1. BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: The Environment Ministry has introduced rules that make it harder for makers of disposable plastic ware to label such products as ’biodegradable’, introducing a stipulation that they must not leave any microplastics behind.

India’s Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024

• About: The new amendments to India's Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024, broaden the definition of biodegradable plastics.

oBiodegradable plastics are now characterized not only by degradation in specific environments like soil or landfills but also by the absence of microplastics.

oFocus on Single-Use Plastic Ban: These amendments reflect a growing concern over single-use plastics, aiming to curb their proliferation and environmental impact.

oBy redefining biodegradable plastics, the regulations incentivize the use of materials that break down without leaving harmful residues.

Microplastics

• About: It is defined as solid plastic particles insoluble in water and sized between 1 µm and 1,000 µm, pose significant environmental challenges.

oThey have emerged as a notable pollutant, particularly in water bodies such as rivers and oceans, threatening marine ecosystems and human health.

Biodegradable Plastic

• About: Biodegradable plastics break down into harmless components like water, carbon dioxide, and biomass through the action of living organisms, primarily microbes.
• Diverse Production Sources: These plastics can be derived from renewable raw materials, microorganisms, petrochemicals, or a combination of these sources, offering versatility in production methods.
• Versatile Product Range: Biodegradable plastics find applications across various industries, showcasing their potential to replace traditional plastics in a wide array of products.

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2. TWIN STARS (Syllabus GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: The Planetary system that includes Earth and its sibling planets orbiting the sun has been remarkably stable during its roughly 4.5 billion years of existence. But not all planetary systems are so lucky, as per a new study involving "twin" stars.

Twin Stars

• About: It refer to pairs of stars that form within the same interstellar cloud of gas and dust, known as co-natal stars. These stars share similar chemical composition, mass, and age, resembling "twins" in the cosmic sense.
• Characteristics: These twin stars, while moving together in the same direction within the Milky Way galaxy, are not binary systems gravitationally bound to each other.
• Effect of Planetary Ingestion: The chemical composition of a star can change if it engulfs a planet, incorporating elements from the consumed world. Higher amounts of certain elements like iron, nickel, or titanium in one of the twin stars indicate remnants of a rocky planet.
• Observations and Findings: In seven out of the studied pairs of twin stars, one of the stars showed evidence of planetary ingestion, suggesting the prevalence of this phenomenon among co-natal stars.

How do twin stars eat planets?

• Possible Causes of Death Plunge: A planet's death plunge into its host star may be triggered by orbital disturbances, such as interactions with larger planets or close encounters with other stars.
• Planetary System Stability: Contrary to popular belief, the stability of planetary systems like our solar system is not guaranteed, as stated by astrophysicist Yuan-Sen Ting.
• Common Instability in Systems: Instability in planetary systems might be more prevalent than previously thought, with approximately 8% of stellar pairs showing evidence of one star consuming a planet.

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3. EUROPA (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Scientists are studying Europa, one of Jupiter’s many moons, to see if it could support life.

Europa

• About: It is one of Jupiter's largest moons, among over 90 moons orbiting the planet.

oIt ranks as the sixth-closest moon to Jupiter.

• Galilean Moons Discovery: Europa, along with Io, Ganymede, and Callisto, constitutes the Galilean moons.

oThese were the first moons discovered beyond Earth by Galileo Galilei in January 1610.

• Composition and Atmosphere: Europa is primarily composed of silicate rock with a water-ice crust and likely an iron-nickel core.

oIts thin atmosphere is mainly oxygen-based.

• Potential for Life: Despite its thin oxygen atmosphere, Europa is considered one of the most promising places in the solar system for finding present-day environments suitable for life beyond Earth.
• Abundant Water: Beneath Europa's icy surface lies an estimated amount of water twice that found on Earth.
• Ice Shell and Ocean: Scientists believe Europa's ice shell, about 15-25 km thick, is floating on an ocean estimated to be between 60-150 km deep.
• Water Quantity: Despite its smaller size, Europa likely contains twice the water found in all of Earth's oceans.
• NASA's Mission: NASA plans to launch its Europa Clipper in 2024, which will orbit Jupiter and conduct close flybys to gather data on Europa's atmosphere, surface, and interior.

