DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

Index
Topic Page No 4. SEBI Issues Framework for 13
INDIAN POLITY Surveillance Lapse Penalty
1. The Public Examinations 3 5. Variable Rate Repo (VRR) Auction 14
(Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 6. Launch of ₹2800 Crore Digital Agri 15
2024 Mission
2. Cooperative Societies & RTI Act 3 7. Centre Revised MSP For 14 Crops 15
3. Conjugal Rights 4 8. RBI’s Revised Priority Sector 16
Guidelines
4. Swearing-In Ceremony 4
9. Reserve Bank of India Launched 17
5. Cabinet Committees 4
Three Major Initiatives
6. NOTA Votes 5
10. Vadhavan Port: India’s First Mega 18
7. 18th Lok Sabha Session: MPs Oath 6 Port
Ceremony 11. Industry Scenario: Port Sector 18
8. Kerala Assembly Passes Resolution 6 12. Top 10 Largest Economies in the 18
to Rename State as ‘Keralam’ World in 2024
9. National Health Claim Exchange 7 13. Tracking SDG 7: The Energy 18
10. Section 436-A of the CrPC 7 Progress Report 2024
11. Article 329(b) 7 14. Sustainable Development Report 19
12. Pro-Tem Speaker 8 2024
13. National Crisis Management 8 15. Global Economic Prospects Report 19
Committee (NCMC) 2024
16. Energy Transition Index 2024 19
INTERNATIONAL RELATION 17. NEWS in Short 19
1. UNSC Non-Permanent Members 9
Election ENVIRONMENT
2. Russia-North Korea Pact 9 1. UNESCO’s State of Ocean Report 21
3. WIPO Treaty on Intellectual 9 2. The Air of the Anthropocene 21
Property, Genetic Resources, and Project
Traditional Knowledge 3. Environmental Performance Index 21
4. Fourth International Conference 10 4. Green School Quality Standard: 22
on Small Island Developing States Greening Every Learning
(SIDS-4) Environment
5. Gaza Peace Plan 10 5. India’s Deep Sea Mission 24
6. Indo-Pacific Economic Framework 11 6. Antarctic Treaty Consultative 24
for Prosperity (IPEF) Ministerial Meeting (ATCM)
Meeting 7. 67th Council Meeting of the Global 25
7. Biopharmaceutical Alliance 11 Environment Facility (GEF)
8. The Bonn Climate Change 26
INDIAN ECONOMY Conference
1. National Monetisation Pipeline 12 9. New Collective Quantified Goal on 26
(NMP) Climate
2. Consumption Inequality in Rural 12 10. Climate Finance 26
Areas 11. United Nations Framework 27
3. RBI MPC Meeting: Repo Rate 13 Convention on Climate Change
Unchanged at 6.5% (UNFCCC)

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

12. Project ‘Monsoon Croaks’ 27 20. Plutonium Isotope: Context and 40

13. The Nagi & Nakti Bird Sanctuaries 27 Significance
Recognised as Ramsar Sites 21. Carbon Fiber and Prepregs 41
14. Barda Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) 28 22. National Aerospace Laboratories 41
15. Jal Shakti Ministry Reviews 29 (NAL)
Namami Gange Mission 23. PRAGATI-2024: Pharma Research 41
16. Namami Gange Programme 29 in AyurGyan and Techno
17. Environmental Flows (E-flows) 29 Innovation
Monitoring System 24. Twelve Nations Signed Zero Debris 42
18. Hollangapar Gibbon Sanctuary 30 Charter
19. Development of Gandhi Sagar 30 25. Kessler Syndrome 42
Wildlife Sanctuary as India’s 26. India’s Efforts to Mitigate Space 43
Second Home for Cheetahs Debris
20. Species in News 30 27. Green-Beard Genes 43
28. Fog Computing 43
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 29. SupTech 43
1. EU's New AI Rules: The AI Act 32 30. News In Shorts 43
2. Facial Authentication Technology: 32
Pension Verification HISTORY
3. GNSS-Based Electronic Toll 32 1. Neolithic Age Rock Carvings 45
Collection System Discovery in Goa
4. AlphaFold 3: Artificial Intelligence 33 2. Dhawad Community 45
Model 3. Birsa Munda’s 124th Death 45
5. Pathogens in Space 33 Anniversary
6. Discovery of Three New Craters on 33
Mars by Indian Scientists INDIAN SOCIETY
7. Space Travel and Exploration with 34 1. Global Gender Gap Index 47
SpaceX’s Starship 2. Representation of Women in the 47
8. New Method to Generate Virus- 35 New Lok Sabha
Like Particles 3. Child Nutrition Report 2024 47
9. Galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0 35 4. Women Often Outlive Men but in 48
10. Agnibaan SubOrbital Technology 35 Poorer Health: Lancet Study
Demonstrator (SOrTeD) 5. Digital Health Incentive Scheme 48
11. Astronomical Transients 35 (DHIS)
12. Pushpak RLV 35 6. Ayushman Bharat Digital Health 49
13. Heavy Metal Contamination in 36 Account (ABHA ID)
Groundwater
14. Recombinant Proteins 36 WORLD & INDIAN GEOGRAPHY
15. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) 37 1. Earth's Inner Core is Slowing Down 50
16. Oral Formulation of Hydroxyurea 37 2. Bayesian Convolutional Neural 50
to Treat Sickle Cell Disease Network (BCNN)
17. Human African Trypanosomiasis 38 3. Mount Ibu 50
(HAT 4. Campi Flegrei 50
18. H5N2 Bird Flu 38 5. Stromatolites 51
19. Methanol Poisoning 39

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

INDIAN POLITY considered public authorities as defined

under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005.
About Cooperative Societies
1. PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS (PREVENTION OF
• Formation: Cooperatives are grassroots-level
UNFAIR MEANS) BILL, 2024
organizations where individuals pool
• Effective Date: Enforced from June 21, 2024.
resources or share capital to achieve common
• Objective: Aims to prevent the use of unfair
goals, such as collective bargaining.
means in public examinations, ensuring
• Example: Amul (Gujarat) is a prominent
transparency and credibility.
cooperative in India, and other examples
• Public Examinations: Refers to exams
include cooperative dairies, sugar mills, and
conducted by authorities like UPSC, SSC,
spinning mills in agriculture.
RRBs, IBPS, and NTA.
• Jurisdiction: Cooperatives are a state subject
• Exclusions: Bona fide candidates are
under Entry 32 of the State List in the Seventh
excluded from penalties. Defaulting
Schedule of the Constitution. Some operate
candidates face action by respective exam
across states, like sugar mills along the
authorities, not under this Act.
Karnataka-Maharashtra border.
• Unfair Means: Includes actions like leaking
• Constitutional Provisions: The 97th
papers, assisting candidates, tampering with
Constitutional Amendment added Part IXB
networks, and creating fake websites (15
(The Cooperative Societies), recognizing the
actions in total).
Right to Form Cooperative Societies under
• Cognisable Offences: All offences are non-
Article 19(1). Article 43-B promotes
bailable, non-compoundable, and
cooperatives as part of the Directive
cognisable. Arrests can be made without a
Principles of State Policy. The Ministry of
warrant; bail is subject to a magistrate’s
cooperation was established in 2021 to
decision.
advance the vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’.
• Organised Crime: Penalties include 5 to 10
The Right to Information (RTI) Act
years imprisonment and fines up to Rs 1
• Right to Freedom of Speech & Expression:
crore. Institutions involved may face
Enacted in 2005 to enable citizens to exercise
forfeiture of property.
their freedom of speech and expression
• Punishments: Imprisonment of 3 to 5 years
under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
with fines up to Rs 10 lakh. Examination
• Mandate: The Act grants citizens the right to
conductors can be fined up to Rs 1 crore.
access information from public authorities to
• Investigations: Central Government can refer
promote transparency and accountability.
cases to a Central Investigating Agency.
• Provision: Citizens can request information
• National Technical Committee: A high-level
from a public authority, which must respond
committee proposed to secure computerized
within thirty days.
examination processes.
• Public Servants: Officials of exam authorities
designated as public servants to ensure 3. CONJUGAL RIGHTS
accountability. • Context: The High Court of Karnataka
recently directed prison authorities to grant a
2. COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES & RTI ACT convict 30-day parole to fulfill his wife's
• Context: The Madras High Court recently conjugal right to have progeny.
ruled that cooperative societies are not What are Conjugal Rights?
subject to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, • About: Conjugal rights refer to the mutual
2005. rights and privileges between spouses arising
• Legal Rationale: The court clarified that under from marriage. These rights include
the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies Act, companionship, support, comfort, sexual
1983, cooperative societies are not relations, affection, and joint property rights.

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

• Applicability: Recognized in personal laws o Governor administers oaths to Chief

related to marriage and divorce, as well as in Ministers and state ministers.
criminal law mandating maintenance and o President administers the oath to the
alimony payments. Prime Minister and the Union
• Recognition: Section 9 of the Hindu Marriage Cabinet.
Act allows a spouse to enforce the right to o Chief Justice of India administers the
consortium in court, applicable to both oath to the President.
husband and wife. Similar provisions exist in Constitutional Provision of Oath
Muslim personal law and the Divorce Act, • The Third Schedule of the Constitution
1869 (Christian law). includes Articles 75(4), 99, 124(6), 148(2),
• Invocation of Rights: Either spouse can invoke 164(3), 188, and 219, which contain the text
this right if deprived of the other's of oaths for various offices under the
companionship and related privileges. Government of India.
What are Conjugal Visits? • Article 60, under Part V, outlines the
• About: Conjugal visits allow prisoners to President’s oath of office, emphasizing the
spend private time with their spouses within commitment to preserve, protect, and
the prison premises. defend the Constitution and the law.
• Recognition: International documents like the
United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for 5. CABINET COMMITTEES
the Treatment of Prisoners, the Universal • Context: The ruling party in the Lok Sabha will
Declaration of Human Rights, and the retain control over key portfolios like Home,
International Covenant on Civil and Political Defence, Finance, and External Affairs to
Rights recognize prisoner rights regarding maintain its influence in the Cabinet
conjugal visits. Committee on Security (CCS).
• Need: Conjugal visits are seen as beneficial for About Cabinet Committees
prisoners' psychological health, help • Constitutional Provisions: Under Article 77 of
preserve marital ties, reduce homosexuality the Constitution, the President can establish
and sexual aggression in prisons, and are rules for the efficient functioning of the Union
considered a fundamental right of prisoners' Government and allocate work among
spouses. ministers. The President has issued two sets of
rules:
4. SWEARING-IN CEREMONY o Allocation of Business Rules: Govern
• Context: Shri Narendra Modi took oath as the the distribution of subjects among
Prime Minister of India during a swearing-in ministries and departments.
ceremony on 9th June. o Transaction of Business Rules:
About Swearing-In Ceremony Regulate how ministries operate,
• Also referred to as the oath-taking ceremony, inter-departmental consultations,
it is a formal event signifying the assumption Cabinet committees, and
of office, where the individual swears loyalty consultations with the Prime Minister
to the Constitution and commits to and President. The Prime Minister can
performing their duties faithfully. The form or dissolve Standing Committees
ceremony reflects the political power of the Cabinet and allocate their
structure of India and reaffirms the functions according to these rules.
supremacy of the Constitution. Features of Cabinet Committees
Administering of Oath • Extra Constitutional Body: Cabinet
• The oath is administered at different levels of committees are not specified in the
government by designated officials: Constitution, making them extra-
constitutional.

