DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 7th September 2024

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – ENVIRONMENT

Context: India contributes to a fifth of global plastic pollution according to a study published in the journal Nature recently.

Background: –

• The study was carried out by researchers  from University of Leeds.

Key takeaways from the study

• Plastic Waste in India:
  • India burns roughly 5.8 million tonnes (mt) of plastic each year, and releases another 3.5 mt of plastics into the environment (land, air, water) as debris.
  • Total contribution to global plastic pollution: 9.3 mt per year, surpassing Nigeria (3.5 mt), Indonesia (3.4 mt), and China (2.8 mt).
• Global Plastic Waste Production:
  • The world produces 251 mt of plastic waste annually.
  • Around 52.1 mt (20%) of this waste is unmanaged, i.e., released into the environment.
• Managed vs Unmanaged Waste:
  • Managed waste is collected and either recycled or sent to landfills.
  • Unmanaged waste includes burnt plastic releasing toxic gases like carbon monoxide and unburned debris (polluting both land and water bodies globally).
• Unmanaged Plastic Statistics:
  • 43% (22.2 mt) of unmanaged waste is unburned debris.
  • The remaining 29.9 mt is burned in open fires or dumpsites, causing significant air pollution.
• Global North-South Divide:
  • 69% of plastic pollution comes from 20 countries in Southern Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia.
  • High-income countries (HICs) in the Global North produce more plastic waste but have better waste management, resulting in less pollution.
• Plastic Pollution in the Global South:
  • Open burning is the dominant form of pollution due to poor waste management infrastructure.
  • The Global South lacks the resources to implement robust waste management systems, contributing to more uncontrolled debris and burning.

International Treaty on Plastic Pollution:

• Negotiations for a legally binding international treaty on plastic pollution began in 2022.
• In 2022, the UN Environmental Assembly agreed to develop such a treaty — which experts say might be the most important environmental accord since the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2015 — by the end of 2024.

• Debates around the Treaty:
  • Fossil-fuel producing countries and industry groups, view plastics pollution as a “waste management problem”, and want to focus on waste management instead of curbing production through treaty.
  • Critics on the other hand argue that viewing plastic pollution as a “waste management problem” ignores the need for upstream solutions like reducing production. Managing plastic waste alone may not be enough, as increasing production leads directly to more pollution.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Context: On Thursday, the BepiColombo spacecraft, operated by the European Space Agency and Japan, made its closest approach to Mercury, capturing sharp images of the planet’s south pole and craters at sunrise.

Background: –

• A joint mission between the European and Japanese space agencies, BepiColombo was launched in 2018. It will go into orbit around Mercury in 2026.

Significance of the BepiColombo Mission

• Studying Mercury:
  • Mercury is the least-studied rocky planet in the solar system.
  • BepiColombo’s two orbiters will study the planet’s composition, geology, and magnetic field, offering insights into its origins and evolution.
• Challenging Mission:
  • Reaching Mercury is difficult because spacecraft accelerate when approaching the sun.
  • A series of flybys of Earth, Venus and Mercury are helping to slow down BepiColombo, which will eventually maneuver the mission into orbit around Mercury.
  • Thursday’s flyby was the fourth of six planned, bringing the spacecraft just 103 miles above Mercury’s surface.
• Key Areas of Interest:
  • BepiColombo captured images of 2 peak ring basins (Vivaldi & Stoddart), which could provide clues about ancient volcanic activity.
  • Mercury’s south pole was imaged, offering a preview of better data to come. BepiColombo is expected to collect better data of the southern hemisphere than NASA’s Messenger spacecraft, which the agency crashed into the planet in 2015 after an 11-year mission.
• Unique Characteristics of Mercury:
  • Mercury has a core that is oversized compared with the rocky shell surrounding it.
  • Water ice exists on its surface, despite scorching exposure to the sun without an atmosphere to protect it.
  • The planet has an unexpected magnetic field and is rich in volatiles — elements like chlorine, sulfur and potassium — thought to readily evaporate on planets with high temperatures.
  • These traits suggest Mercury may have formed farther from the sun than its current location.
• Next Steps:
  • After the remaining flybys in December and January, BepiColombo will spend nearly two years circling the sun.It is expected to enter orbit around Mercury by end of 2026.

Source: Indian Express

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains : ECONOMY

Context: Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V. Anantha Nageswaran cautioned that financialisation might distort macroeconomic outcomes.

Background:

• India’s stock market capitalisation was about 140% of the GDP, the Indian financial sector is seeing high profitability all pointing towards the surge of finanacialisation.

About Financialisation

• Financialisation refers to the increasing dominance of financial motives, financial markets, financial actors, and financial institutions in the economy.

Key Aspects of Financialisation

• Growth of the Financial Sector: Financialization involves the expansion of financial services, such as banking, insurance, and investment, relative to the overall economy.
• Securitization: This is the process of turning assets into financial instruments, which can be traded in markets. It has led to a massive increase in the variety and volume of financial products.
• Shift from Industrial to Financial Capitalism: Economies have moved from being driven by industrial production to being driven by financial activities.
• Influence on Corporate Governance: Companies increasingly focus on maximizing shareholder value, often prioritizing short-term financial gains over long-term investments.

