DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 8th July 2024

Syllabus

• Prelims & Mains – CURRENT EVENT

Context: The Centre asked the automobile companies to join the unified Right to Repair Portal India which has been launched by the Department of Consumer Affairs to provide consumers with an easy access to information for repairing their products and enabling them to reuse it.

Background:-

• The portal will serve as a single platform to provide easy access to necessary information on repair and maintenance of products to consumers.

What is right to repair ?

• The right to repair for consumer goods refers to the concept of allowing end users, consumers as well as businesses, to repair devices they own or service without any manufacturer or technical restrictions.
• The Ministry of Consumer Affairs (MCA) has set up a committee to come up with a Right to Repair framework.
• The framework is significant as it will give consumers a chance to repair their products at an optimal cost instead of buying new products altogether.
• Under this framework, it would be mandatory for manufacturers to share their product details with customers so that they can either repair them by self or by third parties, rather than only depending on original manufacturers.
• The framework also aims to help harmonize the trade between the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), third-party buyers and sellers – thus also creating new jobs.
• It will help reduce the vast mountain of electrical waste (e-waste) that piles up each year on the continent and boost business for small repair shops, which are an important part of local economies.
• It will save consumers’ money and contribute to circular economy objectives by improving the life span, maintenance, re-use, upgrade, recyclability, and waste handling of appliances.

What is there in the right to repair portal?

• Customer care details across brands
  • The portal has consolidated list of consumer care contact details of all major consumer products manufacturers for your quick viewing.
• Find warranty and post-sales service information
  • Use website to search companies by name or consumer product name. All the public information related to their products service, warranty, terms and conditions, etc. are aggregated on this portal.
• Links to the service network of the brands
  • Visit links to the authorized service network of the brands and third-party service providers. Also view the warranty and prices of genuine spares and consumables of respective brands.

Source: Right to repare India

Syllabus

• Prelims – ENVIRONMENT

Context: The world’s most endangered marine mammal, the vaquita, is teetering on the edge of extinction. A recent survey revealed a devastating decline, with only 6-8 individuals spotted compared to 8-13 just a year ago.

Background:

• Despite their elusive nature making precise population estimates difficult, absence of calves in recent surveys highlights their critical situation.

About Vaquita

• The vaquita is a shy member of the porpoise family. Vaquitas are the most endangered of the world’s marine mammals.
• Vaquitas have the smallest range of any whale, dolphin, or porpoise.It only lives in the northern part of the Gulf of California in Mexico.
• It is currently listed asCritically Endangered by the IUCN Red List; the steep decline in abundance is primarily due to bycatch in gillnets from the illegal totoaba
• Totoaba, is a large fish that also only lives in the Gulf of California. Because totoaba and vaquita are similar in size, gillnets illegally set for totoaba are the deadliest for vaquitas. Fishermen illegally catch totoaba for its swim bladder (an air-filled sac in the totoaba’s body that helps it float), which they sell to China at high prices. In China, the swim bladders are used in soup with purported medicinal value.
• Scientists agree that for vaquitas to survive in the wild, gillnet fishing must end within vaquita habitat.

Source: Hindu

Syllabus

• Prelims – SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Context: A recent paper by researchers at the University of California highlights the role of transposons in gene editing.

Background:

• Transposons have been called “junk” DNA and “selfish” DNA. They are “selfish” because their only function seems to make more copies of themselves and “junk” because there is no obvious benefit to their host.

About Transposons

• Transposable elements (TEs) or simply Transposons, also known as “jumping genes,” are DNA sequences that move from one location on the genome to another.
• These elements were first identified more than 50 years ago by geneticist Barbara McClintock of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. Biologists were initially skeptical of McClintock’s discovery.
• Barbara McClintock’s discovery of them earned her a Nobel Prize in 1983
• Over the next several decades, however, it became apparent that not only do TEs “jump,” but they are also found in almost all organisms (both prokaryotes and eukaryotes) and typically in large numbers.
• For example, TEs make up approximately 50% of the human genome and up to 90% of the maize genome.
• Due to their mobility (or transposition), transposons facilitate horizontal gene transfer and foster the evolution of new molecular functions in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
• As transposition can lead to detrimental genomic rearrangements, organisms have evolved a multitude of molecular strategies to control transposons.
• Apart from their biological impacts on genomes, DNA transposons have been leveraged as efficient gene insertion vectors in basic research, transgenesis and gene therapy.

Source: Nature

Syllabus

• Prelims – GEOGRAPHY

Context: According to recent satellite images, China’s military presence near Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh is escalating.

