What's New :
Gist of India Year Book (IYB) 2024. Download Here...
Thematic Current Affairs Compilation. Download here...

18th May 2022

Cancer-causing benzene

Context

A new analysis found that in 2021, a dozen petroleum refineries in the United States reported average benzene emission levels that exceeded the federal threshold of 9 micrograms per cubic metre.

About

What is benzene?

  •   Benzene is a chemical that is a colorless or light yellow liquid at room temperature. It has a sweet odor and is highly flammable.
  •   Benzene evaporates into the air very quickly.
    • Its vapor is heavier than air and may sink into low-lying areas.
  •   Benzene dissolves only slightly in water and will float on top of water.

Where benzene is found and how it is used?

  •   Benzene is formed from both natural processes and human activities.
  •   Natural sources of benzene include volcanoes and forest fires.
  •   Benzene is also a natural part of crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke.
  •   Benzene is widely used in the United States. It ranks in the top 20 chemicals for production volume.
  •   Some industries use benzene to make other chemicals that are used to make plastics, resins, and nylon and synthetic fibers.
  •   Benzene is also used to make some types of lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides.

Health threat

  •   Proximity to an oil refinery was associated with a statistically significantly increased risk of incident cancer diagnosis across all cancer types.
  •   Breathing benzene at a concentration as low as 0.13 µg/m3 over a lifetime could result in up to one additional cancer diagnosis per one million people exposed.
    • As benzene levels rise, those risks increase proportionately.
  •   Long-term exposure to relatively low (0.13 µg/m3) benzene levels can contribute to health effects like blood disorders, a weakened immune system and elevated risk of cancer.
  •   Exposure to higher benzene concentrations over a short period of time can trigger acute neurological symptoms like dizziness and headaches.
    • It can also reduce blood cell counts, including during prenatal development and weaken the immune system, increasing susceptibility to diseases.

How benzene works?

  •   Benzene works by causing cells not to work correctly.
    • For example, it can cause bone marrow not to produce enough red blood cells, which can lead to anemia.
    • Also, it can damage the immune system by changing blood levels of antibodies and causing the loss of white blood cells.
  •   The seriousness of poisoning caused by benzene depends on the amount, route, and length of time of exposure, as well as the age and pre-existing medical condition of the exposed person.

Kundapur rolls out clean beach for Olive Ridleys

Context

Two groups in Kundapur cleaned its best beach of trash and also initiated efforts to monitor turtle movements in the area.

About
  •  Kundapur, a town in coastal Karnataka’s Udupi district.
  •   The stretch from Kodi to Beejadi is one of the few places on India’s west coast that hosts Olive Ridleys during their nesting season from November to April.
  •   The animals also visit sites on the east coast, such as Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and the Gahiramatha and Rushikulya rookeries in Odisha’s Kendrapara and Ganjam districts.
  •   The turtles did not visit Kundapur between 2015 and 2021, when the entire Kodi-Beejadi beach was clogged with waste.
    • Two local groups, the ‘Clean Kundapur Project’ and the Field Services and Inter-cultural Learning (FSL), along with the local forest department, began efforts to clean the beach.

About Olive Ridley Turtles:

  • They are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world.
  • Major nesting sites in India:Rushikulya rookery coast (Odisha), Gahirmatha beach (Bhitarkanika National park) and mouth of the Debi River.
  • Scientific name: Lepidochelys olivacea; also known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle.
  • Presence: Found in warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.
  • Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
  • Schedule I of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
  • CITES Appendix I 
  • Features:
  • Known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs. 
  • These are carnivores and feed mainly on jellyfish, shrimp
  • The eggs hatch in 45 to 60 days, depending on the temperature of the sand and atmosphere during the incubation period.

The First battery-operated dual-mode locomotive 'Navdoot’

Context

   The West central railway (WCR) has developed battery-operated dual-mode locomotive 'Navdoot'.

  • It is running between Jabalpur, Mudwara and other stations on trial basis.
About

About ‘Navdoot’

  •   This engine runs on both modes i.e. battery and electricity. 
  •   This e-engine can pull 18 coaches at a speed of 30 kmph. 
  •   It has 84 batteries and has a capacity to pull 400 tonnes at present.
  •   This has been developed by the Electric Department of New Katni Junction.

