacial lakes — large bodies of water that sit in front of, on top of, or beneath a melting glacier. As a glacier withdraws, it leaves behind a depression that gets filled with meltwater, thereby forming a lake.
• The more the glacier recedes, the bigger and more dangerous the lake becomes. Such lakes are mostly dammed by unstable ice or sediment composed of loose rock and debris.
• In case the boundary around them breaks, huge amounts of water rush down the side of the mountains, which could cause flooding in the downstream areas — this is referred to as a GLOF event.
• GLOFs can be triggered by various reasons, including glacial calving, where sizable ice chunks detach from the glacier into the lake, inducing sudden water displacement.
• Incidents such as avalanches or landslides can also impact the stability of the boundary around a glacial lake, leading to its failure, and the rapid discharge of water.
• GLOFs can unleash large volumes of water, sediment, and debris downstream with formidable force and velocity.
• The floodwaters can submerge valleys, obliterate infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and buildings, and result in significant loss of life and livelihoods.
• In recent years, there has been a rise in GLOF events in the Himalayan region as soaring global temperatures have increased glacier melting. Rapid infrastructure development in vulnerable areas has also contributed to the spike in such incidents.
• Uttarakhand has witnessed two major GLOF events in the past few years. The first took place in June 2013, which affected large parts of the state — Kedarnath valley was the worst hit, where thousands of people died. The second occurred in February 2021, when Chamoli district was hit by flash floods due to the bursting of a glacier lake.

Source: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – Geography

Context: Recently, a tornado hit the Mainaguri area of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal.

Background:

• The tornado hit caused significant destruction, resulting in the tragic loss of five lives and injuring over 300 people.

About TORNADOS

• A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that forms a connection between the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud (or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud).
• Tornadoes are funnel-shaped storms with very low pressure at the center.
• They are the smallest but most violent and disastrous of all the storms.
• Tornadoes generally occur in middle latitudes.
• Steep pressure gradients result in fast movement of air towards the center.

Types of Tornadoes:

• Multiple-Vortex Tornado: Contains several smaller whirls rotating around a common center.
• Landspout: A non-supercellular tornado that develops over land.
• Waterspout: A spiraling funnel-shaped wind current that connects to a large cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud. Waterspouts generally form over bodies of water and are less common at high latitudes.

Occurrence:

• Tornadoes are most common in the mid-latitudes of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres in the spring and summer when thunderstorms are present.
• These storms convert potential and heat energy into kinetic energy, allowing the agitated atmosphere to settle back down.
• In India, tornadoes and cyclones occur, but tornadoes occur on a relatively infrequent basis.
• Tornadoes of moderate strength strike the country’s northwestern and north-eastern regions, causing significant damage to people and property.

Source: Down To Earth

Syllabus

• Prelims : Current Event

Context: A recent study highlighted that Earth’s changing rotation may prompt clocks to skip a second, potentially necessitating a “negative leap second” around 2029.

Background:

• Earth’s rotation is a dynamic process influenced by a complex interplay of gravitational forces, geological shifts, and climatic changes.

About LEAP SECONDS

• A leap second is a one-second adjustment occasionally applied to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to accommodate the difference between precise time (International Atomic Time, TAI) and imprecise observed solar time (UT1).
• This difference arises due to irregularities and long-term slowdown in the Earth’s rotation.
• Since the introduction of leap seconds in 1972, 27 leap seconds have been added to UTC, with the most recent occurring on December 31, 2016.

Negative Leap Seconds

• A negative leap second is a second subtracted from our clocks to keep them in sync with the Earth’s rotation.
• It is the opposite of a positive leap second, which is a one-second addition to our clocks.
• So far, all leap seconds have been positive.
• The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) monitors Earth’s rotation and decides when to add or subtract leap seconds.
• Due to Earth spinning faster than usual, timekeepers are considering negative leap seconds for the first time.

Source: Live Mint

Syllabus

• Prelims – Science

Context: An international team of scientists, including from India, has discovered strong evidence indicating the presence of ozone on Jupiter’s moon Callisto.

Background:

• This finding shed light on the complex chemical processes occurring on icy celestial bodies within our Solar System.

