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GS Paper II: Social justice- Issues related to children
1. Zero tolerance towards the use of children in poll campaigns
GS Paper II- Environment and conservation- related issues.
2. Nagoya Protocol
Prelims Booster:-
3. Messinian Event
4. Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024
5. ABHYAS
6. Coronal Mass Ejections
7. Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar programme
GS Paper II: Social justice- Issues related to children
Context:
The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued directions to political parties to refrain from using children in election campaigns, conveying that it would have a “zero tolerance” approach on the matter.
GS Paper II- Environment and conservation- related issues.
Context:
Cameroon recently adopted the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing.
Nagoya Protocol:
The Nagoya Protocol, known formally as the Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation, is a globally binding agreement.
This protocol enforces the access and benefit-sharing commitments outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Adopted in Nagoya, Japan, in October 2010, the Nagoya Protocol came into effect on October 12, 2014, following the deposit of the fiftieth ratification instrument.
It establishes a clear legal structure to effectively carry out one of the CBD's main goals: ensuring the fair and equitable distribution of benefits derived from genetic resource utilization.
It pertains to genetic resources protected by the CBD and the benefits from their use.
It also includes traditional knowledge linked to genetic resources covered by the CBD and the benefits from their utilization.
Benefits:
It sets up a framework that allows researchers to utilize genetic resources for biotechnology research, development, and related endeavours, with a fair share of benefits from their utilization.
This offers the research and development industry the confidence required to invest in research based on biodiversity.
Indigenous and local communities could potentially benefit
from a legal structure that
acknowledges the importance of traditional knowledge
linked to genetic resources.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD):
CBD, involving 196 contracting parties, stands as the most comprehensive binding international agreement in the realm of nature conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources.
The agreement was first introduced for signing at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro back in 1992.
Encompassing biodiversity across all levels, including ecosystems, species, and genetic resources.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) serves as the highest political decision-making body of the Convention.
The Secretariat is located in Montreal, Canada.
To support the CBD objectives, two internationally binding agreements were adopted under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The Cartagena Protocol, enacted in 2000 and enforced in 2003, governs the cross-border movement of living modified organisms (LMOs).
The Nagoya Protocol, established in 2010, sets a legally binding framework for access to genetic resources and ensures fair and equitable sharing of benefits from their utilization.
Objectives:
The conservation of biological diversity includes genetic diversity, species diversity, and habitat diversity.
The sustainable use of biological diversity.
The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits resulting from the utilization of genetic resources.
Context:
The Geological Institute of Israel recently uncovered a never-before-known underwater canyon near Cyprus that dates back to the Messinian Event.
What is a Messinian Event?
Referred to as the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC), the Messinian event was a significant geological occurrence.
This event led to the Mediterranean Sea experiencing a cycle of partial or almost complete desiccation (drying up).
Considered one of the most severe ecological crises in Earth's history.
The MSC started about 6 million years ago (MYA) and continued until around 5.3 MYA.
How has it unfolded?
The separation of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea marked the beginning.
This separation was caused by a combination of decreased sea levels globally and a collision between the European and African plates, resulting in lifted land.
Normally, the Mediterranean Sea experiences more evaporation than precipitation, leading to a net water loss.
Without a significant water source from the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea underwent extensive evaporation.
This process formed a vast underground canyon where rivers deeply carved into the basin, exceeding the Grand Canyon in size and reaching depths of up to 2,000 meters (6,562 feet).
As the Mediterranean water evaporated, salt deposits like Halite and Gypsum accumulated on the basin floor, some reaching depths of 800 meters (2,500 feet).
The high salinity levels due to slow salt deposition made the remaining water extremely salty, making it uninhabitable for marine life.
The Mediterranean eventually dried up completely, culminating in the Zanclean flood when the Atlantic Ocean refilled the basin.
Deep-sea Canyon:
Deep-sea canyons are steep-sided valleys that are cut into the seafloor of the continental slope, sometimes extending well onto the continental shelf.
These submarine canyons vary in size, shape, and morphological complexity; some were scoured by the flow of rivers during past low sea level periods, but most formed via other erosional processes like mudslides, debris flows, and turbidity currents.
Context:
The Centre introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha titled "The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024”.
The bill is to curb leaks, and malpractices as well as organized malpractices in recruitment examinations like UPSC, SSC etc and entrance tests such as NEET, JEE, and CUET.