Significance

  •   This Dual Mode Locomotive has also received the’ Best Innovation Award’ from the Railway Board.
  •   Railways will save 1000 litres of diesel every day with this new locomotive.
  •   After clearing all the trials, it will be used more widely in other stations for purposes like carrying goods, coal, oil tankers etc.

Types of electric vehicles in India

  • Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV): Fully powered by electricity. These are more efficient compared to hybrid and plug-in hybrids.
  • Hybrid Electric Vehicle:
    • Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV): The vehicle uses both the internal combustion (usually petrol) engine and the battery-powered motor powertrain. The petrol engine is used both to drive and charge when the battery is empty. These vehicles are not as efficient as fully electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles.
    • Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV): Uses both an internal combustion engine and a battery charged from an external socket (they have a plug). This means the vehicle’s battery can be charged with electricity rather than the engine. PHEVs are more efficient than HEVs but less efficient than BEVs.
  • Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV): Electric energy is produced from chemical energy. For example, a hydrogen FCEV.

Associated agencies

  •   Ministry of Power: The Electric Vehicle industry in India is far behind, with less than 1% of the total vehicle sales.
    • Currently, Indian roads are dominated by conventional vehicles and have approximately 0.4 million electric two-wheelers and a few thousand electric cars only.
    • The Indian EV industry has been on the back seat due to various challenges.
    • The government of India have undertaken multiple initiatives to promote manufacturing and adoption of electric vehicles in India.
    • With support of the government, electric vehicles have started penetrating in the Indian market.
    • However, availability of adequate Charging Infrastructure is one of the key requirements for accelerated adoption of electric vehicles in India.

Urban heat Islands

Context

Several parts of the country are reeling under heat wave conditions.

  • Cities, especially, are a lot hotter than rural areas. This is due to a phenomenon called an “urban heat island”.
About

What is an urban heat island?

  • An urban heat island occurs when a city experiences much warmer temperatures than nearby rural areas.
  • The difference in temperature between urban and less-developed rural areas is understood as how well the surfaces in each environment absorb and hold heat.

Why does this happen?

  • An urban area is a city and a rural area is out in the city areas. The sun’s heat and light reach the city and the villages in the same way. The difference comes in holding that heat of insolation.
  • Plants take up water from the ground through their roots and release in the atmosphere again. This process is called transpiration. It acts as nature’s air conditioner.
  • While urban areas lack in plants and trees around them, the air conditioning happens minimal.

Why it occurs only in urban areas?

  • Due to Buildings: materials such as asphalt, steel, and brick are often very dark colours—like black, brown and grey. A dark object absorbs all wavelengths of light energy and converts them into heat, so the object gets warm.
  • Due to pollution: urban areas are more exposed to vehicle pollution and industrial one. Due to this the air gets warm and phenomenon like ‘ground ozone’ takes place.
  • Large population: more population density in urban areas makes them more prone to human induced pollution and makes the area exposed to more waste generation, livelihood practices etc.

Mitigating measures

  • To cool down urban heat islands, some cities are ‘lightening’ streets. This is done by covering black asphalt streets, parking lots, and dark roofs with a more reflective gray coating. These changes can drop urban air temperatures dramatically, especially during the heat of summer.
  • Planting gardens on urban rooftops can also help to cool down the city.
  • Builders can use materials that will allow water to flow through. These building materials—called permeable materials—promote the capture and flow of water, which cools urban regions.
  • Scientists can use this information to track hotspots in cities across the planet. NASA scientists, with their global satellite views, are working to understand urban heat islands and help urban planners to build more energy efficient, cooler and safer cities.

Impacts of urban heat islands

  • Leads to climate change: Urban heat islands are one of the easiest ways to see how human impact can change our planet.
  • Ecological impacts: Earth-observing satellites, such as Landsat and Suomi-NPP, keeping a close eye on heat pattern in urban areas. It shows that urban heat can affect human health, animals and can destroy crops.

The Great Replacement and its Origin

Context

Investigators of a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, are looking into a 180-page manifesto, believed to have been authored by the teenage gunman that outlined “The Great Replacement” conspiracy theory popular among white nationalists.

What does the replacement mean?