About OZONE

• Ozone, also known as trioxygen, is an inorganic molecule with the chemical formula O₃.
• Ozone is produced from dioxygen (O₂) through the action of ultraviolet (UV) light and electrical discharges within Earth’s atmosphere.
• Ozone occurs in very low concentrations throughout the earth’s atmosphere.
• Its highest concentration is found in the ozone layer of the stratosphere, where it absorbs most of the Sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
• The ozone layer plays a crucial role in protecting life on Earth by preventing excessive UV radiation from reaching the surface. Without this protective layer, solar UV radiation could cause severe damage to living organisms.
• The presence of ozone on Jupiter’s moon Callisto suggests the existence of a stable oxygen-rich atmosphere, which is essential for the development of complex organic molecules and, potentially, life.
• The discovery of ozone on Callisto has significant implications for the moon’s potential habitability and the search for life beyond Earth.

Source: Hindu

Previous Year Question

Q1. Which one of the following is associated with the issue of control and phasing out of the use of ozone depleting substances?

1. Bretton Woods Conference
2. Montreal Protocol
3. Kyoto Protocol
4. Nagoya Protocol

Syllabus

• Mains – GS 2

Context: The Election Commission of India (ECI) voiced its concern over the environmental risks associated with the use of non-biodegradable materials in elections.

Background:

• Amidst the climate crisis, shifting to sustainable practices across every sphere of human activity has become inevitable and urgent.

Green Elections:

• They are practices that aim to reduce the environmental impact of electoral processes. They involve measures such as using recycled materials, promoting electronic voting, and encouraging candidates to adopt sustainable campaign practices.

Objectives/Aims of Green Elections:

• Candidates and parties can adopt sustainable alternatives such as recycled paper, biodegradable banners, and reusable materials.
• Opting for energy-efficient lighting, sound systems, and transportation during rallies can help reduce the carbon footprint.
• Leveraging digital platforms for campaigning (websites, social media, and email) reduces paper usage and energy consumption.

Need for a shift towards Green Elections:

• Traditional election processes have significant environmental consequences due to various factors like the emissions from campaign flights during elections contribute significantly to the overall carbon footprint.
• Reliance on paper-based materials for ballots, campaign literature, and administrative documents leads to deforestation and energy-intensive production processes.
• Large-scale election rallies with loudspeakers, lighting, and other energy-consuming equipment contribute to energy consumption and emissions.
• PVC flex banners, hoardings, and disposable items used during campaigns add to waste generation and environmental impact.

Issues/Challenges in the Adoption of Green Elections:

• Ensuring that all voters have fair access to new technologies is crucial. However, this requires substantial efforts in terms of training election officials and educating voters about the new systems. Some specific challenges include training and familiarization of election officials to be proficient in operating and troubleshooting the new technology, ensuring that all voters, including those in remote or underserved areas, can access and use the technology is a challenge. Addressing disparities in internet connectivity and digital literacy is vital.
• Implementing eco-friendly materials and advanced technology often comes with significant upfront costs. Governments, especially those with limited budgets, may hesitate due to financial constraints. Allocating funds for technology upgrades while balancing other essential services is a delicate task. Prioritizing modernization within budget limitations is challenging.
• Traditionally, voting has been associated with physical presence at polling booths. Overcoming cultural inertia and changing voter behaviour is essential for successful modernization. Many voters view physically going to the polls as a sacred civic duty. Convincing them that digital alternatives are equally valid can be challenging.
• Introducing new approaches, such as online voting or blockchain-based systems, raises concerns about vote security. Any compromise in cybersecurity could undermine public trust and the integrity of elections.

Source: Hindu

Q1.)Recently, scientists have discovered strong evidence indicating the presence of ozone on Callisto, which is the moon of:

1. Saturn
2. Mars
3. Jupiter
4. Venus

Q2.) With reference to the leap seconds, consider the following statements:

1. The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) monitors Earth’s rotation and decides when to add or subtract leap seconds.
2. A negative leap second is a second subtracted from clocks to keep them in sync with the Earth’s rotation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q3.)With reference to Tornadoes, consider the following statements:

1. Tornadoes are funnel-shaped storms with very low pressure at the center.
2. Tornadoes generally occur in middle latitudes.
3. Tornadoes do not occur in India.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!

ANSWERS FOR ’  5th April  2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) – d

Q.2) – c

Q.3) – d