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

• Established by the Prime Minister: The Prime Landmark Cases Related to NOTA
Minister creates Cabinet Committees based • Shailesh Manubhai Parmar v. Election
on current needs, leading to variations in their Commission of India (2018): The Supreme
number, names, and composition over time. Court dismissed the use of the NOTA option in
• Types of Committees: Cabinet Committees Rajya Sabha elections.
are categorized into two types: Reforms Needed
o Standing Committees: Permanent in • Null and Void: The Supreme Court is hearing
nature. a petition by The Country First Foundation to
o Ad hoc Committees: Temporary, declare an election “null and void” if NOTA
formed as needed, and disbanded receives the highest number of votes in the
upon completing specific tasks. constituency.
• Membership Composition: Typically • Fresh Elections with New Candidates:
comprises three to eight members, mainly Following a recommendation from the
Cabinet Ministers, although non-Cabinet Association for Democratic Reforms, if NOTA
Ministers may also participate. polls the highest votes, none of the candidates
should be declared elected, and a fresh
6. NOTA Votes election should be held with none of the
• Context: Indore has recorded 2,18,674 NOTA previous candidates eligible to contest.
votes, the highest number of NOTA votes ever
received in any constituency to date. 7. 18TH LOK SABHA SESSION: MPS OATH
About None Of The Above (NOTA) Option CEREMONY
• Introduction: The NOTA option was • Context: Members of the 18th Lok Sabha
introduced in Electronic Voting Machines have recently taken their oaths.
(EVMs) by the Election Commission of India Significance of Parliamentary Oath
(ECI) following a Supreme Court order in 2013 • Winning an election and starting a term does
to protect the ‘Right to secrecy’ of voters’ not automatically permit an MP to participate
choices. in House proceedings.
• Purpose: NOTA aims to discourage parties • Article 99: To debate and vote in the Lok
from fielding tainted candidates and to Sabha, an MP must make and subscribe to an
uphold the ‘Right to not vote’ for voters. oath or affirmation as prescribed in the
• Symbol: Represented by a ballot paper Constitution.
marked with a black cross. • Article 104: The Constitution imposes a
• Legal Provisions: Defined under Section 79(d) financial penalty of Rs 500 for participating or
in The Representation of the People Act, voting in House proceedings without taking
1951, which defines “Electoral Right” as the the oath (the only financial penalty specified
right to vote or refrain from voting at an in the Constitution).
election. • Exception: An individual can become a
• Universal Right: The Right to secrecy is minister without being elected to Parliament,
recognized internationally, referenced in with six months to secure a seat in either Lok
Article 21(3) of the Universal Declaration of Sabha or Rajya Sabha. During this period,
Human Rights and Article 25(b) of the they can participate but not vote in House
International Covenant on Civil and Political proceedings.
Rights. Can MPs in Jail Take the Oath?
• Consequence: NOTA has no legal • The Constitution states that if an MP does not
consequences; if the highest number of votes attend Parliament for 60 days, their seat may
in a constituency is for NOTA, the second be declared vacant.
most successful candidate is declared the • Courts have permitted MPs in jail to take an
winner. oath in Parliament based on this provision.

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

• For example, in June 2019, during the oath- constitutional amendments under Article
taking for the last Lok Sabha, Atul Kumar 368.
Singh, MP from Ghosi, Uttar Pradesh, was in Legislative Process
jail on serious criminal charges. The court • The views of the State Legislature are not
allowed him to take the oath in Parliament in binding on the President or Parliament.
January 2020. • After considering the assembly's suggestions
or the expiration of the time limit, the bill
8. KERALA ASSEMBLY PASSES RESOLUTION TO returns to Parliament for further discussion.
RENAME STATE AS ‘KERALAM’ • A simple majority is required for the bill's
• Context: The Kerala Assembly has passage, similar to an ordinary bill.
unanimously urged the Union Government to Final Steps
initiate steps for renaming the state to • If approved, the proposal is introduced in
Keralam under Article 3 of the Constitution. Parliament and cannot be presented without
Why Keralam? the President's recommendation. Upon
• Name Origin: The term 'Keralam' is the becoming law, the state's name is officially
Malayalam name for Kerala. updated.
• Historical Significance: The earliest reference
to the name appears in Emperor Ashoka’s 9. NATIONAL HEALTH CLAIM EXCHANGE
Rock Edict II, dated back to 257 BCE, where it • Context: The Health Ministry, in collaboration
mentions "Ketalaputra"—meaning "son of with the Insurance Regulatory and
Kerala" in Sanskrit, referring to the Cheras, a Development Authority of India (IRDAI), is
prominent dynasty in southern India. preparing to launch the National Health Claim
Procedure for Renaming a State Exchange (NHCX).
• Initiation Process: Renaming can be proposed Overview of NHCX
by either Parliament or the state assembly. • Purpose: Developed by the National Health
• State Government Proposal: The process Authority (NHA), NHCX is a digital platform
begins with a proposal from the state designed to facilitate efficient sharing of
government, which is reviewed by the Union claims-related data among stakeholders in the
Ministry of Home Affairs, seeking No healthcare and health insurance sectors.
Objection Certificates (NOCs) from relevant • Key Features: The NHCX is designed for
agencies. interoperability, ensuring that it is machine-
• Central Approval Requirement: Unlike city readable, auditable, and verifiable. This
name changes, altering a state's name design enhances the accuracy and reliability
requires approval from the Ministry of Home of the information exchanged, promoting
Affairs at the national level, necessitating a transparency and increasing efficiency in
constitutional amendment under Articles 3 processing claims.
and 4. About IRDAI
Key Constitutional Articles • Establishment: The Insurance Regulatory and
• Article 3: This article permits Parliament to: Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is a
o Create a new state by separating statutory organization formed under the
territory from an existing state. Insurance Regulatory and Development
o Merge two or more states or parts Authority Act of 1999, responsible for the
thereof. overall regulation and development of the
o Alter state boundaries or names. insurance industry in India.
• Article 4: Laws enacted under Articles 2 and 3, • Objectives:
including amendments to the First and Fourth • To protect the interests and ensure fair
Schedules, will not be classified as treatment of policyholders.

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

• To oversee the insurance sector for financial

stability and fairness. 11. ARTICLE 329(b)
• To create and implement regulations that • Context: The Supreme Court concurred with
guarantee the industry's clarity and the Election Commission regarding the
transparency. interpretation of Article 329(b), which limits
Centralized Functionality judicial involvement in electoral matters.
• The NHCX acts as a centralized hub for all About Article 329:
health claims, reducing the administrative • Constitutional Basis: Found in Part XV of the
burden on hospitals, which currently deal with Indian Constitution, specifically Articles 324-
multiple portals for various insurance 329, which govern elections.
providers. • Clauses:
Adoption Incentives o Article 329(a) prohibits the judiciary
• The National Health Authority has rolled out from questioning the constitutionality
financial incentives to encourage the of laws concerning electoral district
adoption of digital health transactions. boundaries or seat allocations.
o Starting from January 2023, hospitals o Article 329(b) stipulates that any
can earn ₹500 per claim or 10% of the disputes related to the conduct or
claim amount (whichever is lower) for outcomes of elections for the
transactions processed through the Parliament or state legislatures must
NHCX. be addressed through a specified legal
o These incentives are aimed at mechanism known as an “election
promoting the extensive use of the petition.”
platform and facilitating the
digitization of patient health records. 12. PRO-TEM SPEAKER
• Definition: A Pro-Tem Speaker is appointed to
10. SECTION 436-A OF THE CrPC oversee the proceedings of the Lok Sabha and
• Context: The Delhi High Court granted bail to state legislative assemblies when elections
Sharjeel Imam, who faced charges of sedition have concluded but prior to the election of a
and violations under the UAPA (Unlawful permanent Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Activities Prevention Act). Key Points:
Key Points: • Constitutional Reference: The term 'Pro-Tem
• Reason for Bail: The decision to grant bail was Speaker' is not explicitly mentioned in the
primarily based on Section 436-A of the CrPC. Constitution.
• Judicial Discretion: Under this section, judges • Responsibilities:
have limited discretion and are compelled to • Presides over the inaugural session of the Lok
grant bail. Sabha or State Legislative Assemblies.
Bail Provision Under Section 436-A: • Administers oaths of office to newly elected
• Statutory Framework: Section 436-A Members of Parliament (MPs) or Members
mandates bail for undertrial prisoners who of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs).
have been incarcerated for more than half of • Conducts the floor test to ascertain the ruling
the maximum sentence applicable for their government's majority.
offense. • Manages the voting process for the election of
• Exception: This provision does not apply in the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
cases where the offense is punishable by
death.
• Introduced in 2005, this section aims to
alleviate prison overcrowding and expedite
the trial process for lesser offenses.

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

13. NATIONAL CRISIS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE •Functions: It provides directions to the Crisis
(NCMC) Management Group as necessary.
• Context: The Union Cabinet Secretary chaired Composition:
a meeting of the NCMC to assess readiness for • Chairperson: The NCMC is led by the Cabinet
addressing challenges posed by heat waves Secretary.
and forest fires. • Members: Key members include the
About NCMC: Secretary to the Prime Minister, and
• Purpose: The NCMC is established by the secretaries of ministries such as Home Affairs,
Government of India to ensure disaster Defense, Agriculture and Cooperation, along
preparedness, effective coordination of relief with the heads of RAW (Research and
efforts, and to support states during natural Analysis Wing) and the Intelligence Bureau.
disasters.

Students Notes :

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INTERNATIONAL RELATION Charter and recalls a similar agreement from

1961.
1. UNSC NON-PERMANENT MEMBERS ELECTION • Global Implications:
o Security Threat: The pact raises concerns
• Context: Pakistan, Somalia, Denmark, Greece, in South Korea and Japan, who see it as a
and Panama were elected as non-permanent threat, especially in light of North Korea's
members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), nuclear and military capabilities.
starting a two-year term in 2025. o Deterrence Measures:
• UNSC Composition: The UNSC has 15 members – ▪ Japan is expanding military
5 permanent (China, France, Russia, the UK, USA) capabilities, moving away from a
and 10 non-permanent members elected for two pacifist stance.
years by the General Assembly. ▪ South Korea held a National
• Election Procedure: Rule 142 of the UNSC's rules Security Council emergency
of procedure outlines a specific pattern: meeting, contemplating arms
o Five members from African and Asian
supplies to Ukraine.
States. o Strengthening US Alliances: Japan and
o One member from Eastern European
South Korea are expected to strengthen
States. alliances with the United States for
o Two members from Latin American
security assurances.
States. o Anti-Western Alliances: This partnership
o Two members from Western European
may inspire alliances with nations like
and other States. Iran, hinting at a broader anti-Western
• Voting Method: Elections are held through a coalition.
secret ballot requiring a two-thirds majority, o China’s Concerns: China may feel
with no nominations. challenged by this alliance due to
• India’s Tenure as Non-Permanent Member: potential increased Western influence in
o India has served as a non-permanent
Asia.
member of the UNSC eight times, totaling
16 years, with its latest term from 2021 to
2022. 3. WIPO TREATY ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY,
o Significant contributions include GENETIC RESOURCES, AND TRADITIONAL
advocacy against colonization and KNOWLEDGE
apartheid, contributions to the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (led by Dr. • Context: The Treaty on Intellectual Property,
Hansa Mehta), and peacekeeping Genetic Resources, and Traditional Knowledge was
missions. recently adopted at a diplomatic conference held at
o In 1953, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit became World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
the first female President of the UNGA. headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
• History:
• This treaty concludes negotiations initiated in
2. RUSSIA-NORTH KOREA PACT 2021, following a Colombian proposal in
1999.
• Context: Russia and North Korea recently
• It is the 27th WIPO treaty and the first
signed the "Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic
established in over a decade.
Partnership."
• Significance for Indigenous Peoples:
• Mutual Defense Clause: The treaty includes
• This is the first WIPO treaty with provisions
provisions for mutual defense, where if one
specifically protecting the rights of Indigenous
party is attacked, the other provides immediate
assistance; it aligns with Article 51 of the UN

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Peoples and Local Communities. • Located across Caribbean, Pacific, and AIS
• Significance for India: (Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and South China Sea)
• Biodiversity: With around 7-8% of global regions.
biodiversity and extensive traditional • Recognition:
knowledge, India has a vested interest in this • SIDS' environmental and developmental
treaty. issues were recognized at the 1992 UN
• Key Provisions: Conference on Environment and
• Disclosure Requirement: Patent applicants Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
must disclose the country of origin for genetic • Support Mechanisms:
resources used. • Regional Assistance: Provided by CARICOM,
• Identification of Traditional Knowledge Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and Indian Ocean
Providers: Applicants must identify Commission (IOC).
Indigenous Peoples or communities if • UN Programmes of Action:
traditional knowledge is used. o SAMOA Pathway (2014) recognizes
• Use of Genetic Resources: Genetic resources challenges such as climate change,
can be incorporated in patents, but cannot be food security, and disaster risk
patented themselves. reduction impacting SIDS'
• Establishment of Legal Framework: An development.
international framework will require patent
applicants to disclose origins once 15
countries ratify the treaty. 5. GAZA PEACE PLAN
• About WIPO: • Context: An aide to Israeli PM Benjamin
• Established in 1967 as a UN agency based in Netanyahu confirmed Israel’s acceptance of a peace
Geneva, Switzerland. deal with Hamas amid an ongoing eight-month
• Aim: To foster an international IP system that military assault on Gaza.
promotes innovation and creativity. • Biden’s Peace Proposal for Gaza:
• Membership: 193 member states, including • Phase One:
India (joined in 1975). o Duration: Six weeks
• Functions: Provides a global IP policy o Components: Ceasefire, withdrawal
platform engaging governments, of Israeli forces, and release of Israeli
organizations, and civil society. hostages held since October 7.
• Phase Two:
o Components: Exchange of hostages,
4. FOURTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SMALL
Israeli withdrawal, and shift from
ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES (SIDS-4)
temporary ceasefire to permanent
• Context: Held in Antigua and Barbuda, North cessation, contingent on Hamas’
America, the conference examined SIDS' ability to commitments.
achieve sustainable development aligned with the • Phase Three:
2030 Agenda and SDGs. o Focus: Major reconstruction of Gaza
• Theme: "Charting the Course Toward Resilient and returning deceased hostages to
Prosperity" families.
• Definition of SIDS: • Factors Affecting the Deal’s Success:
• Comprises 39 states and 18 associate • External Pressures: Global condemnation,
members of UN regional commissions facing including from the US, adds pressure for
unique vulnerabilities. resolution.
• Geographical Distribution: • Challenges:

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

o Deep-Rooted Conflict: Persistent • Pillar 4: Fair Economy

military withdrawal issues and • India's Involvement: Actively engaged in
distrust on both sides complicate Pillars 2, 3, and 4 with observer status in Pillar
agreements. 1.
o Israeli-Hamas Disagreements: Israel
demands Hamas' dismantlement
while Hamas calls for Israeli 7. BIOPHARMACEUTICAL ALLIANCE
withdrawal from Gaza. • Context: India, South Korea, the US, Japan, and the
EU announced the formation of a Biopharmaceutical
Alliance.
6. INDO-PACIFIC ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK FOR • Purpose: Established in response to drug supply
PROSPERITY (IPEF) MINISTERIAL MEETING shortages experienced during the Covid-19
• Context: An Indian delegation participated in the pandemic.
Ministerial Meeting of the Indo-Pacific Economic • Announcement: Made during the inaugural
Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) in Singapore. meeting of the Biopharmaceutical Alliance in San
• About IPEF: Diego, California, at the Bio International
• Launched: May 23, 2022, in Tokyo, Japan. Convention 2024.
• Member Countries: 14 members: Australia, • Significance:
Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic • Supply Chain Resilience: Focus on creating a
of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, reliable, sustainable, and resilient supply
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the USA. chain in the biopharmaceutical sector.
• Aim: To strengthen economic engagement • Coordination of Bio Policies: Aims to align bio
and cooperation among members, promoting policies, regulations, and R&D support
growth, stability, and prosperity in the Indo- measures across member nations.
Pacific. • Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Mapping: Plans
• Structure: Organized around four pillars: to develop a detailed map of the
• Pillar 1: Trade pharmaceutical supply chain, aiming to
• Pillar 2: Supply Chain Resilience reduce reliance on China for raw materials
• Pillar 3: Clean Economy and essential ingredients.

Students Notes :

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

INDIAN ECONOMY o Core Assets: Integral to public

infrastructure services (e.g., roads,
ports).
1. NATIONAL MONETISATION PIPELINE (NMP)
o Non-Core Assets: Include land parcels
National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) and buildings not directly contributing
• Context and Background: Recently, NITI Aayog to core business goals. • Monetisation
announced that the Indian government has Potential and Coverage
successfully monetised assets worth Rs 3.85 lakh • The NMP estimates a monetisation potential
crore during the first three years of the NMP (2021- of Rs 6.0 lakh crores from core Central
22 to 2024-25). • What is Asset Monetisation? Government and CPSE assets.
• Definition: Asset monetisation involves • Sectors Covered: Transport (roads, ports,
making public infrastructure available to the airports, railways), Utilities (gas, power),
private sector or institutional investors Telecom and Housing. • Funding Structure
through structured vehicles and mechanisms. • Around 14% of the Central Government's NIP
• Difference from Privatisation: Unlike outlay (Rs 43 lakh crores) will be funded
privatisation, which transfers ownership, through the NMP. • Types of Projects Under
asset monetisation retains public ownership NMP
while allowing private entities to operate or • Greenfield Projects: New facilities in areas
manage the assets under defined contractual without prior infrastructure.
frameworks. • Objectives of Asset • Brownfield Projects: Upgrades or
Monetisation modifications to existing facilities.
• Unlocking Value: To realise the value from
public investments in infrastructure.
• Leveraging Efficiency: Utilising private sector 2. CONSUMPTION INEQUALITY IN RURAL AREAS
efficiencies for better asset management and • Context of the Analysis: The Household
operational effectiveness. Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) has shown
• Generating Revenue: Creating new revenue a rise in consumption inequality in rural areas across
streams by unlocking previously underutilized 11 Indian states. • Rural Areas: Key Findings
or unutilized assets. • Significant increase in the Gini coefficient in
• Unlocking Idle Capital: Temporary transfer of states like:
Brownfield Infrastructure Assets to free up o Nagaland: 0.192 to 0.244
"idle" capital. • Alignment with National o Jharkhand: 0.206 to 0.255
Goals o Maharashtra: 0.253 to 0.291
• The Union Budget 2021-22 identified asset o Rajasthan: 0.248 to 0.283
monetisation as a pillar to boost sustainable o Meghalaya: 0.190 to 0.223
infrastructure financing. o Chhattisgarh: 0.234 to 0.266 • Urban
• The NMP aligns with the National Areas: Trends
Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), which was • The Gini coefficient also rose in urban areas
announced in 2019 to address infrastructure for three states:
deficits. • Key Features of the NMP o Meghalaya: 0.226 to 0.266
• Launch: Initiated in 2021 to leverage public o Himachal Pradesh: 0.290 to 0.311
sector asset value over a four-year period. o Manipur: 0.209 to 0.221 • National
• Unified Framework: Distinguishes core asset Trends
monetisation from disinvestment and non- • For rural areas, the national Gini coefficient
core asset monetisation. decreased slightly from 0.283 in 2011-12 to
• Core vs. Non-Core Assets: 0.266 in 2022-23.

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• In urban areas, it declined from 0.363 to 0.314 o Despite this decline, food inflation
over the same period. • About the Household remains a significant concern, driven by
Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) essential commodities.
• Purpose: Collects comprehensive data on 3. About the Repo Rate
household consumption of goods and • Definition: The repo rate (Repurchasing Option
Rate) is the interest rate at which the RBI lends
services.
money to commercial banks.
• Conducted by: The National Sample Survey
• Mechanism: Banks borrow money from the RBI by
Office (NSSO). • Understanding the Gini selling their securities, agreeing to repurchase
Coefficient them at the agreed repo rate.
• Definition: Measures inequality, ranging from • Impact of Rate Changes:
0 (perfect equality) to 1 (perfect inequality). o Increased Repo Rate: Higher borrowing
• Developed by: Italian statistician Corrado Gini costs for banks are passed on to
in 1912. consumers, making loans more expensive.
• Graphical Representation: Often shown via o Decreased Repo Rate: A lower rate
the Lorenz curve, depicting income or reduces borrowing costs, increases fund
consumption distribution. availability, and stimulates consumer
demand.
• Role of the Repo Rate:
3. RBI MPC MEETING: REPO RATE UNCHANGED AT o Monetary Tool: It serves as a crucial tool
6.5% for controlling inflation or stimulating
economic demand.
• Repo Rate Decision: The Monetary Policy o Influence on Loans: Changes in the repo
Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) rate directly affect interest rates on
has decided to maintain the repo rate at 6.5%, various loans (personal, car, housing, etc.).
marking the eighth consecutive meeting without a 4. About the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)
change. • Composition: The MPC consists of six members,
1. Reasons for Keeping Repo Rate Unchanged three appointed by the government and three by
• Inflation Concerns: the RBI.
o Food Inflation: Elevated levels of food • Functions:
inflation persist, particularly affecting o The committee meets to discuss the
vegetables, pulses, cereals, and spices. macroeconomic situation and determine
o Volatility: Uncertainties in crude oil the appropriate repo rate.
prices, financial markets, and non-energy o It evaluates factors such as inflation,
commodities present risks for future economic growth, exchange rates, and
inflation. fiscal deficit when setting interest rates.
• Balancing Growth and Inflation: • Objective: The primary aim is to maintain price
o The MPC has revised the GDP growth stability while supporting economic growth.
forecast to 7.2% for 2024-2025, indicating
a positive outlook for economic growth.
o A neutral stance was maintained to avoid 4. SEBI ISSUES FRAMEWORK FOR SURVEILLANCE
reigniting inflation while ensuring that LAPSE PENALTY
growth momentum is not hindered by • Framework Announcement: The Securities and
lower rates. Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has implemented a
2. Status of Inflation Over a Period (2024)
framework focusing on "financial disincentives" to
• Recent Trends:
enhance accountability in market surveillance.
o Inflation decreased slightly from 5.1% in
1. Key Provisions of the New Framework
February 2024 to 4.8% in April 2024.
• Penalty Structure:

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

o A penalty ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹1 crore o Penalties range from ₹2 lakh to ₹50 lakh,
will be imposed for each surveillance lapse depending on annual revenue.
identified during the financial year. • Third Instance and Beyond:
o The provisions will take effect from July 1. o Penalties increase to range from ₹4 lakh
2. Understanding Market Surveillance to ₹1 crore, based on annual revenue.
• Definition: Market surveillance involves 6. Impact of Market Surveillance Lapse
continuous monitoring of trading activities to • Trust and Confidence: Lapses can erode investor
prevent and investigate abusive, manipulative, or trust and confidence in the securities market,
illegal practices in securities markets. discouraging participation.
• Purpose: To ensure orderly markets and foster • Manipulative Practices: Ineffective surveillance
confidence among buyers and sellers regarding may lead to an increase in manipulative trading
the fairness and accuracy of transactions. practices, making markets vulnerable.
• Significance: Effective market surveillance is vital • Unfair Playing Field: Lapses can create disparities
for maintaining market integrity and encouraging in the market, disadvantaging certain investors
investment. and undermining fair competition.
• Providers: Both private and public sector entities
can engage in market surveillance activities.
3. Role of Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs) 5. VARIABLE RATE REPO (VRR) AUCTION
• MIIs are responsible for continuous monitoring of • Significant Demand: The Reserve Bank of India
the securities market and provide critical data to (RBI) has observed a notable response to its Variable
regulators. Their responsibilities include: Rate Repo (VRR) auction, highlighting an increased
o Day-to-Day Monitoring: Ongoing demand for liquidity within the banking sector.
observation of market activities. 1. Call Money Rate
o Reporting: Identifying and reporting • Definition: The call money rate is the interest rate
abnormal or suspicious trading activities. at which short-term funds are borrowed and lent
o Monitoring Intermediaries: Scrutinizing in the money market.
the conduct of market intermediaries. • Duration: Call money loans typically have a
o Alert Generation: Creating alerts for duration of 1 day.
unusual market movements. 2. Variable Rate Repo Auction
o Rationale Inquiry: Seeking explanations
• Overview: Also referred to as Term Repo Rates,
for questionable trading activities. the VRR auction is a liquidity injection tool used by
o Snap Analysis: Conducting rapid the RBI for managing liquidity in the economy.
assessments of trading anomalies. • Current Situation: Since December 2023, the RBI
4. What Constitutes a Surveillance Lapse? has been conducting VRR auctions to inject
• A surveillance lapse refers to any failure in temporary liquidity into the banking system. In
executing surveillance activities adequately, mid-January, the tenor of the VRR was increased
including: to 14 days to align with the Cash Reserve Ratio
o Inadequate Reporting: Failure to report (CRR) cycle for steady-state liquidity injection.
surveillance activities within agreed Additionally, short-dated VRRs (1-7 days) have
timelines. been periodically conducted to fine-tune market
o Partial or Delayed Execution: Not fully liquidity.
implementing any surveillance-related • Functionality: VRR auctions are initiated by the
decisions from SEBI. RBI when the weighted average call money rate
5. Penalty Structure for Surveillance Lapses rises above the repo rate in the interbank money
• First Instance: market, indicating a liquidity deficit in the system.
o MIIs with annual revenue < ₹300 crore: • Tenure:
Penalty of ₹1 lakh. o The VRR is primarily a short-term liquidity
o MIIs with annual revenue > ₹1,000 crore: injection tool with tenors ranging from
Penalty of ₹25 lakh. overnight to 13 days.
• Second Instance:

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

o Occasionally, for durable liquidity o A comprehensive record of the crops

injection, the RBI conducts VRR auctions sown by each farmer on their land.
with tenors beyond 14 days, though this is o Benefits: Enhances planning and
rare. estimation of crop production, enabling
• Rate of Interest: The interest rate for VRR is better agricultural management.
generally determined by the market, usually lower • India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA):
than the repo rate but not less than the reverse o The Department is finalizing a framework
repo rate. to create an “Agristack,” which will serve
3. Importance of VRR Auctions as a foundation for innovative agri-
• Liquidity Management: VRR auctions are crucial focused solutions using digital
for managing liquidity in the banking sector, technologies.
ensuring banks have sufficient funds to meet • Unified Farmers Service Interface (UFSI):
short-term obligations. o A unified platform providing farmers
• Market Stability: By injecting liquidity, the RBI access to various services, including
helps stabilize the money market and prevents weather updates, market prices, and
sharp fluctuations in interest rates. agro-advisory services.
Economic Significance: Adequate liquidity in the banking • Funding to States for New Technology (NeGPA):
system is essential for supporting economic activities, o Financial resources will be allocated to
facilitating credit availability, and promoting overall states and union territories for projects
financial stability. involving modern technologies such as AI,
blockchain, IoT, and robotics.
• Revamping Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast
Centre (MNCFC):
6. LAUNCH OF ₹2800 CRORE DIGITAL AGRI MISSION o Enhancements in crop forecasting
• Mission Announcement: The Government of India capabilities utilizing advanced technology.
has launched a ₹2800 crore Digital Agri Mission as • Soil Health, Fertility, and Profile Mapping:
part of its first 100-day agenda, aimed at o Utilization of digital tools to assess and
transforming the agricultural sector through map soil health and fertility, facilitating
advanced digital technologies. informed agricultural practices.
1. About the Digital Agri Mission
• Objective: The mission seeks to encourage and 7. CENTRE REVISED MSP FOR 14 CROPS
accelerate the integration of digital technologies
• Minimum Support Price (MSP) Hikes: The
such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain,
remote sensing, robots, and drones in agriculture. Government of India has approved MSP increases for
• Implementation Timeline: The mission will be 14 kharif season crops, aligning with its policy to
rolled out over the next two years, concluding by ensure MSPs are at least 1.5 times above the cost of
2025-26. production.
2. Key Components 1. Key Highlights of the MSP Revision
• Farmers Registry: • Policy Alignment: The MSP hikes reflect the
o Establishes a registry assigning a unique ID government’s commitment to maintaining a fair
to every farmer. pricing mechanism for farmers, ensuring their
o Examples: States like Uttar Pradesh and incomes are safeguarded against price
Maharashtra have already begun fluctuations.
generating farmers’ IDs. • Crops with Significant Margin: Among the 14
o Significance: This unique ID facilitates crops, four will yield MSPs providing farmers with
access to various government schemes, more than 50% margin over their production
including PM-Kisan and Fasal Bima costs:
Yojana, as well as financial services like o Bajra: 77% margin
farm loans and insurance. o Arhar Dal (Pigeon Pea): 59% margin
• Crop Sown Registry: o Maize: 54% margin

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

o Black Gram (Urad): 52% margin o Sesamum

2. Understanding Minimum Support Price (MSP) o Cotton
• Definition: The Minimum Support Price (MSP) is • Rabi Crops (6):
a government-supported agricultural pricing o Barley
policy aimed at ensuring farmers receive a fair and o Wheat
remunerative price for their crops. It protects o Gram
producers from excessive price falls during o Rapeseed/Mustard Seed
bumper production years. o Masur (Lentil)
3. Determinants of MSP o Jute
The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices • Other Commercial Crops (2):
(CACP) considers several factors when o Copra
recommending MSP for various crops: o Safflower
1. Demand and Supply: Market dynamics of crop
availability and consumer demand.
2. Cost of Production: Evaluation of the production 8. RBI’S REVISED PRIORITY SECTOR GUIDELINES
costs incurred by farmers. • Updated Framework: The Reserve Bank of India
3. Price Trends: Analysis of domestic and (RBI) has recently revised its incentive framework to
international market price trends. encourage banks to increase credit flow to the
4. Inter-Crop Price Parity: Ensuring fair prices priority sector, especially in districts with lower credit
relative to other crops. availability. These changes will take effect from the
5. Terms of Trade: Evaluation of the relationship financial year 2025 (FY25).
between agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. 1. Revised Guidelines
6. Minimum Margin: Aiming for a minimum of 50% • Higher Weight Assignment:
margin over production costs. o The RBI has assigned a higher weight of
7. Consumer Implications: Considering the impact of
125% to incremental priority sector credit
MSP on consumers of that product. in districts where per capita priority sector
4. Who Recommends MSP? credit is less than ₹9,000.
• MSPs are announced by the Government of India o Implication: If a bank lends ₹100 in a low
at the beginning of the sowing season for certain credit flow district, it will count as ₹125
crops based on recommendations from the CACP. towards its priority sector lending.
5. Crops Under MSP • Dis-incentive Framework:
The CACP recommends MSP for 22 mandated crops, o In districts with comparatively higher
with the Department of Food & Public Distribution flows of priority sector credit (greater than
determining the Fair and Remunerative Prices (FRP) ₹42,000 per capita), a lower weight of
for sugarcane. Major crops typically announced for 90% is assigned.
MSP include: o The weight remains at 100% for all other
• Kharif Crops (14): districts not specified by the RBI.
o Paddy • Previous Provisions:
o Bajra o Previously, a higher weight of 125%
o Jowar applied in districts with per capita credit
o Maize flow of ₹6,000 or less, while the
o Arhar (Pigeon Pea) disincentive framework threshold was
o Ragi ₹25,000.
o Moong (Green Gram) 2. Understanding Priority Sector Lending (PSL)
o Groundnut-in-shell • Definition: Priority sector lending refers to sectors
o Urad (Black Gram) deemed important for basic needs and
o Soybean development, mandating banks to provide timely
o Niger Seed credit to these areas.
o Sunflower

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

• Regulatory Framework: This provision is exercised investment in government securities: the PRAVAAH
under the powers conferred by Sections 21 and portal, the Retail Direct Mobile App, and a FinTech
35A, read with Section 56 of the Banking Repository.
Regulation Act, 1949. 1. PRAVAAH Portal (Platform for Regulatory Application,
• Applicability: PSL provisions apply to: VAlidation and AutHorisation)
o Domestic and Foreign Commercial Banks
• Overview: The PRAVAAH portal is a secure and
(including Regional Rural Banks (RRBs),
centralized web-based platform for individuals or
Small Finance Banks (SFBs), Local Area
entities seeking authorization, licenses, or
Banks)
regulatory approvals from the RBI.
o Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks
• Features:
(UCBs) (excluding Salary Earners’ Banks)
o Supports 60 application forms across
3. Categories Under Priority Sector Norms
various regulatory and supervisory
The priority sector lending norms apply to nine departments, allowing for online
sectors: submission.
1. Agriculture o Users can track and monitor the status of
2. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) their applications, and the RBI can
3. Export Credit communicate decisions regarding
4. Education specified applications within a time-
5. Housing bound framework.
6. Social Infrastructure o Additional application forms will be made
7. Renewable Energy available as required.
8. Others 2. Retail Direct Mobile App
9. Weaker Sections • Overview: This mobile application provides retail
4. Priority Sector Lending (PSL) Targets investors with seamless access to the Retail Direct
• Domestic Scheduled Commercial Banks platform, facilitating transactions in government
(SCBs) and Foreign Banks (20 branches and securities (G-Secs).
above): • Background: The Retail Direct Scheme was
o 40% of Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC) launched in November 2021, allowing individual
or Credit Equivalent Amount of Off- investors to open gilt accounts with the RBI and
Balance Sheet Exposure (CEOBE), participate directly in government securities
whichever is higher. investment.
• Foreign Banks (less than 20 branches): 3. FinTech Repository
o 40% of ANBC or CEOBE, with up to 32% for • Aim: The FinTech Repository is designed to
exports and at least 8% for other priority capture essential information about FinTech
sectors. entities, their activities, technologies used, and
• Regional Rural Banks and Small Finance more.
Banks: • Encouragement: Both regulated and unregulated
o 75% of ANBC or CEOBE, whichever is FinTech firms are encouraged to contribute to this
higher. repository.
• Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks (UCBs): • Management: Operates as a secure web-based
o 40% of ANBC or CEOBE, increasing to 75% application managed by the Reserve Bank
from FY2025-26. Innovation Hub (RBIH), a wholly owned subsidiary
of the RBI.
• Functions:
9. RESERVE BANK OF INDIA LAUNCHED THREE o Provides aggregate sectoral level data,
MAJOR INITIATIVES revealing trends, analytics, and insights
useful for policymakers and industry
Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has participants.
introduced three significant initiatives aimed at
enhancing regulatory processes and facilitating

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

10. VADHAVAN PORT: INDIA’S FIRST MEGA PORT • Significant Milestone: JNPT has achieved
Context :The Vadhavan port, recently approved by recognition as the first 100% landlord major port,
signifying a shift in operational management and
the Cabinet, is set to become India's first mega port
infrastructure development within the port sector.
with the objective of significantly enhancing the
country’s sea-based trade.
Objective of Vadhavan Port 12. TOP 10 LARGEST ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD IN
• Enhance Sea-Based Trade: The primary aim of 2024
Vadhavan port is to boost maritime trade, thereby According to the World Economic Outlook 2024,
supporting India's growing economy and India has moved up to the 5th position among the
expanding its export capabilities.
world’s top economies.
About Vadhavan Port
Overview of the Top Economies
• Location: Situated in the Palghar district of
1. United States of America
Maharashtra, along the Arabian Sea.
o GDP: Exceeds $26 trillion
• Operation: The port will be operated by Vadhavan
o Significance: Leading in technology,
Port Project Limited (VPPL) under the auspices of
finance, and healthcare sectors.
the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority.
• Alignment with PM Gati Shakti Program: This
2. China
o GDP: Approximately $18.53 trillion
initiative aligns with the PM Gati Shakti program,
o Growth: Rapid expansion through
aimed at promoting integrated and holistic
infrastructure development in the country. manufacturing and exports.
• Greenfield Project: 3. Germany
o Vadhavan port will be constructed as a o GDP: $4.4 trillion
greenfield project, allowing for the o Contribution: Known for manufacturing,
incorporation of modern infrastructure especially in automotive and engineering.
and technology from the outset. 4. Japan
• Public-Private Partnership: o GDP: $4.11 trillion
o The project will utilize a public-private o Characteristics: Technologically advanced,
partnership (PPP) model, facilitating with strong contributions from electronics
collaboration between the government and automotive.
and private sector entities to enhance 5. India
core infrastructure, terminals, and o GDP: Exceeding $3.94 trillion
commercial development. This approach o Current Status: Fast growth, driven by IT,
is expected to introduce expertise and pharmaceuticals, and agriculture.
improve operational efficiency.

13. TRACKING SDG 7: THE ENERGY PROGRESS

11. INDUSTRY SCENARIO: PORT SECTOR REPORT 2024
Overview of Indian Ports The Energy Progress Report 2024 reviews global
• Total Ports: India has a total of 12 major ports and progress on SDG 7 for energy access and
200 non-major/intermediate ports. sustainability. It is a collaborative effort from
o Major Ports: Administered by the central agencies like the IEA, IRENA, UNSD, World Bank, and
government.
WHO.
o Non-Major Ports: Managed by state
Overview of SDG 7
governments.
• Goal: Universal access to affordable, reliable,
Leading Ports in India
sustainable, and modern energy.
• Largest Major Port: Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust
• Key Targets:
(JNPT) is the largest major port in India.
o Universal Access: Electricity and clean
• Largest Private Port: Mundra Port holds the title
cooking.
for the largest private port.

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

o Energy Efficiency: Doubling the rate of 16. ENERGY TRANSITION INDEX 2024
improvements. The Energy Transition Index 2024 by the World
o Renewable Energy: Increasing the share Economic Forum (WEF) and Accenture ranks India
of renewable energy in the global mix.
63rd, an improvement from 67th in 2023.
Key Findings of the 2024 Report
Crucial Insights from the Report
1. Increased Electricity Access Deficit: 685 million
1. Top Position Holders: Dominated by European
people lack electricity, 10 million more than in
nations like Sweden, Denmark, Finland,
2021.
Switzerland, and France.
2. Challenges in Clean Cooking Access: 2.1 billion 2. Steady Progress: 53 countries have made steady
people still rely on polluting fuels for cooking, progress over the past decade.
mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. 3. Increase in Global Average: The global average
3. Growth in Renewable Energy: Renewable score increased by 6% since 2015, though progress
electricity now makes up 28.2% of global has slowed in recent years.
consumption, with a 6% surge in 2021.

17. NEWS IN SHORT

14. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2024
1. The State of World Fisheries and
The Sustainable Development Report 2024 by the
UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network
Aquaculture (SOFIA) 2024:
• Released By: FAO
(SDSN) assesses progress on SDGs.
Key Highlights of the 2024 Report • Key Data:
1. Global Progress on SDGs: Only 16% of SDG targets o Global Production: 223.2 million
are on track to be met by 2030. Key challenges tonnes; Aquaculture at 130.9 million
exist for SDGs like Zero Hunger, Sustainable Cities, tonnes.
Life Below Water, Life on Land, and Peace, Justice, o Employment: 61.8 million people in
and Strong Institutions. primary production, predominantly in
2. Uneven Progress: Nordic countries lead, with Asia (85%).
Finland ranking first. India ranks 109th out of 166 o Top Exporters: China, Norway, Viet
countries, with strengths in Poverty Reduction Nam; Top Importers: USA, China.
and Quality Education but lagging in Sustainable o Future Demand: Additional 36 million
Cities and Climate Action.
tonnes needed by 2050 to maintain
3. UN-Mi Index: New Index of Support to UN-based
Multilateralism, ranking Barbados at the top,
current per capita consumption.
India at 139th, and the USA last. 2. Digital Payments Intelligence Platform (RBI):
• Objective: Enhance digital payment security
and counter fraud risks.
15. GLOBAL ECONOMIC PROSPECTS REPORT 2024 • Features:
The Global Economic Prospects Report by the World o Technology Integration: Advanced
Bank highlights India as the fastest-growing major tools for fraud mitigation.
economy, with a projected average annual growth of o UPI Lite: Part of the e-mandate system
6.7% from FY25 to FY27. to streamline recurring payments.
Key Highlights of India’s Economic Growth Forecast (2023- 3. Unified India Organic Logo (FSSAI & APEDA):
2027) • Purpose: Ensure standardization in organic
1. Strong Growth Outlook: 8.2% growth projected in product certification.
2023-24, a 1.9% increase from previous estimates. • Certification Types:
2. Moderation in Growth: Expected average of 6.7% o PGS: Non-third-party certification.
from FY25 to FY27 due to reduced investments
o NPOP: Overseen by APEDA for
following high growth periods.
regulatory adherence.
4. India’s Gold Reserve:

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

• Current Holdings: 822 tonnes (recently added Students Notes :

100 tonnes).
• Top Holders Globally: USA (8,133 tonnes),
Germany (3,352 tonnes).
• Storage: Bank of England, with some reserves
at BIS and Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
5. Preston Curve:
• Concept: Links life expectancy and per capita
income.
• Key Insight: Higher income generally
correlates with longer life expectancy, though
causality isn't directly established.
6. Krishi Sakhi Program:
• Objective: Empower rural women as para-
extension workers.
• Training: 56 days covering soil health,
livestock management, agroecology.
• Current Progress: 34,000 women certified as
para-extension workers.
7. India's Trade Deficit (FY 2023-24):
• Overall Deficit: Reduced to $238.3 billion.
• Trade Gap Reduction: Narrowed with UAE,
Saudi Arabia.
• Trade Surplus: $36.74 billion with the USA.
• Largest Partner: China, surpassing USA in
bilateral trade.
8. Burp Tax:
• Context: New Zealand halted plans to tax
livestock methane emissions.
• Purpose: Originally aimed to reduce methane
from ruminant digestion, accounting for
LBSNAA EXPRESS CURRENT AFFAIRS BATCH For
nearly 50% of the nation’s greenhouse gases.
2025

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

ENVIRONMENT their restoration may not be as straightforward as

previously believed.
1. UNESCO’S STATE OF OCEAN REPORT
Context: The recent report by UNESCO highlights the 2. THE AIR OF THE ANTHROPOCENE PROJECT
alarming acceleration of ocean warming, with the Context: Recently, researchers and artists
rate doubling to 0.66 ± 0.10 W/m² over the past two collaborated on the “Painting with Light”
decades. international project to visualize invisible air pollution
Key Highlights of the Report: in India. This initiative aims to raise awareness of the
• Rising Ocean Temperature: From 1960 to 2023, the
health risks associated with air pollution.
upper 2,000 meters of the ocean have warmed at a
About the Air of the Anthropocene Project (AoA):
rate of 0.32 ± 0.03 W/m².
• Initiators: The AoA project was started by Robin
• Increased Ocean Heat: Approximately 90% of the
Earth's energy imbalance (EEI) is absorbed by oceans. Prince, an artist, and Francis Pope, an environmental
This absorption has resulted in a cumulative increase scientist from Birmingham University.
in ocean heat content (OHC) within the upper 2,000 • Objective: It creates platforms for discussions about
meters. OHC represents the total amount of heat air pollution, using art as a medium to communicate
stored by the ocean, while EEI is the balance between and foster dialogues about its associated issues.
incoming solar energy and outgoing energy from the • Impact: The photographs taken as part of the AoA
Earth. initiative have stimulated discussions about the
• Average Increase in Ocean Acidification: The impact of air pollution on health and the
average global surface ocean pH has been declining environment.
continuously by 0.017-0.027 pH units per decade • Collaborations: The project has been utilized by
since the late 1980s in the open ocean.
organizations such as the UN International
• Sea Level Rise: The global mean sea level has
Organisation for Migration (IOM), the UK’s Foreign,
continued to rise in 2023, increasing at a rate of 3.4 ±
0.3 mm/year from 1993 to 2023. Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO),
• Recent Trends in Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal and UN-Habitat to raise awareness of air pollution.
(mCDR) Technologies: mCDR technologies focus on
capturing carbon dioxide from the air and storing it 3. ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE INDEX
durably within ocean ecosystems.
Context: According to the 2024 Environmental
o Examples:
Performance Index (EPI), Oman has ranked second
- Altering the chemical composition of seawater to
enhance carbon dioxide absorption. among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations and in
- Adding nutrients like iron to promote the growth of the Middle East, with a notable score of 51.9 out of
microscopic plankton that can sequester carbon by 100. This marks a significant improvement, moving
sinking to the ocean floor. from 149th position in 2022 to 50th globally among
o Challenges: The report identifies several challenges 180 countries.
to the widespread implementation of mCDR What is the Environmental Performance Index (EPI)?
technologies, including technical, environmental, • About: The EPI is a global ranking system that
political, legal, and regulatory hurdles, along with assesses countries' environmental health. It was
concerns about potential unintended consequences. initially introduced as the Environmental
• Coastal Blue Ecosystem Restoration: The report Sustainability Index by the World Economic Forum in
raises questions about the effectiveness of restoring
2002 and is updated every two years.
or expanding coastal blue carbon habitats, such as
• Published by: The EPI is published by the Yale
mangrove forests and seagrass meadows. These
Center for Environmental Law and Policy in
ecosystems are vital for carbon sequestration, but

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

collaboration with the Columbia University Center for hands-on activities that encourage engagement with
International Earth Science Information Network. sustainability.
India’s Performance: • Example: Secmol (Students’ Educational and
• Rank of India: In the 2024 EPI, India ranks 176th out Cultural Movement of Ladakh) serves as a prime
of 180 countries, indicating serious environmental example. Located in the pre-Himalayan mountains
challenges. along the Indus River in Ladakh, it exemplifies the
principles of a Green School.
• Performance Indicators: Despite making slight
progress in climate change mitigation efforts, India
Objectives of Green Schools:
scores poorly in air quality and sanitation, • Climate Readiness: Green Schools strive to become
highlighting the urgent need for improvement in safe and resilient learning environments, equipping
these areas. learners and communities with the knowledge, skills,
values, and attitudes needed to tackle climate change
effectively.
4. GREEN SCHOOL QUALITY STANDARD: GREENING
• Agents of Change: These schools promote global
EVERY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
citizenship, community action, and a sustainable
Context: The Green School Quality Standard, culture by integrating ESD into the curriculum,
developed in collaboration with the Greening thereby empowering students to become active
Education Partnership, aims to create a unified participants in their communities and stewards of the
approach for stakeholders to collaborate towards a environment.
global objective of sustainability. This initiative seeks
to ensure that at least 50% of schools worldwide Towards Enhanced Nationally Determined
adopt sustainable practices by 2030. Contributions for Forests: UN Report
Key Highlights: Context: The recent UN report, titled "Raising
• Unified Approach: This standard provides a Ambition, Accelerating Action: Towards Enhanced
common language for all education stakeholders, Nationally Determined Contributions for Forests,"
highlights significant gaps in the protection,
enabling collective efforts to green schools and
management, and restoration of forests as outlined
promote sustainable practices.
in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
• Definition: A Green School integrates Education for
Sustainable Development (ESD), emphasizing climate Key Highlights of the Report:
change as a central theme. • Rising Emissions from Deforestation: Emissions
• Purpose: It prepares learners and communities to from deforestation have increased since the Glasgow
address the impacts of climate change through Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use in 2021,
sustainable practices. which aimed to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030.
• Scope: The term “school” encompasses all types of This declaration emphasizes the need for sustainable
learning institutions, including both formal and non- development and inclusive rural transformation.
formal educational environments. • Regional Analysis: The report attributes the
increase in global deforestation emissions mainly to
Green School Concept in India: countries in Latin America and the Caribbean
• Identification and Recognition: In India, the Green between 2019 and 2022. Notably, Brazil has seen a
School Programme, initiated by the Centre for 22% annual decline in deforestation, setting an
Science and Environment (CSE), is responsible for example for others.
identifying and recognizing green schools. • Deforestation Emissions: An average of 5.6 billion
• Objective: The primary aim is to foster tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) was emitted from
environmental awareness among students through tropical deforestation annually between 2019 and

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

2023 across the top twenty deforesting countries. have effectively reduced deforestation in the
This amount is approximately four and a half times Brazilian Amazon in 2023.
the emissions from international aviation and
shipping combined. Understanding Nationally Determined
• NDCs and Deforestation Targets: Pledges made in Contributions (NDCs):
NDCs from 2017 to 2023 failed to meet the global • Definition: NDCs are domestic targets established
targets to halve and reverse deforestation by 2030. by countries under the Paris Agreement (Article 4) to
Only eight out of twenty countries with the highest communicate and maintain their climate actions
rates of tropical deforestation have established post-2020 to the UNFCCC.
targets to reduce tree cover loss in their NDCs. • Aim: They represent each country's efforts to
reduce national emissions and adapt to climate
Recommendations: change impacts.
1. Regulating Agriculture: Since agriculture, • Submission Cycle: NDCs are submitted every five
driven by international demand for years to the UNFCCC secretariat, with the next round
commodities like oil palm, soybean, and beef, of updates due by 2025.
is a primary cause of deforestation,
regulations should be enforced to mitigate its India’s NDC:
impact. India has set specific targets in its NDC, including:
2. Revised NDCs: Countries, particularly those • Creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion
with significant forest cover, are urged to tonnes of CO2 equivalent through increased forest
include concrete, measurable targets related and tree cover by 2030.
to forests in their revised NDCs for the • Reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45%
upcoming COP30, with a timeframe extending from 2005 levels by 2030.
to 2035. • Achieving approximately 50% cumulative electric
3. Policy Goals: Strengthen and align forest- power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based
based measures in NDCs with clearly defined energy resources by 2030.
national policies.
4. International Collaboration: Developed India’s Deep Sea Mission
nations should support forest countries in Context: India is poised to become the sixth country
achieving globally set goals, leveraging their to launch its own Deep Sea Mission, with the
financial resources and historic introduction of its first manned submersible, Matsya
responsibilities. 6000, designed to explore the mysteries of the deep
5. Carbon Market Adjustments: Increasing sea.
forest carbon prices by $30-50 per tonne of
CO2 emissions in the carbon market is Key Highlights:
recommended. • Global Standing: India joins the ranks of France, the
6. Local Participation: Engaging local United States, China, Russia, and Japan in establishing
communities and indigenous peoples and a deep-sea mission.
recognizing their forest land and carbon rights • Harbor Trail: The first stage of the harbor trial,
can significantly enhance forest protection targeting depths of 40-50 meters, is expected to be
efforts. completed by September 2024.
7. Enforcement of Laws: Improved enforcement • Role of Matsya 6000: The Matsya 6000 submarine
against illegal activities and encroachments is is integral to the mission, enabling advanced
critical. For example, intensified efforts to exploration and research in deep-sea environments.
combat illegal activities in Indigenous lands

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

5. INDIA’S DEEP SEA MISSION exploring and conserving deep-sea

About Deep Ocean Mission (DOM): biodiversity.
• Objective: The Deep Ocean Mission (DOM) is India’s 5. Deep-Ocean Survey and Exploration:
ambitious program aimed at exploring and utilizing • Aim to identify potential sites for multi-
ocean resources sustainably. metal hydrothermal sulphides mineralization
• Implementation: DOM is primarily managed by the along the Indian Ocean mid-oceanic ridges.
Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and was approved 6. Harnessing Ocean Resources:
by the Union Cabinet in 2021 to be carried out over a • Efforts to extract energy and freshwater
five-year period in phases. from the ocean.
• Environmental Focus: The mission will focus on 7. Marine Station for Ocean Biology:
developing technologies for the safe access and • Establishment of an advanced Marine
transport of valuable minerals from the ocean floor Station to foster talent and create
while prioritizing environmental safety. opportunities in ocean biology and blue
• Part of PMSTIAC: DOM is one of nine missions biotechnology.
under the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and
Innovation Advisory Council (PMSTIAC).
6. ANTARCTIC TREATY CONSULTATIVE MEETING
(ATCM)
Six Pillars of the Mission:
Context: India recently hosted the 46th Antarctic
1. Technological Development:
Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM-46) and the
• Focus on creating technologies for deep-sea
26th Committee on Environmental Protection (CEP-
mining.
26) in Kochi, Kerala, in 2024.
• Development of the Matsya 6000
submersible capable of carrying three people
Key Outcomes of the Meeting:
to depths of 6,000 meters.
• Approval of New Management Plans: 17 updated
2. Matsya 6000:
and new management plans for Antarctic Specially
• Flagship human submersible aims to reach
Protected Areas (ASPAs) were approved.
the ocean floor at a depth of 6,000 meters.
• Environmental Assessments: Commitment to
• Accommodates three crew members,
provide detailed environmental assessments for the
referred to as “aquanauts,” equipped with
construction of the new research station, Maitri-II.
various scientific tools for observations,
• Promoting Renewable Energy: Emphasis on
sample collection, video and audio recording,
increased use of renewable energy and strong
and experimentation.
biosecurity measures to combat risks associated with
• Developed by Chennai’s National Institute
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.
of Ocean Technology (NIOT), constructed
• CEP Priorities: Focus on:
from a titanium alloy designed to withstand
• Addressing the impacts of sea ice changes.
pressures of up to 6,000 bar.
• Enhancing environmental impact assessments for
• Establishes a comprehensive ecosystem of
significant activities.
underwater vehicles, including deep-water
• Conserving the emperor penguin.
ROVs, AUVs, and deep-water coring systems.
• Creating an international framework for
3. Ocean Climate Change Advisory Services:
environmental monitoring in Antarctica.
• Development of advisory services involving
• Awareness Measures: Launch of a mural titled
a range of ocean observations and models to
‘Species-rich Antarctica’ to raise awareness about
generate future climate projections.
the continent's ecological significance.
4. Exploration and Conservation:
• Technological innovations will focus on
About Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting
(ATCM):

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

• Annual Meetings: Provides a platform for Antarctic 7. 67TH COUNCIL MEETING OF THE GLOBAL
Treaty Consultative Parties and other stakeholders to ENVIRONMENT FACILITY (GEF)
discuss critical environmental, scientific, and Context:
governance issues concerning Antarctica. The 67th Council Meeting of the Global Environment
• Frequency of Meetings: Initially convened once Facility (GEF) is currently being convened in
every two years from 1961 to 1994, now held Washington, DC, where important discussions are
annually since 1994. taking place regarding environmental funding and
initiatives.
Committee on Environmental Protection (CEP-26): Key Highlights of the Meeting:
• Founding: Established under the Madrid Protocol • Amount Allocation: A total allocation of
(Protocol on Environmental Protection to the $736.4 million will be directed towards
Antarctic Treaty) in 1991. environmental protection during this GEF
• Role of CEP: Advises the ATCM on matters council meeting. This includes:
concerning the protection and conservation of o $495.6 million for the GEF Trust Fund,
Antarctica’s environment. which supports various global
environmental projects.
Antarctic Treaty: o $37.8 million for the Global
• Signing of the Treaty: Signed in Washington on Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF),
December 1, 1959 by twelve countries. Original aimed at enhancing biodiversity
signatories include: protection.
• Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, o $203 million for the Least Developed
New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Soviet Union, Countries Fund (LDCF) and Special
United Kingdom, United States. Climate Change Fund (SCCF), which
• Categories of Parties: provide financial assistance to
• Consultative Parties: 29 members with decision- countries most vulnerable to climate
making power. change.
• Non-Consultative Parties: 27 members invited to • LDCF and SCCF Initiatives: The governing
meetings but without decision-making rights. body of the LDCF and SCCF is funding 14
• India’s Role: Consultative party status since 1983. climate adaptation initiatives aimed at
enhancing climate resilience in various
Establishment of Indian Antarctic Research Stations: countries.
Year Research Location • Supported Countries: The LDCF work
Station program will support climate resilience and
1983 Dakshin Antarctica adaptation projects in the following countries:
Gangotri o Angola
1989 Maitri Schirmacher Oasis, o Cambodia
Antarctica o Chad
2012 Bharati Prydz Bay coast, east of o Comoros
Maitri o Gambia
o Guinea
o Lao PDR
o Sao Tome and Principe
o Sierra Leone
o Somalia
o Tanzania

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

About the Global Environment Facility (GEF) 8. THE BONN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE
• Establishment: The GEF was established on Context:
the eve of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit as a The Bonn Climate Change Conference recently
catalyst for global environmental action. concluded after two weeks of discussions,
• Mandate: Through strategic investments, the culminating in the release of an input paper focused
GEF collaborates with various partners to on the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate
address the planet’s most significant Finance (NCQG).
environmental challenges. Key Highlights:
• Partnership: The GEF is a unique partnership Negotiating Draft: The input paper is expected to
comprising 18 agencies, including: evolve into a formal negotiating draft, which is set to
o United Nations agencies be agreed upon at COP29 of the UNFCCC in Baku,
o Multilateral development banks Azerbaijan.
o National entities
o International NGOs 9. NEW COLLECTIVE QUANTIFIED GOAL ON CLIMATE
o The GEF operates in 183 countries • Overview: The NCQG aims to increase the target
worldwide. for mobilizing climate finance to over $100 billion
• Financial Mechanism: The GEF serves as a for the post-2025 period, as mandated by the
financial mechanism for several international Paris Agreement of 2015. This target is to be
environmental agreements, including: finalized at COP29.
o Minamata Convention on Mercury • Technical Expert Dialogue: The Bonn meetings
o Stockholm Convention on Persistent hosted TED10, enabling in-depth discussions on
Organic Pollutants (POPs) the elements of the NCQG.
o United Nations Convention on Demands and Suggestions:
Biological Diversity (UNCBD) • India's Proposal: India has proposed that
o United Nations Convention to developed countries commit to providing at least
Combat Desertification $1 trillion annually after 2025.
o United Nations Framework • Arab Countries: Arab nations have suggested that
Convention on Climate Change this figure should be a minimum of $1.1 trillion.
(UNFCCC) • African Countries: African nations have called for
a target of $1.3 trillion.
India’s Role in GEF
• Permanent Constituency: India has formed a 10. CLIMATE FINANCE
permanent constituency in the Executive
• Definition: Climate finance encompasses local,
Council of the GEF along with:
national, or transnational funding drawn from
o Bangladesh
public, private, and alternative sources aimed at
o Sri Lanka
supporting mitigation and adaptation efforts to
o Bhutan
address climate change.
o Nepal
• International Framework: The UN Convention,
o Maldives
the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement
• Dual Role: India serves as both a donor and a
emphasize financial assistance from wealthier
recipient of GEF funds, highlighting its active
nations (developed countries) to vulnerable ones
engagement in global environmental
(developing countries).
initiatives. This dual role underscores India's
• Principle: Funds are mobilized based on the
commitment to addressing environmental
principle of “common but differentiated
challenges while also receiving support for its
responsibility and respective capabilities,”
development needs.
obligating developed countries to assist