  • The conspiracy theory fosters the belief that leftist and Jewish elites are engineering the ethnic and cultural replacement of white populations with non-white immigrants that will lead to a “white genocide.”
  • According to this belief, the cabal of political and business elite would be kept in power by the masses of indebted non-whites.

Facts:

  • Buffalo gunman Payton Gendron, 18, who is white, was charged with shooting at more than a dozen, mostly Black people.
  • He purportedly said in his online posting that white people were being replaced by minorities in the United States.
About

 It is thought to have its roots in early 20th century French nationalism.

  • It was popularized in recent years by French writer Renaud Camus who believes immigration from Africa and the Middle East will eventually lead to the extinction of the native white European race, according to non-profit organization ADL (Anti-Defamation League.)
  • Because many white nationalists in the United States and abroad believe Jewish people are actively encouraging non-white immigration, the false narrative is considered as anti-Semitic.
  • White “replacement theory” and the idea of a “white genocide” was a pillar of Nazi Germany’s ideology, which pointed to Jews as the single most dangerous threat to white civilization.
  • The Nazis killed six million Jews in World War Two.

Evidences of Mass shootings

  • The shooting, which authorities are calling an act of “racially motivated violent extremism,” was the latest in a string of racist violence in the United States and abroad.
  • The gunman who killed more than 20 people in El Paso, Texas in 2019 decried a “Hispanic invasion” of the United States in a manifesto explaining his actions.
  • Rabid anti-Semitism was behind the deadly shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh a year earlier when a gunman yelling “All Jews must die” opened fire on worshippers.
  • It also drew parallels with an attack on two mosques that took place in New Zealand in 2019.
  • As was the case with the Buffalo attack, the gunman live streamed the shooting and distributed an online manifesto espousing far-right views.
  • At a 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Virginia, some marched on the University of Virginia campus carrying torches and chanting “Jews will not replace us!” a reference to the conspiracy theory.

Jews and white replacement theory

  • The white genocide or white replacement conspiracy theory is  a white supremacist conspiracy theory which states that there is a deliberate plot, often blamed on Jews to  promote miscegenationinterracial marriage, mass non-white immigration, racial integration, low fertility rates, abortion, governmental land-confiscation from whites, organised violence and elimination in white-founded countries.

Is it limited to fringes?

  • Once largely confined to message boards and internet forums in the more remote corners of the online world, versions of replacement theory have reached mainstream audiences through certain conservative media channels and political exponents.
  • According to Fox News television host Tucker Carlson, he said the Democratic Party was “trying to replace the current electorate” in the United States with “new people, more obedient voters from the Third World.” Carlson has dismissed accusations of racism.
  • These evidences of mass shootings and support by the government can lead to violence and will support racism in other way.

Indigenous Warships ‘Surat’ and ‘Udaygiri ‘

Context

Raksha Mantri launches two indigenous frontline warships - Surat (Guided Missile Destroyer) & Udaygiri (Stealth Frigate) in Mumbai.

  • It is to support a strong naval force which is must for safeguarding national interests & making India a global power.
About

Objectives

  • The warships is an embodiment of the government’s commitment to enhance the country’s maritime capability with focus on achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta’.
  • When the world is witnessing disruption in global supply chain due to COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it is important for India to strengthen its technologies.

About ‘Surat’ and ‘Udaygiri’

  • Surat’ is the fourth Guided Missile Destroyer of P15B class, while ‘Udaygiri’ is the second Stealth Frigate of P17A class.
  • The warships will be among the most technologically advanced missile carriers in the world that will cater to the present as well as future requirements.

India’s vision

  • The Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific region is demanding more important role of the Indian Navy in the times to come.
  • For devising such policies which focus on bolstering the country’s presence in the region, its role during disasters, economic wellbeing and carrying forward the foreign policies.
  • Indian Navy is playing a crucial role in carrying forward the Government’s policies such as Act-East, besides strengthening relations with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries.
  • If a country wants to safeguard its national interests, it should project its military prowess in areas far beyond the mainland.
  • If a country has aspirations to become a regional or global power, it is necessary to develop a strong naval force.
  • Asserting that global security, border disputes and maritime dominance have led nations around the world to modernise their military, it requires that the public and the private sectors to make full use of the capabilities by taking advantage of the Government’s policies and contribute towards making India an indigenous shipbuilding hub.