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4. REPORT ON INCOME INEQUALITY (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Social Justice)

Context: India’s richest people now have a larger share of national income than in more than a century. The top 1 per cent of Indians earns 22.6 per cent of the national income compared to 15 per cent earned by the bottom 50 per cent of the population, according to a study by the World Inequality Lab.

Highlights of the Report

• Growth in average incomes: Between 1960 and 2022, India's average income grew at an annual rate of 2.6% in real terms, with significant disparity between the periods before and after 1990.
• The years 2005-2010 and 2010-2015 experienced the fastest growth in average incomes, reaching rates of 4.3% and 4.9% per year respectively.
• Emergence of Very High Net Worth Individuals: From 1990 to 2022, there was a notable increase in national wealth alongside the emergence of individuals with net wealth exceeding $1 billion.
• Rise in the Percentage of Income Tax Payers: Economic reforms in 1991 led to a significant rise in the share of adult population filing income tax returns, surpassing 5% by 2011 and reaching approximately 9% during 2017-2020.
• Extreme Levels of Inequality in India: In 2022-23, 22.6% of India's national income was accrued by the top 1%, marking the highest level of income inequality since 1922.
• The wealth share of the top 1% reached 40.1% in 2022-23, surpassing even the levels observed during the colonial period, highlighting the severity of contemporary inequality.
• Extreme Wealth Concentration at the Very Top: Wealth accumulation in India is characterized by extreme concentration at the highest echelons, with the top 1% wealth share tripling between 1961 and 2023.

Income Inequality

• About: Income inequality encompasses the non-uniform distribution of income within a population, indicating a variance in earnings among individuals or groups.
• Relation to Wealth Inequality: Income inequality frequently coexists with wealth inequality, representing the uneven dispersion of assets and resources among individuals or segments of society.
• Analytical Frameworks: Various methodologies, including the Gini Index, are employed to assess and quantify the extent of income inequality within a given populace.
• Diverse Dimensions: Income inequality can be dissected along multiple axes such as gender or race, shedding light on distinct facets of economic disparity within societies.

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5. WORLD FOREST DAY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: As we mark World Forestry Day, it's vital to remember the significance of forests and the urgent need to protect them, especially considering the recently heightened awareness of environmental preservation.

World Forest Day

• About: It is an annual reminder of the crucial role forests and trees play in our lives.
• Date: It is celebrated annually on March 21, falling on a Thursday this year.
• Organizers: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Forum on Forests coordinate the International Day of Forests.
• Theme: Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World.
• Historical Background: Proposed in 1971 by the General Assembly of the European Confederation of Agriculture.

oMarch 21st chosen by the United Nations due to its alignment with Vernal Equinox and Autumn Equinox in the northern and southern hemispheres.

• Significance
• Action-Oriented Celebration: Celebrating World Forestry Day entails engaging in activities such as tree planting, raising awareness about the significance of forests, and supporting afforestation initiatives.
• Vital Reminder: World Forestry Day serves as a poignant reminder of the indispensable contribution of forests in sustaining life on Earth and the urgent need to safeguard them for future generations.

India Initiatives to Conservation of Forest

• Implementation of Forest Protection Laws: For preservation and protection of forest and wildlife, various laws including the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, Indian Forest Act, 1927, Wildlife Protection Act 1972, and other central/state laws as applicable to a State/UT, are implemented by the respective State Government /UT Administration.
• National Afforestation Programme (NAP) and Green India Mission (GIM): NAP, merged with GIM, focuses on afforestation in degraded forests with people's participation, including a specific sub-mission for enhancing tree cover in urban and peri-urban areas.
• Cross-Sectoral Collaboration for Tree Plantation: Tree plantation initiatives are carried out cross-sectorally, involving various ministries/organizations and State Plan budgets, recognizing it as a multi-departmental, multi-agency activity.