Impacts of Financialization

• Economic Policy and Corporate Behavior: Financial markets and institutions have a significant influence on economic policies and corporate strategies.
• Income Inequality: Financialization has contributed to increasing income inequality, as the financial sector often sees higher income growth compared to other sectors.
• Wage Stagnation: There has been a transfer of income from the real sector (goods and services) to the financial sector, leading to wage stagnation in non-financial industries.
• Decline in Manufacturing: In some countries, like the U.S., financialization has been linked to the decline of manufacturing jobs as capital is diverted to financial markets rather than industrial investments.

Source: Hindu

 Syllabus

• Prelims : ENVIRONMENT

Context: Conservationist organisations across India have demanded withdrawal of ‘illegal’ relocation of villagers from tiger reserves which is ordered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Background: –

• The notification issued on June 19, 2024, identified 89,808 families from 848 villages and directed the state authorities to relocate the residents living inside core areas of tiger reserves on a priority basis.
• These residents mostly belong to the Adivasi and other forest-dwelling communities and are entitled to live and use the forest produce for their livelihood as enshrined in the Forest rights Act, 2006 as well as The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

About National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
• It was established in 2006 under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006.
• The NTCA is responsible for implementing Project Tiger, a centrally sponsored program aimed at the protection and conservation of tigers in India.

Key Functions of NTCA:

• Policy and Planning:
  • Formulates guidelines and policies for the management of tiger reserves across India.
  • Coordinates and supports scientific monitoring, habitat management, and anti-poaching activities.
• Legal Oversight:
  • Ensures strict implementation of the Wildlife Protection Act and other legal measures for tiger conservation.
  • Provides legal support to tackle wildlife crimes related to tigers, including poaching and trafficking.
• Tiger Reserves Management:
  • Oversees the establishment, expansion, and maintenance of tiger reserves.
  • Ensures the involvement of local communities in conservation efforts and addresses issues of human-tiger conflict.
• Monitoring and Evaluation:
  • Regularly monitors the tiger population, habitat conditions, and other biodiversity in tiger reserves.
  • Publishes the All India Tiger Estimation reports every four years to track the status of the tiger population.
• Funding and Support:
  • Provides financial assistance to states for the effective management of tiger reserves and conservation activities.
  • Promotes eco-tourism in tiger reserves to create awareness and generate revenue for conservation efforts.
• Research and Capacity Building:
  • Supports research on tigers, their prey, and habitat to inform conservation strategies.
  • Enhances the capacity of forest staff through training programs and equipping them with necessary tools for conservation.

Source: Down To Earth

 Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains : CURRENT EVENT

Context: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently said that the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) will be a cornerstone of global connectivity.

Background: –

• IMEC, announced during the G20 summit last year, has opened new possibilities according to experts.

Key takeaways

• The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a significant initiative aimed at enhancing economic connectivity and integration between Asia, the Persian Gulf, and Europe.
• IMEC is designed to bolster economic development by creating a multi-modal transport network that includes rail, shipping lines, high-speed data cables, and energy pipelines.

Route and Connectivity

• The proposed route for IMEC includes:
  • India: Starting from India’s west coast.
  • United Arab Emirates (UAE): Connecting via sea routes.
  • Saudi Arabia: Crossing the Arabian Peninsula by rail.
  • Jordan and Israel: Further rail connectivity.
  • Europe: Goods will be transported by sea from the Israeli port of Haifa to the Greek port of Piraeus, and then to various European destinations.

Key Components

• Rail Connectivity: Establishing a rail network across the Arabian Peninsula.
• Shipping Lines: Enhancing maritime routes between India, the Middle East, and Europe.
• High-Speed Data Cables: Laying undersea cables to improve internet connectivity.
• Energy Pipelines: Developing pipelines for the transportation of clean energy.

Source: Times of India

Q1.) Which of the following statements about Financialisation is/are correct?

1. Financialisation refers to the increasing role of financial markets, financial motives, financial actors, and financial institutions in the economy.
2. One of the impacts of financialisation is the shift from industrial production-driven economies to those driven by financial activities.
3. Financialisation contributes to wage growth in non-financial industries due to increased investment in financial markets.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3

Q2.) Which of the following statements about the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is/are correct?

1. NTCA was established in 2006 under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006.
2. NTCA is responsible for implementing Project Tiger, a program aimed at the conservation of tigers in India.
3. NTCA publishes the All India Tiger Estimation reports annually to track the tiger population.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1 and 2 only
b) 1 and 3 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2, and 3

Q3.) Which of the following statements about the BepiColombo Mission is/are correct?

1. BepiColombo is designed to study Mercury’s composition, geology, and magnetic field to understand the planet’s origins and evolution.
2. The BepiColombo mission reached orbit around Mercury in 2024 after conducting six flybys of Earth, Venus, and Mercury.

Which among the statement given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  7th September 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs