Syllabus

• Prelims -Science

Context: Experts have raised the need to conduct more screening test to detect cervical cancer among women along with vaccine drive for girls.

Background:-

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced during the presentation of the interim Budget that the government plans to encourage vaccination against cervical cancer for girls aged nine to 14.

About Cervical Cancer :-

• Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control. Cancer is always named for the part of the body where it starts, even if it spreads to other body parts later.
• Cervical cancer is a growth of cells that starts in the cervix. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina.
• Various strains of the human papillomavirus, also called HPV, play a role in causing most cervical cancers.
• HPV is a common infection that’s passed through sexual contact.
• When exposed to HPV, the body’s immune system typically prevents the virus from doing harm. In a small percentage of people, however, the virus survives for years. This contributes to the process that causes some cervical cells to become cancer cells.
• It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in India (over 77,000 annually), and is estimated to be the second most frequent cancer among Indian women between 15 and 44 years.
• VIA (visual inspection with acetic acid) and VILI (visual inspection using Lugol’s iodine) are the Screening test recommended for cervical cancer

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus

• Prelims – Current Event

Context: The ninth edition of the Raisina Dialogue will be held from today till Friday (February 23) in New Delhi.

Background:

• The conference will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will join the inauguration session as the chief guest.

About Raisina Dialogue:

• The Raisina Dialogue is an annual conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, which aims to address the most challenging issues faced by the world.
• The conference takes place in New Delhi and is attended by people from political, business, media, and civil society backgrounds.
• Delhi-based think tank Observer Research Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, hosts the conference.
• The theme of the 2024 edition is “Chaturanga: Conflict, Contest, Cooperate, Create”.

Source: The Indian Express

Syllabus

• Prelims and Mains – Polity

Context: In overturning the results of the January 30 elections for the post of Mayor of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, the Supreme Court invoked the powers conferred on the court under Article 142 of the Constitution.

Background:

• The powers under Article 142 are extraordinary in nature and the apex court has defined its scope and extent through its judgments over time.

About Article 142

• TArticle 142 provides discretionary power to the Supreme Court as it states that the Supreme Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it.
• Subsection 1 of Article 142 provides a unique power to the Supreme Court, to do complete justice between the parties.
• According to some eminent jurists, natural justice is above law, and the Supreme Court shall have full right to pass any order that it considers just.
• Therefore, the Supreme Court shall exercise these powers and will not be deterred from doing justice by the provision of any rule or law, executive practice or executive circular or regulation etc.
• The framers of the Constitution felt that this provision is of utmost significance to those people who have to suffer due to the delay in getting their necessary reliefs due to the disadvantaged position of the judicial system.

Significance of Article 142:-

• Prevents Injustice: It provides a special and extraordinary power to the Supreme Court to do complete justice to the litigants who have suffered traversed illegality or injustice in the proceedings.
• Uphold citizen’s rights: Article 142 has been invoked for the purpose of protecting the rights of the different sections of the population.
• Check on Government: Works as a system of checks and balances with the Government or Legislature.

Cases where the Supreme Court has invoked its plenary powers under Article 142:-

• Manohar Lal Sharma v. Principal Secretary(2014): The Supreme Court can deal with exceptional circumstances interfering with the larger interest of the public in order to fabricate trust in the rule of law.
• R. Antulay v. R.S. Nayak(1988): The Supreme Court held that any discretion which is given by the court should not be arbitrary or in any way be inconsistent with provisions of any statute laid down.
• Union Carbide Corporation v. Union of India (1989): In Bhopal Gas Tragedy Case, the court ordered to award of compensation to the victims and placed itself in a position above the Parliamentary laws.

Source: The Indian Express

Syllabus

• Mains – GS 3

Context: The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has released the Review of Maritime Transport 2023, highlighting the Issue of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from International Shipping and Challenges in Decarbonization.

Background:

• IMO (International Maritime Organization) has set a target to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by around 2050.

Key highlights of the Review:

• GHG emissions from international shipping were 20% higher in 2023 compared to a decade ago. The shipping industry contributes to over 80% of the world’s trade volume and nearly 3% of global GHG emissions.
• Containerized trade is expected to grow by 1.2% in 2023 and further by 3% between 2024-2028. Oil and gas trade volumes showed robust growth in 2022.
• Early in January 2023, commercial ships were on average 22.2 years old and more than half of the world’s fleet was over 15 years old. As the average age of the world fleet is increasing, it raises concern that alternative fuels are not yet available at scale and are more costly, and the ships that can use them are also more costly than traditional ships.
• 8% of the global fleet uses conventional fuels like heavy fuel oil, light fuel oil, and diesel/gas oil.
• Only 1.2% are using alternative fuels, mainly LNG, LPG, methanol, and to a lesser extent, battery/hybrid. However, progress is underway as 21 % of vessels currently on order are designed to run on alternative fuels, notably LNG, LPG, battery/hybrid, and methanol.
• Decarbonizing the world’s fleet by 2050 could require annual investments ranging from USD 8 billion to USD 90 billion. Full decarbonization could double yearly fuel costs, necessitating a just transition for the sector.

Source: UNCTAD

Syllabus

• Prelims – Current Event

Context: 75 Indian Diaspora Scientists to return to India under Government’s Vaibhav Scheme.

Background:

• The first group of 22 fellows has already been chosen to the scheme meant to attract Indian-origin scientists based abroad for short-term collaboration with Indian institutions.Twenty-two scientists, mostly based at North American and European institutes including the California Institute of Technology, the University of Oxford, the University of Michigan, the University of Geneva, the University of Waterloo, Canada, and the University of Oslo, will spend anywhere from a month or two annually, for a maximum of three years, at host Indian institutes.

