Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 4 February 2023

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC 2023

Q) Which one the following statement is not correct with reference to ‘Sickle Cell Disease’?

1. It is a genetic disorder of chronic anaemia.
2. The red blood cells become hard due to abnormal haemoglobin.
3. India has set a target to eliminate this disease by 2030.
4. A stem cell transplant can cure this disease.

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 3 February 2023

Explanation:

• Option (1) is correct: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic single-gene disorder characterized by chronic anaemia, acute painful episodes, organ infarction and chronic organ damage and a significant reduction in life expectancy. SCD is a genetic condition that is present at birth. It is inherited when a child obtains two genes that code for abnormal haemoglobin.
• Option (2) is correct: In patients with SCD, abnormal haemoglobin causes the red blood cells to become hard and sticky and take a “sickle” shape. The sickle cells die early, which creates a shortage of red blood cells. They get stuck and clog the blood flow while travelling through small blood vessels. This can cause pain and other serious health complications such as infection, acute chest syndrome and stroke.
• Option (3) is incorrect: The government of India, under the National Health Mission, supports the states for the prevention and management of sickle cell disease. The union budget of FY 2023-24 has announced a mission to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047. The mission focuses on awareness creation, universal screening of people in the 0-40 years age group in affected tribal areas and counselling through collaborative efforts by both state and union governments. The government of Madhya Pradesh has established Integrated Centre for Hemophilia and Hemoglobinopathies in 22 Tribal District for the treatment and diagnosis of patients.
• Option (4) is correct: The only therapy that may be able to cure SCD is a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. For the transplant to succeed, the bone marrow must be a close match, usually from a sibling.

Q) With reference to Red Sanders, consider the following statements:

1. It is endemic to the Western Ghats region of the state of Goa.
2. According to India’s Foreign Trade Policy, export of Red Sanders from India is prohibited.
3. It is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife, Fauna, and Flora.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 and 3 are incorrect: Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is a flora species that is endemic to a distinct tract of forests in the Eastern Ghats region of Andhra Pradesh. It falls under ‘endangered list’ in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Red Sanders is also listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) recorded 28 incidents of confiscation and seizure of more than 19,049 tonnes of Red Sanders logs.
• Statement 2 is correct: There are numerous threats to Red Sanders such as illicit felling for smuggling, forest fires, cattle grazing and other anthropogenic threats. Red Sanders, known for theirrich hue and therapeutic properties, are high in demand across Asia, particularly in China and Japan, for use in cosmetics and medicinal products as well as for making furniture, woodcraft and musical instruments. The export of Red Sanders from India is prohibited as per the Foreign Trade Policy.

Q) Consider the following statements about ‘Polymetallic Nodules’ (PMNs):

1. Polymetallic nodules are also found on the abyssal plains of the ocean floor.
2. Clarion-Clipperton Zone of polymetallic nodules is located in the Indian Ocean.
3. The International Seabed Authority awards mining licences for PMNs located within Exclusive Economic Zones.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Polymetallic nodules, also known as manganese nodules, are small, potato-shaped, rock-like structures found on the ocean floor. Deep-ocean polymetallic nodules form on or just below the vast, sediment-covered, abyssal plains of the global ocean. Polymetallic nodules primarily consist of precipitated iron oxyhydroxides and manganese oxides, onto which metals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, titanium and rare earth elements sorb In the Union Budget 2023-2024, the Deep Ocean Mission was announced with an outlay of 600 crores, one of whose objectives is to mine and extract polymetallic nodules (PMNs). India signed a 15-year contract for the exploration of Polymetallic Nodules in CIOB with the International Seabed Authority in 2002. In 2016, India got an extension of this contract up to 2022.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) is an area of around 9 million square kilometres, approximately the size of Europe, this is the world‘s largest manganese nodule region. The CCZ is located in the Pacific, extending from the west coast of Mexico to Hawaii. The nodules are not evenly distributed over this area. At some sites they are more densely grouped. No nodules at all are found in stony areas. On the average, one square metre in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone contains around 15 kilograms of manganese nodules. Especially rich areas can have up to 75 kilograms. The total mass of manganese nodules here is calculated to be around 21 billion tonnes. These nodules form over millions of years as minerals precipitate around a central core, usually a fragment of volcanic rock.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The international Law of the Sea precisely regulates who can mine manganese nodules or massive sulphide and cobalt crusts in the future. If the resources are located within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of a country, the so-called 200 nautical mile zone, this country has the sole right to mine them or to award mining licences to foreign companies. This is the case, for example, in a part of the Penrhyn Basin near the Cook Islands. The CCZ, the Peru Basin, and the Indian Ocean area, on the other hand, all lie far outside the Exclusive Economic Zones, in the realm of the high seas. Here, mining is centrally regulated by an agency of the United Nations, the International Seabed Authority (ISA), with headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica. In particular, the ISA ensures that the benefits from future activities related to marine mining are shared equitably. Its authority is based on various articles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which define the high seas as the common heritage of mankind. Activities on the high seas should thus serve the good of all people.

Q) With reference to the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), consider the following statements:

1. ISM is setup as an Independent Business Division within Digital India Corporation.
2. ISM is the nodal agency for the Schemes approved under Semicon India Programme.
3. ISM has all the administrative powers but the financial powers lies with the Finance ministry.

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

Explanation:

• Option (1) is correct: Government is focused on its important objective of building the overall semiconductor ecosystem and ensure that, it in-turn catalyses India’s rapidly expanding electronics manufacturing and innovation ecosystem. This vision of AtmaNirbharta in electronics & semiconductors was given further momentum by the Union Cabinet, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, approving the Semicon India programme with a total outlay of INR 76,000 crore for the development of semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in our country. The programme aims to provide financial support to companies investing in semiconductors, display manufacturing and design ecosystem. This will serve to pave the way for India’s growing presence in the global electronics value chains.
• India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) has been setup as an Independent Business Division within Digital India Corporation.
• ISM has all the administrative and financial powers and is tasked with the responsibility of catalysing the India Semiconductor ecosystem in manufacturing, packaging and design.
• ISM has an advisory board consisting of some of the leading global experts in the field of semiconductors.
• ISM is serving as the nodal agency for efficient, coherent and smooth implementation of the programme for development of semiconductor and manufacturing ecosystem in India.

ISM has also been engaging with various stakeholders of Semiconductors and Display ecosystem to attract the investments in India. So far INR 13 crore has been released to ISM.

Q) Consider the following statements about ‘Joint Parliamentary Committee’:

1. It came into existence when both houses of Parliament passed a motion to that effect.
2. It can summon people for questioning as well as examine related documents.
3. Its recommendations are binding in nature.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is set up by the Parliament for a special purpose, especially for the detailed scrutiny of a subject or Bill. A JPC comes into existence after one House of Parliament has passed a motion and the other has agreed to it. Members of the JPC are decided by the Parliament and the numbers can vary – there is no fixed number. A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) JPC has members from both Houses and includes both the ruling party and the opposition party members. It is dissolved after the end of its term or completion of the task. Opposition parties recently demanded Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the allegations of fraud and stock manipulation against the Adani Group.
• Statement 2 is correct but statement 3 is incorrect: Joint Parliamentary Committee can scrutinize documents and summon people for questioning to fulfil its mandate. After finishing its task, JPC submits a report and makes recommendations to the government. JPC’s recommendations have persuasive value, but they are not binding on the government. The government can choose to launch further investigations based on the JPC report, but it can’t be forced to do so. However, the government is required to submit report on the follow-up action taken on the basis of the recommendations of the JPC.

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