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

developing nations in meeting UNFCCC • Bioblitz Definition: A bioblitz is an intensive

objectives. survey carried out over a specific period to
• Support Areas: identify as many species as possible within a
o Mitigation: Substantial investments are designated area.
needed to significantly reduce • Biodiversity in Kerala: Kerala is home to over
greenhouse gas emissions. 200 frog species, making it a rich area for
o Adaptation: Significant financial resources amphibian studies.
are required to help countries adapt to the
adverse impacts of climate change. About Monsoon Croaks Project
Financial Mechanisms: • Duration: This community-driven project will
• Global Environment Facility (GEF): Serving as run for four months, from June 1 to
an operating entity since the UNFCCC came September 30.
into force in 1994. • Aim: The primary goal is to address the
• Green Climate Fund (GCF): Established at knowledge gap regarding frog habitats by
COP16 in 2010 to support the efforts of documenting their diversity and distribution
developing countries. during the monsoon, ultimately aiding in their
• Additional Funds: protection.
o Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) • Public Participation:
o Least Developed Countries Fund o People of all ages are encouraged to
(LDCF), both managed by the GEF. participate by uploading photographs
o Adaptation Fund (AF), established and recordings of frog sounds using
under the Kyoto Protocol in 2001. the iNaturalist app.
o Participants will become volunteer
frog mappers, learning to identify
11. UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION
various frog species, document their
ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC)
calls, observe their behavior, and
• Establishment: The UNFCCC was established in
record essential ecological data.
1992 to support the global response to climate • Data Collaboration: All scientific observations
change. made during the bioblitz will be incorporated
• Membership: The Convention boasts near- into the Global Biodiversity Information
universal membership with 198 Parties. Facility (GBIF), an open-source biodiversity
• Parent Treaties: The UNFCCC is the parent treaty database.
of the 2015 Paris Agreement and the 1997 Kyoto
Protocol.
13. THE NAGI & NAKTI BIRD SANCTUARIES
RECOGNISED AS RAMSAR SITES
12. PROJECT ‘MONSOON CROAKS’
Context:
Context:
Recently, the Nagi and Nakti Bird Sanctuaries in Bihar
The Monsoon Croaks Bioblitz 2024 is a citizen science
have been designated as wetlands of international
initiative focused on documenting the diverse frog
importance under the Ramsar Convention.
species in Kerala during the monsoon season.
Key Highlights:
Key Highlights:
• Recognition Date: The sites were officially
• Organizer: The project is organized by the
recognized on World Environment Day, June
Centre for Citizen Science and Biodiversity
5, 2024.
Informatics under the Kerala Forest Research
• Total Ramsar Sites in India: With this
Institute (KFRI).
inclusion, India now hosts 82 Ramsar wetland

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

sites. The highest number of Ramsar sites 14. BARDA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (BWS)
globally is in the UK (175), followed by Mexico Context: The Gujarat Forest Department has initiated
(144). the translocation of spotted deer and sambars from
• Bihar's First Ramsar Site: Prior to Nagi and Gir Forest to Barda Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat. This
Nakti, Kanwar Lake in Begusarai district was initiative aims to facilitate the reintroduction of lions
designated as Bihar’s first Ramsar site in 2020. to the sanctuary after a long absence.
Reasons for Translocation
About Nagi and Nakti Bird Sanctuaries • Supporting Lion Reintroduction: Lions are set
• Designation: The wetlands were designated to return to Barda after a significant period of
as Bird Sanctuaries in 1984. absence. The sanctuary currently lacks
• Location: They are protected areas located in sufficient prey, making the translocation of
the Jhajha forest range of Jamui district, deer and sambars crucial for providing a
Bihar. necessary food source for the reintroduced
• Human-Made Wetlands: Developed primarily lions.
for irrigation purposes, these sanctuaries • Restoring the Ecosystem: Historically, Barda
were created through the construction of the supported a population of lions.
Nakti Dam. Reintroducing prey species like deer and
• Wildlife Support: The sanctuaries support sambars is essential for restoring the natural
globally threatened species, including the ecological balance in the area.
endangered Indian elephant (Elephas • Managing Gir Forest Population: Gir Forest is
maximus indicus) and a vulnerable native home to over 90,000 spotted deer.
catfish (Wallago attu). Translocating a small number of these deer
• Catchment Area: The area is characterized by helps manage their population in Gir while
largely dry deciduous forests surrounding the boosting the wildlife population in Barda.
wetlands. About Barda Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS)
• Wintering Habitat for Migratory Birds: The • Location: Located in Gujarat, India,
sanctuaries serve as crucial wintering habitats approximately 15 kilometers from Porbandar
for migratory birds, hosting over 20,000 birds and 100 kilometers west of Gir Forest National
each winter, including substantial populations Park.
of red-crested pochards and various • Landscape: The sanctuary covers 192.31
migratory waterfowl. square kilometers and is characterized by hilly
terrain.
About the Ramsar Convention • Rivers: Important waterways include the
• Establishment: The Ramsar Convention, an Bileshvary River and Joghri River.
intergovernmental environmental treaty • Dams: Barda contains two significant dams:
established by UNESCO in 1971, is dedicated Khambala and Fodara.
to the conservation and sustainable use of • Ethnic Communities: Home to various ethnic
wetlands worldwide. groups, including Maldharis, Bharvads,
• First Ramsar Sites in India: The first Rabaris, and Gadhvis.
designated Ramsar sites in India were Chilika • Development Project: The ‘Gir-Barda Project’
Lake and Keoladeo National Park. was launched by the state government in
Largest Ramsar Site in India: The largest Ramsar site 1979 to establish Barda as a secondary habitat
in India is the Sundarbans located in West Bengal, for the Asiatic lion.
which is also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage
Site.

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

15. JAL SHAKTI MINISTRY REVIEWS NAMAMI GANGE operate at rated capacity, improving overall
MISSION water quality.
o Planning of Projects: Aids in planning and
Context: The Jal Shakti Ministry has launched an e-
monitoring projects related to river water
flow ecological monitoring system aimed at enabling
quality and other critical parameters, enabling
real-time planning and monitoring of projects, river more effective management of water
water quality, and other essential parameters. This resources.
initiative is part of ongoing efforts under the Namami
Gange Programme, which focuses on cleaning the
Ganga River and its tributaries. 17. HOLLANGAPAR GIBBON SANCTUARY
Namami Gange Programme Context: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) plans
• Overview: The Namami Gange Programme is to construct canopy bridges for the Hoolock Gibbons
a comprehensive initiative managed by the in the Hollangapar Gibbon Sanctuary in eastern
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in Assam to enable safe movement across a railway
collaboration with state-level organizations track that divides the sanctuary.
known as State Program Management Groups Canopy Bridge: Facilitating Safe Movement
(SPMGs). • Aim: To allow Hoolock Gibbons to cross over
• Objectives: The program encompasses the railway tracks safely.
activities aimed at improving water quality, • Design:
restoring river ecosystems, and enhancing o The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), in
public health. collaboration with NFR, has designed
the canopy bridges.
o The bridges will be secured with high-
16. ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS (E-FLOWS) grade fastening materials, and safety
MONITORING SYSTEM nets will be installed below to prevent
• Overview: The e-flows monitoring system allows accidental falls.
real-time analysis of water quality in the Ganga, o The design mimics a natural habitat,
Yamuna, and their tributaries. It is a crucial integrating lianas and creepers along
component of the PRAYAG portal, overseeing the ropes to replicate a familiar
water quality and the performance of sewage environment for the gibbons.
treatment facilities along the Ganga River. Hollangapar Gibbon Sanctuary: Key Details
• Development: Developed by the National Mission • Location: Situated in the Jorhat district,
for Clean Ganga, which is part of the Jal Shakti Assam.
Ministry. • Nature: An evergreen forest area, known for
• Key Uses: its dense canopy and diverse wildlife.
o Water Quality Analysis: Enables real-time • Establishment: Officially designated as a
assessment of water quality at various
sanctuary in 1997; it is the only sanctuary in
locations along the Ganga and Yamuna rivers,
ensuring timely interventions. India named after a gibbon, distinguished by
o Monitoring of Namami Gange Programme: containing the densest gibbon population in
Facilitates central-level monitoring of India.
activities under the Namami Gange Unique Wildlife and Flora
programme, ensuring accountability and • Wildlife:
efficiency. o Hoolock Gibbons: The sanctuary is
o Ensuring Optimal Performance of STPs: home to India’s only ape species.
Monitors the performance of Sewage o Bengal Slow Loris: The only nocturnal
Treatment Plants (STPs) to ensure they
primate in northeastern India.

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

o Highest Primate Diversity: Supports • Scientific Name: Acinonyx jubatus.

six other primate species, giving it the • Native Range: Africa and central Iran.
highest biodiversity of primates • Fastest Land Animal: Capable of reaching
among protected areas in India. speeds between 80 to 128 km/h.
• Flora: • Threats:
o Upper Canopy: Dominated by the o Habitat loss.
Hollong tree, with species like Sam, o Human-wildlife conflict.
Amari, Sopas, Bhelu, Udal, and o Poaching.
Hingori. o High susceptibility to diseases.
o Middle Canopy: Dominated by the • Conservation Status: Listed as Vulnerable on
Nahar species. the IUCN Red List.
o Lower Canopy: Contains evergreen Cheetah Reintroduction in India
shrubs and herbs, contributing to the • Extinction in India: The species was declared
sanctuary's rich biodiversity. extinct in India in 1952.
• Significance: If successfully reintroduced,
India will become the only country in Asia to
18. DEVELOPMENT OF GANDHI SAGAR WILDLIFE
host all major big cats in the wild, including
SANCTUARY AS INDIA’S SECOND HOME FOR
lions, tigers, leopards, and cheetahs.
CHEETAHS • Subspecies:
Context: The Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in o Acinonyx jubatus jubatus (African
Madhya Pradesh is set to become the second habitat Cheetah).
for cheetahs in India after Kuno National Park, o Acinonyx jubatus venaticus (Asiatic
contributing to efforts to reintroduce the species. Cheetah).
Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary: Key Details
• Geographical Position:
o Located in Madhya Pradesh, on the 19. SPECIES IN NEWS
border with Rajasthan. 1. Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus)
o Designated as a wildlife sanctuary in o Current Status: Vulnerable (previously
1974. Endangered).
• Dam: The Gandhi Sagar Dam, built in 1960, is o Population: Increased from 62 mature
located within the sanctuary and is the third individuals in 2001 to over 2,000 by 2022.
largest dam in India. o Distribution: Found in Spain and Portugal.
• River: The Chambal River flows through the o Features: Known for long legs, pointy ears,
sanctuary, adding to its rich biodiversity. and spotted fur.
• Flora: Features a savanna ecosystem, with o In India: The Eurasian Lynx is found in the
open grasslands and dry deciduous trees and cold deserts of Ladakh.
shrubs. Dominant plant species include Khair, 2. Oedocladium Sahyadricum (New Algal Species)
Salai, Kardhai, Dhawda, Tendu, and Palash. o Discovery: Found in the Western Ghats in
• Fauna: Home to species such as Chinkara, Kollam, Kerala.
Nilgai, Spotted Deer, Striped Hyena, Jackal, o Name Origin: Refers to the Sahyadri or
and crocodiles. Western Ghats.
• Ideal Cheetah Habitat: The open grasslands o Features: Dioecious (separate male and
and savanna ecosystem make Gandhi Sagar female reproductive organs); velvety
an ideal location for reintroducing cheetahs in green, turning yellowish-green when
India. mature.
About the Cheetah o Habitat: Found as a thin mat on damp soil.