Reasons for the introduction of the bill:-
The bill comes after several competitive tests were cancelled due to question paper leaks, affecting over 1.5 crore students.
More than 70 such leaks occurred between 2016 and 2023, leading to the cancellation of a dozen recruitment drives.
Currently, there is no substantive law to deal with such unfair means and offences in public examinations conducted by the central government and its agencies.
Highlights of the bill:-
The proposed Bill punishes those involved in unfair practices for monetary or wrongful gains, but it does not include candidates appearing for the exams.
The Bill mandates a prison term of 3-5 years for involvement in paper leak cases and up to 10 years in cases linked to organized crime.
It also proposes 20 offences and unfair means, including impersonation and tampering with documents.
The Bill establishes a high-level national technical committee to develop protocols for securing the computerized examination process, including foolproof IT security systems and electronic surveillance of examination centres.
Additionally, the Bill holds firms accountable and proposes fines and a ban on conducting public exams.
The purpose of this bill is:
To increase transparency, fairness, and credibility within public examination systems.
To reassure young people that their sincere and genuine efforts will be justly rewarded, and their future will be secure.
Context:
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted four flight trials of the high-speed expendable aerial target 'ABHYAS' recently.
About ABHYAS:
It is known as a high-speed expendable aerial target (HEAT).
Developed by the DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE).
ABHYAS provides a realistic threat scenario for testing weapon systems.
It serves as a suitable platform for validating Armed Forces equipment intended for aerial engagement.
Features:
It is designed for autonomous flight, utilizing an autopilot developed by the ADE.
The drone features a radar cross-section and a visual and infrared augmentation system necessary for weapon practice.
The target drone comes with a laptop-based Ground Control System for aircraft integration, pre-flight checks, data recording during flights, post-flight replays, and analysis.
About DRDO:
This is the Research and Development wing of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, aiming to equip India with advanced defence technologies and strive for self-sufficiency in critical defence technologies and systems.
It stands as India's largest research organization.
Establishment: In 1958, it was formed by merging the existing Technical Development Establishments (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development and Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organization (DSO).
Headquarters: New Delhi.
The organization operates a network of laboratories dedicated to developing defence technologies across various domains such as aeronautics, armaments, electronics, land combat engineering, life sciences, materials, missiles, and naval systems
Context:
An Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) team, in collaboration with international partners, has recently introduced a novel model for understanding the internal thermal evolution of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) as they journey from the sun to Earth.
Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs):
Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are significant events where the sun expels vast quantities of plasma and magnetic fields from its corona, extending into the space between planets.
These eruptions involve the release of a tremendous volume of matter, encompassing electrons, protons, heavier ions, and magnetic energy.
CMEs travel outward from the sun at speeds ranging from slower than 250 kilometres per second (km/s) to as fast as 3000 km/s.
The fastest Earth-directed CMEs can reach our planet in as little as 15-18 hours.
They expand in size as they propagate away from the Sun, and larger CMEs can reach a size comprising nearly a quarter of the space between Earth and the Sun by the time they reach our planet.
CMEs, like solar flares, are most common during the solar maximum, a period in the sun's 11-year cycle of activity when the star is at its most active.
Formation:
They occur in a manner reminiscent of solar flares, as a result of the twisting and realignment of the sun's magnetic field, which is known as magnetic reconnection.
When magnetic field lines become entangled, they create strong localized magnetic fields capable of penetrating the sun's surface at active regions, subsequently leading to the generation of CMEs.
CMEs typically occur in the vicinity of sunspot groups and are frequently accompanied by a solar flare; however, these phenomena do not always happen simultaneously.
Impact on Earth:
Geomagnetic Storms:-
When the magnetic fields of CMEs interact with Earth's magnetosphere, it can trigger geomagnetic storms. These storms have the potential to disrupt satellite communications, navigation systems, and even power grids.
Auroras:-
CMEs can create stunning displays of the Northern and Southern Lights, known as auroras, by charging particles in Earth's atmosphere.
Radiation Hazards:-
During a CME event, astronauts in space or passengers on high-altitude flights may be exposed to increased levels of radiation.
Context:
The Government of India has decided to map and document all villages under Mera Gaon, Meri Dharohar (MGMD) Programme.
About Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar programme:
The Ministry of Culture's pan-India initiative, part of the National Mission on Cultural Mapping, was launched on July 27, 2023.
This initiative aims to gather detailed information on the life, history, and culture of Indian villages, making it accessible to both virtual and real-time visitors.
Information under the MGMD is categorized into seven main groups: