GS Analyst
Daily Current Affairs

Researchers trying to uncover the secrets of Earth's geology have revealed the fifth layer of the planet. Seismic waves generated by earthquakes have revealed new insights about the deepest parts of Earth’s inner core.

• The Earth has four layers namely;
  • The solid crust on the outside,
  • The mantle and
  • The core — split between the outer core and the inner core.
• The crust is everything we can see and study directly.
• The thinnest layer of the Earth, the crust still measures about 40 km on average, ranging from 5–70 km (~3–44 miles) in depth.
• But at the scale of the planet, that’s less than the skin of an apple.
• There are two types of crust: continental and oceanic crust.

Key highlights of the study:

• The mantle:
  • The research has revealed that the mantle normally is a 2,900 km thick layer of solid rock sandwiched between the Earth’s upper crust and lower core — has been hiding two layers inside it.
  • One is the “low viscosity” zone in the upper mantle, roughly 100 kilometres in thickness.
  • The other layer is the ‘low-velocity zone’, which is also a part of the upper mantle.
  • The low viscosity zone coincides with the transition zone between the upper and the lower mantle. 

• About Earthquakes:
  • The study showed that the Earth kept moving months after the earthquake.
  • The mantle’s viscous properties govern convection and help in transfer of heat between areas of different temperatures. This enables to understandplate tectonics and related phenomenon.

Significance of the study:

• The analysis showed that the partially molten layer extends from 90 km to 150 kilometres. Below this depth, the waves resume speed found in below the Turkey land.
• This layer sits below the tectonic plates, which create new crusts and destroy older ones.
• Plate tectonics is thought to have played an instrumental role in making the Earth habitable.

Russian President has announced that Moscow was unilaterally suspending the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty with the U.S., stating that the West was trying to destroy Russia.

• The New START treaty was signed in 2010 by former S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
• It was extended for five years when current U.S. President Joe Biden took office in 2021.

What is the New START nuclear treaty?

Under the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), there exist the following agreements:

• Russia and the U.S. exchange data twice a year on the ballistic missiles under the treaty’s purview, on bombers, test sites, nuclear bases and so on.
• The treaty also mandates the two parties to send notifications within five days if they change or updates something in their stockpile, like moving missiles to a new base or deploying a new warhead to the system.
• It allows each side to carry out up to 18 short-notice (32 hours) on-site inspections of strategic nuclear weapons sites annually to ensure the other has not crossed the limits of the treaty.
• Under the Treaty, America and Russia cannot deploy more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads and more than 700 long-range missiles and bombers.
• It also limits each country to 800 deployed and non-deployed launchers and delivery vehicles.

Statement of conflict between US and Russia:

• Russia’s view: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the U.S. wanted to “inflict ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia and try to get to our nuclear facilities at the same time.
• USA’s view:In its New START annual implementation report 2023, the U.S. State Department stated that Moscow was not complying with the pact as it had not let Washington carry out on-site inspections.

What are the concerns after Russia’s suspends the treaty?

• Uncontrolled use of arms and weapons: The two largest nuclear powers could get an opportunity to other nuclear-armed countries, especially China and others like Pakistan, Iran, Israel, and India among others, to increase their arsenals.
• Effect global peace: The arms treaty was aimed to hold the global peace and no use of nuclear weapons. However, the Russia’s decision to suspend it causes concerns for developing countries.

In November 2022, the Ministry of Environment and Forests further notified a new set of e-waste rules, which will come into force from April 1, 2023.

So, let us analyse the provisions under the new rules.

• The first set of e-waste Rules was notified in 2011 and came into effect in 2012.
• An important component of the Rules (2011) was the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
• Under EPR compliance, ‘producers’ are responsible for the safe disposal of electronic and electric products once the consumer discards them.
• E-waste rules 2016, which were amended in 2018, were comprehensive and included provisions to promote ‘authorisation’ and ‘product stewardship’.
• Other categories of stakeholders such ‘Producer Responsibility Organisations (PRO)’ were also introduced in these rules.

Need for a new set of rules:

• Most of the ‘refurbishers’ or the ‘repair shops’ operating was found as not authorised under the Central Pollution Control Board of India.
• Further, many formal recyclers undertake activities only up to the pre-processing or segregation stage, and thereafter channelize e-waste to the informal sector, which is a pure violation of law.

Provisions of E-waste rules 2022:

• Application: It will apply to every manufacturer, producer, refurbisher, dismantler and recycler involved in manufacturing, sale, transfer, purchase, refurbishing, dismantling, recycling and processing of e-waste or electrical and electronic equipment. 
  • The rule is applicable to all electrical devices and radiotherapy equipment, nuclear medicine equipment and accessories, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), electric toys, air conditioners, microwaves, tablets, washing machine, refrigerator and iPad among others.
• Restrictions:
  • The government has restricted the use of hazardous substances in manufacturing electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) following deaths due to exposure to radioactive material.
  • It mandates the reduction of the use of lead, mercury, cadmium among others in the manufacturing of electronic equipment.
• Reuse and recycling:
  • Manufacturers shall use the technology or methods so as to make the end product recyclable and shall ensure that components or parts made by different manufacturers are compatible with each other so as to reduce the quantity of e-waste.
• Strict monitoring:
  • The Central Pollution Control Board shall conduct random sampling of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market to monitor and verify the compliance of reduction of hazardous substances provisions.
  • If a product does not comply with the e-waste management rules, the manufacturer will have to withdraw all samples from the market. 
• Extended Producer Responsibility Certificates:
  • Draft rules aim to incentivise registered electronic waste recyclers by introducing EPR or Extended Producer Responsibility certificates (which was not part of 2016 Rules).
• E-waste exchange facilities:
  • The EPR requires producers to set up e-waste exchange facilities to facilitate collection and recycling, and assign specific responsibility to bulk consumers of electronic products for safe disposal.
• Imports:Imports or placement in the market for new electrical and electronic equipment shall be permitted only for those which are compliant with provisions laid down by the government. 
• Disposal:
  • It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to collect e-waste generated during manufacture and to ensure its recycling or disposal. 
  • However, the rule does not apply to waste batteries, packaging plastics, micro enterprises and radio-active waste, as covered under the provisions of the law. 

Concerns associated:

• Left Unorganised sector behind: The informal sector is the ‘face’ of e-waste disposal in India as 95% of e-waste is channelized to the sector.
  • Therefore, they also hold immense potential to improve the state of e-waste management.
• Responsibility given to dismantlers for data updation: The new notification does away withProducer Responsibility Organisations (PRO)and dismantlers and vests all the responsibility of recycling with authorised recyclers where they will have to collect a quantity of waste, recycle them and generate digital certificates through the portal.

The U.S.-led "Fab 4" semiconductor alliance of Taiwan, the United States, Japan and South Korea held its first video meeting of senior officials to focus on supply chain resilience.

• The United States last September convened the first meeting of the working group, colloquially called "Fab 4" or "Chip 4", to discuss how to strengthen the semiconductor supply chain, after a global chip crunch caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The meeting discussed setting up an early warning system to ensure a steady chip supply.
• The Taiwan representatives suggested that the Fab 4 should exchange information on different parts of the supply chain as early as possible.
• Taiwan and South Korea will handle manufacturing issues, Japan will report on materials issues and the US will concentrate on market issues.

What is Fab 4 chip group?

• It is asemiconductor alliance of Taiwan, the United States, Japan and South Korea.
• The "Fab" in the name refers to a shorthand industry expression for the fabrication plants where chips, used in everything from fridges and smartphones to fighter jets, are made.
• The group's members are home to the world's largest contract chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (2330.TW), South Korean memory chip giants.
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) and SK Hynix (000660.KS), and key Japanese suppliers of semiconductor materials and equipment.

Significance:

• As important members of the Indo-Pacific region, the countries also play a key role in the global semiconductor industry, and have deep economic and trade relations with countries in the region.

Why is semiconductor industry important?

• A semiconductor is a substance that has specific electrical properties that enable it to serve as a foundation for computers and other electronic devices.

• They are the basic building blocks that serve as the heart and brain of all modern electronics and information and communications technology products.
• These chips are now an integral part of contemporary automobiles, household gadgets and essential medical devices such as ECG machines.

Government Initiatives in India:

• In 2021:10 billion dollar production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to encourage semiconductor and display manufacturing in the country.
• Fiscal support for a design-linked initiative (DLI) schemeto drive global and domestic investment related to design software, IP rights etc.
• Modifications in “Programme for Development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem in India:The Union Cabinet has approved a uniform incentive of 50% of the projectcost for setting up semiconductor, display and compound semiconductor fabrication units.
• India Semiconductor Mission (ISM)”will be set up with a total financial outlay of Rs 76,000 crore under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY)
• Scheme for setting up of Compound Semiconductors facilities.
• Vedanta and Taiwanese chipmaker Foxconnwill set up a Rs.1, 54,000 crore semiconductor plant in Gujarat.