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6. GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: Recently, the Supreme Court constituted an expert committee to address the delicate balance between conserving and protecting the endangered Great Indian Bustard bird population while honoring the nation's international obligations to promote renewable energy sources.

Great Indian Bustard

• About: It is the State bird of Rajasthan and is considered India’s most critically endangered bird.
• Flagship species: It is considered the flagship grassland species, representing the health of the grassland ecology.
• Habitat: Its population is confined mostly to Rajasthan and Gujarat.

oSmall populations occur in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

• Protection Status:

oIUCN: Critically Endangered

oCITES: Appendix 1

oConvention on Migratory Species (CMS): Appendix 1

oWildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule 1

Initiatives taken to protect GIB

• Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats: GIB is kept under the species recovery programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• Conservation Breeding Facility: MoEF&CC, Rajasthan government and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have established a conservation breeding facility in Desert National Park at Jaisalmer in June 2019.
• Project Great Indian Bustard: It has been launched by the Rajasthan government with an aim of constructing breeding enclosures for the species and developing infrastructure to reduce human pressure on its habitats.
• Conservation Reserves: Great Indian Bustard habitats to be declared as conservation reserves.
• Directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT): NGT ordered a time-bound action plan for the implementation of mitigation measures such as installation of bird diverters and their regular maintenance and monitoring by power agencies.

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7. ENFORCEMENT DIRECTORATE (ED) (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently arrested the Delhi chief minister on Thursday night for his alleged involvement in the state's controversial 2021-22 excise policy after questioning him at his residence.

 Enforcement Directorate (ED)

• About: The Directorate of Enforcement is a multi-disciplinary organization mandated with investigation of offence of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws
• Origin: The origins of this Directorate can be traced back to May 1, 1956, when the Department of Economic Affairs established an ‘Enforcement Unit' to handle Exchange Control Laws violations under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA), 1947. 

oThis unit was renamed the ‘Enforcement Directorate’ in 1957.

• Nodal ministry: Department of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance.
• Organisational structure: The Directorate of Enforcement, with its headquarters at New Delhi, is headed by the director of enforcement. 

oThere are five regional offices at Mumbai, Chennai, Chandigarh, Kolkata, and Delhi headed by special directors of enforcement.

• Appointment of ED director: The ED Director is appointed by the central government on the recommendation of a committee: chaired by the Central Vigilance Commissioner and  members comprising of Vigilance Commissioners, Home Secretary, Secretary DOPT and Revenue Secretary.
• Current Status: Presently, the ED operates under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA), the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), and the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA).
• Tenure and Extensions: The Director holds a fixed tenure of 2 years, with the possibility of a maximum of 3 annual extensions.

Function

• Mandated Investigation: ED investigates offenses related to money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws.

oIt enforces the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

• Asset Tracing and Attachment: ED conducts investigations to trace assets derived from proceeds of crime.

oIt provisionally attaches the property during investigations.

• Prosecution Assurance: ED ensures the prosecution of offenders identified during its investigations.
• Confiscation by Special Court: The Special court, with ED's assistance, confiscates properties related to crimes.
• Enforcement of FEMA: ED enforces provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). It investigates suspected violations of foreign exchange laws.

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8. SUBDUCTION ZONE (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: A recent study by scientists in Portugal predicts the 'Ring of Fire' subduction zone beneath the Gibraltar Strait may lead to the Atlantic Ocean's closure in 20 million years.