Under Make in India

  • Indian Navy has always been at the forefront in ensuring self-reliance through manufacturing of indigenous ships, submarines etc.
  • “Joining hands with initiatives like ‘Make in India’, Navy has given 76% Acceptance of Necessity (AON), and 66% cost-basis contracts to Indian vendors in 2014 and indigenisation of about 90% Naval ammunition has taken place.
  • In addition, more than two-thirds of the Navy’s Modernisation Budget has been spent on indigenous procurement in the last five financial years.
  • Of the 41 ships and submarines ordered by the Navy, 39 are from Indian shipyards.
  • This is a testament to the Navy's commitment to achieving 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.

Other warships

  • Indigenous Aircraft Carrier ‘INS Vikrant’.
  • The Project 15B class of ships are the next-generation stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy.
  • P17A Frigates are warships that are follow-on class of the P17 (Shivalik Class) Frigates will improve stealth features, advanced weapons &sensors and platform management systems.

India’s vulnerability to drought

Context
  • A United Nations report has revealed that many parts of India fall under the list of regions that are vulnerable to drought
  • The report also stated that India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reduced by 2 to 5 per cent between 1998 and 2017 due to severe droughts in the country.
Analysis

What is Drought?

  • Drought is deficient precipitation over a long period resulting in a water shortage causing adverse impacts on the human and larger ecological scenarios.
  • Drought occurs from erratic rainfall and its distribution but the spread and intensity depend on factors such as surface and groundwater resources, agro-climatic features, crop choices, socio-economic vulnerabilities of the population, etc.

What are the concerns?

  • According to World Bank estimates, drought conditions can force up to 216 million people to migrate by 2050.
  • Other factors at play along with drought could be water scarcity, declining crop productivity, rise in sea levels, and overpopulation.
  • Weather, climate and water hazards have accounted for 50 per cent of all disasters and 45 per cent of all reported deaths since 1970, World Meteorological Organisation data has revealed.
  • Every Nine in ten of the deaths of disasters have occurred due to drought in developing countries.
  • Between 2020 and 2022, 23 countries have faced drought emergencies.

About Drought in Numbers’ report

  • The Drought in Numbers report is a collection of data on the effects of droughts on our ecosystem and how they can be mitigated through efficient planning for the future.
  • The report also helps inform negotiations surrounding key decisions by the UNCCD’s 197 member parties at the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15), currently underway in Abidjan.
  • Drought, land restoration, and related aspects such as land rights, gender equality and youth empowerment are among the top considerations at COP15.

What is COP 15?

  • UNCCD’s COP15 focuses on desertification, land degradation, and drought, with the theme for the conference being “Land, Life, Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity.”
  • The conference has brought together government representatives, private sector members, and civil society stakeholders to ensure that land continues to benefit present and future generations.
  • It proposes to tackle “the interconnected challenges of land degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss” as we move into the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
  • The UNCCD’s 197 parties, which include 196 member States as well as the European Union, are expected to brainstorm sustainable ideas to further land restoration and drought resilience, focusing on “future-proofing land use.”
  • The UNCCD envisions restoring one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030, creating a land degradation-neutral world.

Drought Profile of India

  • Extreme Drought affected areas: Rajasthan, especially areas to the west of the Aravali hills and Kachchh regions of Gujarat.
  • Severe Drought Prone Areas: Eastern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Eastern parts of Maharashtra, interior parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka Plateau, northern parts of Tamil Nadu and parts of Jharkhand and interior Odisha
  • Moderate Drought Affected Area: Northern parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, southern Uttar Pradesh, parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra except the region of Konkan, Jharkhand and Coimbatore plateau and interior Karnataka.

National Commission on Agriculture in India classified droughts into:

  • Meteorological drought occurs in case of rainfall deficiency and resulting water shortage
  • Hydrological drought– the Water level in surface and subsurface water sources falls below specific levels
  • Agricultural drought is characterised by 4 back to back weeks of meteorological drought
  • Ecological drought is when the productivity of an ecosystem fails due to shortage of water.

