DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 30th July 2024

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – ENVIRONMENT

Context: Cereal grains have overtaken sugarcane as the primary feedstock for the production of ethanol used in blending with petrol.

Background:

• In the current supply year (November 2023 to October 2024), sugar mills and distilleries supplied 401 crore litres of ethanol to oil marketing companies by June 30. Of this total, 211 crore litres (52.7%) were produced from maize and damaged food grains, primarily broken or old rice unsuitable for human consumption. The remaining 190 crore litres were derived from sugarcane-based feedstocks, including molasses and whole juice/syrup.

Key takeaways

• Modi government has targeted 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 2025. That ratio for all-India averaged 13% this supply year till June, as against 12.1% in 2022-23, 10% in 2021-22 and only 1.6% in 2013-14.
• Ethanol is 99.9% pure alcohol that can be blended with petrol.
• Alcohol production involves fermentation of sugar using yeast. In cane juice or molasses, sugar is present in the form of sucrose that is broken down into glucose and fructose.
• Grains contain starch, a carbohydrate that must first be extracted and converted into sucrose and simpler sugars before undergoing further fermentation, distillation, and dehydration to produce ethanol.
• Till 2017-18, ethanol was being produced only from so-called C-heavy molasses, the dense dark brown liquid byproduct containing sucrose that mills cannot economically recover and crystallise into sugar.
• The Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme saw a significant boost in 2018-19 when the Modi government allowed mills to produce ethanol from B-heavy molasses (which leaves less sugar available for crystallization and more for fermentation) and directly from whole cane juice/syrup. To compensate mills for the reduced or nil production of sugar, higher prices were paid for ethanol produced through these routes.
• A further fillip to the programme came when mills started using grains as supplementary feedstock. Companies installed multi-feedstock distilleries that could run on molasses and juice/ syrup during the crushing season (November-April) and on grain in the off-season (May-October), when cane wasn’t available.
• These grains were primarily surplus and broken/damaged rice sourced from the Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) stocks and the open market.
• However, with the Modi government halting the supply of FCI rice (from July 2023) and restricting the use of cane juice and B-heavy molasses for ethanol production (from December 2023) due to concerns over cereal and sugar inflation, maize has emerged as the leading ethanol feedstock.
• This shift has been incentivized by the government setting an ex-distillery price of Rs 71.86 per litre for ethanol produced from maize. This price is higher than the per-litre prices payable by oil companies for ethanol from other feedstocks: C-heavy molasses (Rs 56.28), B-heavy molasses (Rs 60.73), cane juice/syrup (Rs 65.61), FCI rice (Rs 58.50), and damaged food grains (Rs 64).

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – Polity

Context: Last week, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case whose outcome will likely shape the contours of the right to be forgotten ( also known as right to erasure), in India.

Background:-

• The Supreme Court must determine whether the right to be forgotten is a fundamental right and, if so, how it aligns with other fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India.

What is the present case about ?

• A three-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud, will hear a challenge to a Madras High Court ruling from February 27. The ruling directed the legal search portal Indian Kanoon to remove a judgment in a 2014 rape and cheating case.
• The man, who was acquitted, had approached the Madras High Court in 2021, arguing that he was denied Australian citizenship because his name appears in the judgment that is publicly available on the legal portal.

What is the right to be forgotten?

• The right to be forgotten can be loosely described as the right to remove one’s digital footprint (from Internet searches, etc.) where it violates the right to privacy.
• In May 2014, the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) established the right to be forgotten in the “Google Spain case.” The court ruled in favor of Spanish lawyer Mario Costeja González, who requested Google to remove information from 1998 about the forced sale of his property due to social security debt. Citing Articles 7 and 8 of the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights, the CJEU mandated that search engines must honor requests to remove data that are inadequate, irrelevant, or excessive in light of the time elapsed.
• Informational self-determination — an individual’s right to control and limit her personal information — is now widely recognised in EU law. Article 17 of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) describes the right to erasure.
• From victims of so-called “revenge porn” to individuals whose personal cases are on the Internet, the right to be forgotten is a crucial remedy.

How is the right interpreted in India?

• In India, there is no statutory framework for the right to be forgotten. However, not all constitutional rights need to be explicitly stated.
• The 2017 Supreme Court judgment in Justice K S Puttaswamy v. Union of India recognized the right to privacy as a fundamental right, linked to the rights to life, equality, and freedom of speech and expression. In a concurring opinion, Justice S K Kaul mentioned the right to be forgotten, stating that individuals should be able to remove personal data that is no longer necessary, relevant, or correct, and serves no legitimate interest.
• Justice Kaul also outlined valid reasons for violating this right, including exercising freedom of expression and information, complying with legal obligations, performing tasks in public interest, public health, archiving for public interest, scientific or historical research, statistical purposes, or for legal claims.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – ECONOMY

Context: The World Heritage Committee (WHC) decided to include the Palestinian site of Tell Umm Amer in both the UNESCO World Heritage Site List and the List of World Heritage in Danger during its 46th session in New Delhi.

Background:

• Also known as the ‘Monastery of Saint Hilarion’, the site lies in Gaza Strip which is under relentless attack from Israel.