Background:

• These images reveal extensive underground bunkers and hardened shelters at a crucial base. The base, located at Sirjap on the northern shore of Pangong Lake, serves as the headquarters for Chinese troops stationed around the lake.

Key Takeaways

• Pangong Tso, also known as Pangong Lake, is a high-altitude lake situated in the Changthang region of eastern Ladakh.
• Pangong Tso spans both India and China. Approximately 50% of the lake lies within Tibet (administered by China), while 40% is in Indian-administered Ladakh. The remaining 10% is a disputed buffer zone between India and China.

Disputed Territory:

• The Line of Actual Control (LAC), which separates boundary between India and China, passes through the lake.
• This geopolitical demarcation has been a point of contention between the two countries.
• India controls about 45 kilometers of the lake’s stretch, while China claims the rest.
• The lake’s strategic significance lies in its proximity to the Chusul Valley, a historical battlefront during the 1962 India-China war.

Source: Firstpost

Syllabus

• Prelims – Polity

Context: An apex body of the Kuki-Zo community on July 6 said it would not oppose the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur if it was carried out under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

Background:

• Meitei and Naga organisations have been demanding the implementation of the National Register of Citizens to check infiltration from Myanmar.

About National Register of Citizens (NRC) :

• The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a register of all Indian citizens.
• Its creation was mandated by the 2003 amendment of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
• The purpose of the NRC is to document legal citizens of India, allowing authorities to identify and deport illegal immigrants.
• The National Register of Citizens (NRC) was first implemented in the northeastern state of Assam.
• The nodal office for the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is the Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India, which is responsible for preparing and updating the NRC.
• The main objective of the National Register of Citizens (NRC):
  • Detect illegal immigrants living in different states of India
  • Identify and separate legal and illegal immigrants in India
  • Prevent voter fraud
  • Enhance internal security

Source: Hindu

Syllabus

• Prelims – ECONOMY

Context: The Reserve Bank of India has told banks to find ways to bridge the gap between credit and deposit growth and reduce credit – deposit ratio, raising concerns over the persistent higher credit growth than deposit mobilisation which could pose a risk in business sustainability.

Background:

• The central bank Governor Shaktikanta Das held a meeting with the heads of public sector banks and select private sector lenders where he spoke about high credit-deposit ratio and the resultant liquidity risk management challenges.

About  Credit – Deposit Ratio:

• The credit to deposit ratio is a crucial metric that provides insights into the relationship between a bank’s loans (credit) and its deposits. In simple terms, it measures how much of a bank’s deposits are being lent out as loans.

Importance of credit to deposit ratio

• Liquidity management: A balanced credit to deposit ratio ensures that a bank maintains sufficient liquidity. When the ratio is too high, it indicates that most deposits are tied up in loans, leaving little room for emergencies or unexpected withdrawals. Conversely, an excessively low ratio may imply that the bank is not utilising its funds efficiently.
• Risk assessment: Regulators and investors closely monitor this ratio. A high ratio could signal potential risk, as the bank may struggle to meet depositors’ demands during economic downturns. A low ratio might indicate conservative lending practices, but it could also mean missed revenue opportunities.
• Profitability and growth: A well-managed credit to deposit ratio allows banks to strike a balance between profitability and growth. It ensures that loans generate interest income while maintaining a stable deposit base. Banks with an optimal ratio can expand their lending portfolio without compromising stability.
• Economic indicator: The credit to deposit ratio reflects the overall economic health. A rising ratio during economic booms suggests increased lending activity, while a declining ratio during recessions indicates cautious lending.
• Regulatory compliance: Many central banks set guidelines for this ratio to maintain financial stability. Banks failing to comply may face penalties or restrictions.

Source: Economic Times

Q1.) Vaquita, a marine mammal, recently seen in news lives in which of the following areas?

1. Gulf of California
2. Persian Gulf
3. Gulf of Aden
4. Gulf of Aqaba

Q2.) With reference to the National Register of Citizens (NRC), consider the following statements:

1. The National Register of Citizens is a register of all Indian citizens.
2. The purpose of the NRC is to document legal citizens of India, allowing authorities to identify and deport illegal immigrants.
3. The National Register of Citizens was first implemented in the northeastern state of Manipur.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Q3.) Pangong Lake, recently seen in news, is located in

1. Sikkim
2. Himachal Pradesh
3. Ladakh
4. Jammu and Kashmir

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  8th July 2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) –  d

Q.2) – c

Q.3) – a