Subduction Zone

• About: A subduction zone forms where two tectonic plates converge, leading one to descend beneath the other.
• Nature of Tectonic Plates: Tectonic plates are segments of the Earth's outer shell that gradually shift across its surface over long periods.
• Plate Tectonics Theory: Plate tectonics theory asserts that the Earth's shell comprises moving plates that carry continents atop the lower mantle.
• Composition of the Lithosphere: The lithosphere, encompassing the crust and upper mantle, constitutes the Earth's outer layer.
• Subduction Mechanism: When plates meet at a subduction zone, the denser lithosphere descends into the hot mantle, inducing curving.
• Geological Hazards: Subduction processes yield potent earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic activities, marking critical geological events.
• Lithospheric Types and Subduction: Subduction commonly arises from the interaction of contrasting lithospheric types—continental and oceanic.
• Oceanic Plate Dynamics: Older, denser oceanic lithosphere submerges beneath younger, buoyant lithosphere, a process perpetuating subduction.
• Formation of Oceanic Lithosphere: New oceanic lithosphere forms at plate boundaries, cooling and densifying over time, predisposing it to subduction.
• Geographical Distribution: Subduction zones encircle the Pacific Ocean in a horseshoe shape, known as the "Ring of Fire," showcasing intense seismic and volcanic activity.

Strait of Gibraltar 

• About: It serves as a crucial waterway, linking the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea and acting as the boundary between Europe and Africa.
• Varied Depth: The depth of the Strait of Gibraltar varies considerably, ranging from 300 to 900 meters (980 to 2,950 feet; 160 to 490 fathoms), making it a complex and dynamic maritime environment.
• Territorial Jurisdiction: The strait falls within the territorial waters of Morocco, Spain, and the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, highlighting its geopolitical significance.

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9. GLOBAL E-WASTE MONITOR 2024 (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: According to the Global E-waste Monitor (GEM), the world’s generation of electronic waste is rising five times faster than documented e-waste recycling.

The Global E-waste Monitor 2024

• About: It offers the latest statistics and data on electronic waste worldwide, providing insights into the magnitude and trends of this environmental issue since 2014.
• Collaborative effort led by: Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP) in conjunction with Fondation Carmignac, a corporate foundation, highlighting a joint commitment to addressing e-waste challenges.

Findings of Global E-waste Monitor 2024

• E-waste Production Surge: A record 62 million tonnes of e-waste was produced in 2022, marking an 82% increase from 2010.

oProjections indicate a further 32% rise to 82 million tonnes by 2030.

• Rare Earth Element Recycling: Only 1% of rare earth element demand is met by e-waste recycling, highlighting a significant gap in resource utilization.
• Recycling Efforts: Less than one quarter (22.3%) of the year’s e-waste mass was documented as properly collected and recycled in 2022.
• Per-capita E-waste Generation: Europe (17.6 kg), Oceania (16.1 kg), India (2.9 kg/capita) and the Americas (14.1 kg) recorded the highest per capita e-waste generation in 2022.

E-Waste

• Definition: E-waste encompasses electronic devices that have reached the end of their useful life or are no longer wanted by the owner. 

oThese devices may contain hazardous substances and valuable resources.

• E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022

oExtended Producer Responsibility (EPR): It emphasize Extended Producer Responsibility, holding manufacturers, importers, and brand owners accountable for managing e-waste.

oFocus: The rules focus on establishing efficient collection mechanisms to ensure proper disposal of e-waste, reducing illegal dumping.

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10. NATIONAL INTERNET EXCHANGE OF INDIA (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is set to unveil the BhashaNet portal at the upcoming Universal Acceptance (UA) Day.

National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI)

• Establishment: NIXI was established in 2003 as a not-for-profit organization under the Companies Act 2013.
• Purpose: Its primary aim is to utilize Internet Service Protocols (ISPs) to route domestic traffic within India, reducing latency and bandwidth charges by avoiding international routing.
• Mission: NIXI is dedicated to increasing Internet penetration and adoption in India.
• Facilitation: It focuses on infrastructure development to manage and enable widespread Internet usage across the country.
• National Internet Registry (NIR) Functionality:
• NIR Operation: NIXI operates the National Internet Registry (NIR), known as the Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers (IRINN).
• IXP Services: NIR provides Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), crucial for enhancing Internet infrastructure and connectivity within India.

Universal Acceptance (UA) Day

• About: UA Day is an annual event organized by the Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG) and ICANN.
• Aim: To raise awareness and promote UA adoption through various informational and training sessions, both virtual and in-person.
• Technical Requirement: UA ensures that all valid domain names and email addresses, regardless of script or language, can be used equally across Internet applications and systems.

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