Impacts of drought

  • Human impacts: More than a billion people around the world were affected by drought in 2000-19, making it the second-worst disaster after flooding. Africa was the worst hit, with 134 droughts, of which 70 occurred in East Africa.
  • The impact of drought is, however, not uniform across genders. Research shows that women and girls in emerging and developing countries suffer more in terms of education levels, nutrition, health, sanitation, and safety as a result of droughts.
  • The burden of water collection also disproportionately falls on women (72 per cent) and girls (9 per cent). The report notes that they may spend up to 40 per cent of their caloric intake fetching water.
  • Environmental impacts: According to a report, the global warming reaches 3° C by 2100, drought losses could be five times higher than today’s levels.
  • The largest increase in drought losses is projected in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic regions of Europe.
  • Australia’s mega drought in 2019-2020 contributed to “megafires” resulting in one of the most extensive losses of habitat for threatened species.
  • About three billion animals were killed or displaced in the Australian wildfires.
  • On a related note, 84 per cent of all terrestrial ecosystems are threatened by changing and intensifying wildfires.
  • Social impacts:
  • Widespread disruption in rural areas on account of migration of the population.
  • Increasing school dropout rates.
  • Greater indebtedness.
  • Alienation from land and livestock assets.
  • Loss of social status among the most vulnerable sections.
  • Erosion of social capital.

Some drought management agencies in India

  • India Meteorological Department (IMD)
  • Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC)
  • Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA)
  • Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

Editorial

Gyanvapi and the Places of Worship Act

During the survey at the Gyanvapi mosque, a ‘shivling’ is said to have been found. Taking cognisance of the sensitive matter, the Supreme Court has directed the administration of Varanasi to ensure protection of the area at the mosque complex. The court said that Muslims can continue offering ‘namaz’ there without any obstruction.

What does the Places of Worship Act say?

  • Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991: The law was enacted to freeze the status of all places of worship in the country as on August 15, 1947. The Act says that no person shall convert any place of worship of any religious denomination into one of a different denomination or section.
  • Exception: The Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi dispute was kept out of its ambit as the structure was then the subject of litigation. The dispute was settled when the court ruled that the land on which the Babri Masjid stood should be handed over to the Hindu community for the construction of a Ram temple.
  • No further litigation: The act declares that all suits and appeals pending before any court or authority on the cut-off date regarding the conversion of the character of a place of worship shall abate and no further proceedings can be fled. However, any suit or proceeding relating to any conversion of status that happened after the cut-off date can continue.
You must be logged in to get greater insights.

ThinkQ

img
QUIZ - 18th May 2022

Mains Question:

Q1. What do you understand by urban heat island? How this increase in temperature in cities is a signature of man-made actions influencing global warming and the local climate? (150 words)

Approach

  • Introduction- define urban heat islands
  • Situation in India
  • Reasons behind the phenomenon
  • Impact of human activities
  • Conclude accordingly by suggesting measures

Q2. Majority of India’s population lives in districts highly vulnerable to extreme climate disasters. What are the key drivers of this high vulnerability? Discuss the need of climate-proofing of physical and ecosystem infrastructure. (250 words)

Approach

  • Introduction- increasing climate vulnerabilities in India
  • Mention most vulnerable states/regions (India’s northeast region)
  • Reasons (Unsustainable landscape, lack of infrastructure planning and human induced microclimate change)
  • Impact
  • Required measures (Climate-proofing)
    • climate-sensitivity-led landscape restoration focused on rehabilitating, restoring, and reintegrating natural ecosystems
    • Integrate climate risk profiling with infrastructure planning 
    • Provide for climate risk-interlinked adaptation financing 
  • Conclusion
GS Mains Classes GS Classes 2024 GS Classes 2024 UPSC Study Material

Verifying, please be patient.

Our Centers

DELHI (Karol Bagh)

GS SCORE, 1B, Second Floor, Pusa Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi - 110005 (Beside Karol Bagh Metro Station Gate No. 8)

Get directions on Google Maps

BHUBANESWAR (Jaydev Vihar)

GS SCORE, Plot No.2298, Jaydev Vihar Square, Near HCG Day Care, BBSR - 751013

Get directions on Google Maps

LUCKNOW (Aliganj)

GS SCORE, 2nd Floor, B-33, Sangam Chauraha, Sector H, Aliganj, Lucknow, UP - 226024

Get directions on Google Maps

Enquire Now