About TELL UMM AMER

• Situated on the coastal dunes of Nuseirat Municipality, 10 km south of Gaza City, the ancient Christian monastery was founded in the fourth century by Hilarion the Great (291-371 CE), often regarded as the father of Palestinian monasticism.
• Hilarion was born in Tabatha, near the site of his future monastery. He became a monk at 15. As his fame for performing miracles spread, his small hermitage evolved into a thriving monastery, attracting followers from far and wide who embraced Hilarion’s mendicant lifestyle.
• The present-day archaeological remains of the site span more than four centuries, from the time of Hilarion to the Umayyad period.
• The ruins comprise five successive churches, bath and sanctuary complexes, geometric mosaics, and an expansive crypt making the monastery one of the largest in the Middle East.
• The UNICEF listing of the site refers to Tell Umm Amer as the first monastic community in the Holy Land, and “a hub of religious, cultural, and economic interchange”.
• The monastery was likely abandoned after a seventh century earthquake, only to be uncovered by local archaeologists in 1999.
• With Israel’s ongoing onslaught reducing much of the Gaza Strip to rubble, monuments and sites of cultural significance have not been spared. This underscores the importance of Tell Umm Amer’s inclusion in the UNESCO lists.
• The 1972 World Heritage Convention, to which Israel is a party, outlines responsibilities for identifying, protecting, and preserving World Heritage sites. Importantly, states must not take any deliberate measures that could cause direct or indirect damage to these sites.
• The inclusion on the list of World Heritage in Danger opens the door to enhanced international technical and financial assistance mechanisms to guarantee the protection of the property and, if necessary, to help facilitate its rehabilitation.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims – ENVIRONMENT

Context: In India, a total of 1,862 disease outbreaks were reported to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme last year, the Lok Sabha was informed recently.

Background:

• The highest number of disease outbreaks were reported from Kerala.

About Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP)

• The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) is a decentralized, state-based surveillance system in India.
• It was initiated in 2004 with the assistance of the World Bank.
• The primary objective of IDSP is to detect early warning signals of impending disease outbreaks and facilitate an effective response in a timely manner.

Key points about IDSP:

• Purpose: IDSP aims to strengthen and maintain a decentralized, laboratory-based, IT-enabled disease surveillance system for epidemic-prone diseases.
• Reporting: The program includes online reporting from all states and union territories.
• Surveillance: IDSP monitors disease trends and detects and responds to outbreaks during their early stages through trained Rapid Response Teams (RRTs).
• National Health Program: It is one of the major National Health Programs under the National Health Mission.

Program Components:

• Integration and Decentralization: Surveillance units are established at the central, state, and district levels.
• Human Resource Development: Training for State Surveillance Officers, District Surveillance Officers, RRTs, and other medical staff.
• Information Technology: Leveraging technology for data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
• Strengthening Public Health Laboratories: Enhancing diagnostic capabilities.
• Intersectoral Coordination: Addressing zoonotic diseases.

Source: Economic Times

 Syllabus

• Prelims – CURRENT EVENT

Context: Recently, minister of state in the ministry of education, replied to questions on NIPUN BHARAT in Rajya Sabha.

Background:

• This initiative aligns with the National Education Policy 2020.

Key Takeaways :

• The National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN Bharat) is a significant educational mission launched by the Ministry of Education.
• Its primary goal is to ensure that every child in the country attains foundational literacy and numeracy skills by the end of Grade 3.
• Key points about NIPUN Bharat:
• Objective: Achieve universal foundational literacy and numeracy in primary schools by 2025.
• Age Group: NIPUN Bharat focuses on children aged 3 to 9 years, including pre-school to Grade 3.
• Implementation Mechanism: The mission establishes a five-tier implementation mechanism at the National, State, District, Block, and School levels across all States and Union Territories. It operates under the Samagra Shiksha centrally sponsored scheme.
• Universal Acquisition of Skills: All Government, Government-Aided, and Private Schools are expected to work towards achieving universal foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills by 2026-27.

Key Areas of Focus:

• Access and Retention: Ensuring children have access to quality education during their foundational years.
• Teacher Capacity Building: Enhancing teacher skills to effectively teach literacy and numeracy.
• Quality Learning Materials: Developing high-quality and diverse student and teacher resources.
• Progress Tracking: Monitoring each child’s progress in achieving learning outcomes.

Source: Digital Sansad

 Syllabus

• Prelims – SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Context:  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed heavy retaliation against Hezbollah following a rocket strike that tragically killed many in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

Background:

• Israel aims to harm the Lebanon-based, Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, which it holds responsible for the attack, without escalating into an all-out war in the Middle East. The incident has raised concerns about further hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, marking their worst tensions since the 2006 war.

About Golan Heights :

• The Golan Heights is a rocky plateau located in south-western Syria, approximately 60 km (40 miles) south-west of Damascus.
• Despite its relatively small size, it holds immense political and strategic significance.
• Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria during the closing stages of the 1967 Six-Day War. Prior to that, it was under Syrian sovereignty.
• The Golan Heights straddles the borders of Syria and Israel.
• Israel currently controls about two-thirds of the territory, while Syria holds the remaining third.
• Despite its contested status, the Golan Heights remains a focal point in the complex dynamics of the Middle East. While the United Nations recognizes it as part of Syria, Israel’s occupation persists, defying UN Resolution 242.
• The Golan Heights is bordered by Israel to the west, Lebanon to the northwest, and Jordan to the south.

Source: Livemint

Q1.) Consider the following countries:

1. Lebanon
2. Jordan
3. Egypt
4. Iraq

How many of the above-mentioned countries share a border with Golan Heights?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All four

Q2.) With reference to the NIPUN Bharat, consider the following statements:

1. It is an educational mission launched by the Ministry of Education.
2. Its primary goal is to ensure that every child in the country attains foundational literacy and numeracy skills by the end of Grade 3.

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 the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), consider the following statements:

1. The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme is a decentralized, state-based surveillance system in India.
2. The primary objective of IDSP is to detect early warning signals of impending disease outbreaks and facilitate an effective response in a timely manner
3. It is one of the major National Health Programs under the National Health Mission.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1,2 and 3

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  30th July 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs

Q.1) –  a

Q.2) – c

Q.3) – c