About VAIBHAV

• The Vaishwik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Fellowship is a program implemented by the Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.
• The program aims to foster collaboration between scientists of the Indian Diaspora and Indian Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), Universities, and/or Public Funded Scientific Institutions.

Key Features: 

• Knowledge Verticals: The program focuses on 18 identified knowledge verticals, including quantum technology, health, pharmaceuticals, electronics, agriculture, energy, computer sciences, and material sciences, among others.
• Eligibility: The fellowship is open to outstanding scientists and technologists of Indian origin (Non-resident Indians (NRI)/ Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) / Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)) who are actively engaged in research activities in their respective countries.
• Collaboration Duration: Selected fellows may spend up to two months per year, for a maximum of three years, at an Indian institution of their choice.
• Fellowship Grant: VAIBHAV fellows will receive a monthly fellowship grant of INR 4,00,000, which will support their research activities during the collaboration period.
• Travel, Accommodation, and Contingencies: The fellowship will cover international and domestic travel expenses, accommodation, and contingencies.

Source: The Hindu

Syllabus

• Prelims -Current Event

Context: Global Pulses Conference (GPC) urges India to augment production of pulses to meet nutritional requirements.

Background:

• The Global Pulse Conference 2024 was recently held in New Delhi.

About Global Pulse Conference

• The Global Pulse Conference is an annual event that brings together the global pulse industry to enhance trade, networking, and market insights.
• The Global Pulse Conference 2024 was organized by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and the Global Pulse Confederation (GPC).
• The theme of Global Pulse Conference 2024 was ‘nourishing soils to nourish people’.
• The conference also discusses the role of pulses in environmental sustainability and nutrition, as well as the challenges and opportunities for pulses production in India and around the world.

Pulses Production in India

• Pulses are an important source of plant-based protein and are a staple in the Indian diet.
• India is the largest producer, consumer, and importer of pulses in the world.
• Pulses account for around 20 per cent of the area under foodgrains and contribute around 7-10 per cent of the total foodgrains production in the country.
• The largest pulse producing state in India in 2024 is Rajasthan. Rajasthan accounts for over 19 percent of the total pulses production in India.
• The major pulse-producing states in India are Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh.
• The government has implemented various schemes and initiatives to support pulses production and enhance farmers’ income, such as the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and the National Mission on Protein Supplements (NMPS).

Sources : Hindu Businessline

Previous Year Question

1. Q) With reference to pulse production in India, consider the following statements:
2. Black gram can be cultivated as both kharif and rabi crop.
3. Green-gram alone accounts for nearly half of pulse production.
4. In the last three decades, while the production of kharif pulses has increased, the production of rabi pulses has decreased.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Syllabus

• Prelims – Environment

Context: The government of Arunachal Pradesh recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Background:

• The MoU aims to raise, arm, and deploy a Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) for all three tiger reserves in the state, namely Namdapha, Kamlang and Pakke. The MoU is a response to the alarming decline in the tiger population in Arunachal Pradesh, which dropped from 29 in 2018 to only nine in 2022 according to the national tiger census.

About NTCA:

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
• It was constituted under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006, for strengthening tiger conservation.
• The NTCA is tasked with the management of Project Tiger and the Tiger Reserves in India.
• The NTCA was established in December 2005 following the recommendation of the Tiger Task Force, which was constituted by the Prime Minister of India to review the status of tigers in the country.
• The chairman of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is the Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Key Functions:

• Monitoring Tigers: The NTCA monitors tigers at the pan-India level using technological tools like camera traps within a robust statistical framework for understanding tiger population dynamics.
• Management Evaluation: The NTCA conducts the Management Effective Evaluation of Tiger Reserves of India.
• Technical & Financial Support: The NTCA provides technical and financial support to Tiger Reserves.
• Reintroducing Tigers: India has the unique distinction of reintroducing tigers from the wild in Sariska and Panna Tiger Reserves. The NTCA is the authority to permit the cheetah reintroduction plan in India. The NTCA has also identified suitable habitats for the cheetahs in India, such as Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, where the first batch of eight cheetahs arrived in September 2022.
• International Co-operation: India is actively pursuing the tiger conservation agenda with other Tiger Range Countries (TRCs) at the international level through bilateral agreements, capacity building, and co-operation initiatives.
• Special Tiger Protection Force: For protecting tigers in landscapes vulnerable to poaching, the NTCA has constituted Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) in selected tiger reserves.

Source: Deccan Herald

Q1.) With reference to National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), consider the following statements:

1. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a constitutional body.
2. The NTCA is tasked with the management of Project Tiger and the Tiger Reserves in India.
3. Prime Minister of India is the chairman of the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

How many statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Q2.) With reference to Vaibhav Scheme, consider the following statements:

1. The scheme is implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology.
2. The scheme is open to outstanding scientists and technologists of Indian origin who are actively engaged in research activities in their respective countries.
3. The selected fellows will have the opportunity to work in collaboration with Indian Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs).
4. The fellows will receive a monthly fellowship grant along with travel and accommodation support.

How many statements given above is/are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All four

Q3.) Consider the following statements:

1. The Global Pulse Conference 2024 was recently held in New Delhi.
2. India is the largest producer of pulses in the world.
3. The major pulse-producing states in India are Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

How many statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!

ANSWERS FOR ’  21st February  2024 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) – c

Q.2) – d

Q.3) – b