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

o Potential Uses: Applications in medicine, o Threat: Highly susceptible to grazing and

agriculture, and astaxanthin pigment trampling by elephants.
production. 8. 4-Horned Antelope (Chousingha)
3. Limbless Amphibian: Striped Caecilian o Scientific Name: Tetracerus quadricornis.
(Ichthyophis spp) o Conservation Status: Vulnerable (IUCN).
o Location: Found in Kaziranga National o Distribution: Endemic to India and Nepal.
Park, Assam. o Habitat: Found in open, dry deciduous
o Features: Smooth cylindrical bodies with forests across hilly terrains.
striped patterns; carnivorous, feeding on o Feature: Known for its unique four horns.
invertebrates in soil; fossorial, living
underground or in leaf litter.
o Distribution: Found in tropical regions of
Students Notes :
Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
4. Himalayan Ibex (Tangrol)
o Local Name: Tangrol.
o Distribution: Found in the Trans
Himalayas of Ladakh and the Pir Panjal
ranges of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal
Pradesh.
o Features: Recognized by contoured horns
and beards; males have longer, more
ridged horns than females.
o Conservation Status: Least Concern
(IUCN).
5. Blue Sheep (Bharal)
o Main Predators: Snow leopards, leopards,
mountain foxes, and tawny eagles.
o Distribution: Found in the Himalayas and
Sichuan region of China.
6. Himalayan Serow (Capricornis sumatraensis
thar)
o Location: Found in the Himalayan region,
LBSNAA EXPRESS CURRENT AFFAIRS BATCH For
excluding the Trans-Himalayas. 2025
o Diet: Herbivorous.
o Conservation Status: Vulnerable (IUCN
📲 COURSE FEATURES :
Red List); listed under Schedule I of the
• Month-wise Video Lectures + Study
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
material + 10 Mock Tests.
7. Stellaria mcclintockiae (New Plant Species)
• 1 Year Complete Current Affairs with 2
o Discovery: Found in Nelliyampathy Hills,
Years Validity.
Kerala.
o Named After: Barbara McClintock, Nobel
• Emphasis on Linking Current Affairs with
laureate for her work on jumping genes. Static Syllabus.
o Features: Belongs to the genus Stellaria; • Sources : The Hindu, Indian Express, Times
distinctive features in petals, pollen of India , AIR, Rajya Sabha, PIB, Down To
morphology, sepals, and seed structure. Earth, important Institutes Magazine gist.
• Watch Demo Videos in Delhi Secrets App.
• Fees : 499/- Rs

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY technology that identifies individuals based on

unique facial contours.
• Components:
1. EU'S NEW AI RULES: THE AI ACT
o Camera: Captures an image of the face.
Context: The European Union (EU) has recently o Database: Stores images for comparison.
passed the AI Act, introducing regulations for o Algorithm: Analyzes and creates a unique
transparency, accountability, and ethical standards in “faceprint” for verification.
AI model development and deployment. The act will • Operation: Captures facial features, reconstructs
be implemented in phases over the next two years, them, and compares against stored data for identity
balancing innovation with privacy, intellectual verification.
property, and fair data usage. EPFO's Use of Facial Authentication:
Key Points: • EPFO: A statutory body managing pension schemes,
• AI Office’s Role: The EU AI Office will provide a including verification through DLCs.
template for organizations using general-purpose AI • Impact: Simplifies pensioner verification, allowing
models to summarize the training data used, remote submission of life certificates securely.
enhancing data transparency while protecting trade
secrets.
• Objective: To balance trade secret protection with 3. GNSS-BASED ELECTRONIC TOLL COLLECTION
creator rights and privacy, ensuring copyright holders SYSTEM
understand how their content is used in AI training. Context: The Indian Highways Management
Need for Transparency Rules: Company Limited has invited a Global Expression of
1. Copyright Breaches: Major tech companies Interest (EOI) to develop a GNSS-based Electronic Toll
like Google and OpenAI have faced legal Collection system in India.
actions for improper use of copyrighted About GNSS-Based Electronic Toll Collection System:
content. Stricter transparency requirements • Definition: Uses Global Navigation Satellite System
aim to address these issues. (GNSS) technology for barrier-free toll collection
2. Fair Remuneration: The new rules ensure based on distance traveled.
creators are compensated fairly for their Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS):
contributions used in AI training. • Overview: A satellite network used for precise
3. Consent and Privacy: Creators should know if positioning in various transportation modes.
their works are used in AI training and have • Importance:
options for consent. o Smooth Movement: Enhances vehicle flow on
• Example: Actress Scarlett Johansson raised National Highways.
concerns when OpenAI featured an AI- o Barrier-Free Tolling: Eliminates physical toll booths.
generated voice similar to hers without o Distance-Based Tolling: Charges based on exact
consent. distance traveled.
o Improved Efficiency: Reduces toll fraud and
enhances collection.
2. FACIAL AUTHENTICATION TECHNOLOGY: PENSION
Key Features of GNSS-Based ETC:
VERIFICATION
• Satellite-Based Technology: Tracks vehicles and
Context: In 2023-24, over 6.6 lakh pensioners used
computes tolls based on distance.
Facial Authentication Technology to verify their
Digital Life Certificates (DLCs) for pensions managed • Free-Flow Tolling: Allows continuous traffic flow
by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation without stopping at toll plazas.
(EPFO). • Distance-Based Tolling: Ensures users only pay for
About Facial Authentication Technology: the stretches they utilize.
• Definition: Facial recognition is a biometric

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

• Improved Efficiency: Reduces congestion and • Focus Areas:

minimizes toll evasion. o Drug-Resistant Pathogens: Understand genomic
adaptations to improve treatment strategies.
4. ALPHAFOLD 3: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MODEL o Microbial Dynamics: Study microbial life in extreme
Context: Google DeepMind has launched AlphaFold environments using genomics and metabolic
3, designed to assist in drug design and disease modeling.
targeting. o Comprehensive Study: Emphasizes Enterobacter
What is AlphaFold? bugandensis to understand its resistance patterns
• Overview: An AI tool predicting protein folding, and survival mechanisms.
improving understanding of cellular mechanisms. International Space Station (ISS):
• Protein Folding: Proteins' amino acid sequences • Overview: Launched on November 20, 1998, it is
determine their functional 3D structures. the largest man-made structure in space and serves
Functions of Proteins: as a living and research space for astronauts.
1. Digestion: Enzymes break down food. • Objectives: Advances knowledge of space and
2. Messenger Function: Hormones regulate microgravity, enabling new scientific discoveries and
body functions. symbolizing international collaboration in space
3. Movement: Proteins are key to muscle exploration.
contraction. Multi-Drug-Resistant Pathogen:
4. Structure and Support: Keratin provides • Definition: Microorganisms resistant to multiple
structure to hair and skin. antimicrobial agents across three or more drug
5. Cellular Communication: Mediates signals categories.
between cells. • Significance: Severe threat to public health,
The Protein Folding Problem: AlphaFold 1 and 2 particularly in healthcare settings.
tackled the challenge of predicting how amino acid Enterobacter Bugandensis:
sequences determine protein structures. • Overview: Newly discovered species first identified
AlphaFold 3: in 2013, found on ISS surfaces, raising concerns about
• New Advancements: Predicts interactions between pathogen persistence in space environments.
proteins and biomolecules like DNA and RNA. Implications:
• Significance: • Insight into infection control in confined
o Enhances study of protein interactions with genetic environments like spacecraft and hospitals, leading to
material. improved management strategies for drug-resistant
o Facilitates accurate drug designs by simulating drug infections on Earth.
interactions with proteins.

6. DISCOVERY OF THREE NEW CRATERS ON MARS BY

5. PATHOGENS IN SPACE INDIAN SCIENTISTS
Context: Researchers have investigated multi-drug- Context: Researchers from the Physical Research
resistant pathogens aboard the International Space Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad discovered three
Station (ISS), with implications for astronaut health new craters on Mars, located in the Tharsis volcanic
and Earth-based healthcare systems. region.
Key Features of the Research: Key Features of the Discovery:
• Participating Organizations: Collaboration between • Location of Craters: Approximately 21.0° S and 209°
IIT Madras and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory W in the Tharsis volcanic region.
(JPL). • IAU Approval: The International Astronomical
• Objective: Study the behavior and evolution of Union has approved the naming of these craters
multi-drug-resistant pathogens in microgravity on the based on PRL's recommendations.
ISS.

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About IAU: • Fourth attempt to launch Starship.

• Establishment: 1919 in Brussels, Belgium. • Super Heavy booster detached and landed in the
• Headquarters: Paris, France. Gulf of Mexico.
• Objectives: Promotes global collaboration in • Starship traveled halfway around the Earth and
astronomy focused on research, education, and splashed down in the Indian Ocean.
development. What is Starship?:
What is a Crater?: A landform characterized by a • A two-stage heavy-lift vehicle designed for crew or
depression on a planetary surface, formed by: cargo transport to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and
• Meteorite impacts beyond.
• Volcanic activity • Height: Nearly 120 meters tall, the largest rocket
• Explosions ever flown.
Types of Craters: Stages:
1. Impact Crater: Formed by high-speed o Super Heavy booster: 33 Raptor engines.
impacts. o Starship spacecraft: Six Raptor engines optimized
2. Volcanic Crater: Caused by volcanic activity. for vacuum conditions.
3. Explosion Crater: Created by underground Key Features of Starship:
explosions. • Fully Reusable Design: Rapid reuse reduces launch
4. Pit Crater: Formed by the collapse over an costs.
empty chamber. • Massive Size: Can carry up to 150 tons to Earth orbit
5. Subsidence Crater: Caused by cavity collapse. and 100 tons to the Moon or Mars.
Names and Details of the Newly Discovered Craters: • Powerful Engines: Uses liquid methane and liquid
1. Lal Crater: oxygen.
o Named After: Prof. Devendra Lal, former • Advanced Heat Shield: Designed for extreme
director of PRL. temperatures during re-entry.
o Location and Size: 65 km wide, centered at How Starship Revolutionizes Space Travel Costs:
-20.98° and 209.34°. 1. Enormous Payload Capability: Reduces need
o Scientific Importance: Located in the lava- for multiple launches.
covered Tharsis volcanic region. 2. In-Space Refueling: Allows refueling in space,
2. Mursan Crater: carrying more cargo.
o Named After: Mursan, a town in Uttar 3. Complete Reusability: Designed to be entirely
Pradesh, India. reusable, lowering costs significantly.
o Location and Size: ~10 km wide on the Role of the Private Sector in Space Exploration in
eastern rim of Lal crater. India:
Hilsa Crater: • Skyroot Aerospace: Partnered with ISRO in 2021 for
o Named After: Hilsa, a town in Bihar, India. developing and testing subsystems.
o Location and Size: ~10 km wide on the western rim • Bellatrix Aerospace: Focuses on satellite propulsion
of Lal crater. systems.
• Dhruva Space: Provides satellite base services and
builds small satellites.
7. SPACE TRAVEL AND EXPLORATION WITH SPACEX’S • Pixxel Space India Pvt Ltd: Aims to create a
STARSHIP constellation of Earth observation satellites.
Context: SpaceX’s Starship rocket had its first fully
successful test flight, marking a major milestone.
Both the booster and spacecraft landed in the ocean
after a successful hour-long flight.
More on the News:

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8. NEW METHOD TO GENERATE VIRUS-LIKE Competitive Edge 3D-printed engine reduces costs
PARTICLES and assembly time, showcasing efficient rocket
• Context: Novel technique developed by IAV for production
generating non-infectious Nipah virus-like
particles (VLPs).
11. ASTRONOMICAL TRANSIENTS
About Nipah
• Context: Shrinivas Kulkarni awarded the Shaw
• Pathogenic Virus: Fatality rate up to 80%,
Prize for contributions to understanding
zoonotic disease from bats and pigs.
astronomical transients.
About Virus-like Particles (VLPs)
About Astronomical Transients
• Definition: Non-infectious structures
• Definition: Astrophysical phenomena
mimicking viruses, retaining characteristics
characterized by brightness changes.
but lacking replication ability.
• Significance: Helps in exploring causes of
Significance of the New Method violent events in the universe.
• Provides a safe platform for developing
Shaw Prize
neutralizing antibodies against Nipah in BSL-2
• Established: 2002, includes a $1.2 million cash
labs.
prize.
Types of Astronomical Transients
9. GALAXY JADES-GS-Z14-0 1. Supernovae
• Context: Discovery of the earliest-known galaxy 2. Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN)
by NASA’s JWST. 3. Fast Radio Bursts (FRB)
• Details:
o Observations conducted under the JADES
12. PUSHPAK RLV
program.
o Galaxy formed approximately 290 million • Context: ISRO completed the third Reusable
years after the Big Bang. Launch Vehicle (RLV) Landing Experiment (LEX) at
ATR in Chitradurga, Karnataka.
Characteristics
• About Pushpak RLV:
• Brightness, size (1,700 light-years across),
o Fully reusable single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO)
mass (equivalent to 500 million suns).
vehicle.
• Evidence of ionized gas emissions suggesting
o Incorporates advanced technologies from
complex star formation history.
previous prototypes (X-33, X-34, DC-XA).
o Simulated high-speed landing conditions.
10. AGNIBAAN SUBORBITAL TECHNOLOGY o Demonstrated autonomous landing
DEMONSTRATOR (SORTED) capability with precision.
• Context: Launch by Agnikul Cosmos featuring a o Part of ISRO’s initiative for cost-effective
3D-printed engine. space access.
About Agnibaan SOrTeD o Previous successful missions in 2016

• Overview: Launched from Sriharikota, launched a winged spacecraft with HS9

reached ~8 km altitude. booster.
• Significance: First private launch from mobile Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV)
launchpad ‘Dhanush’. • Definition: Designed for multiple launches,
Purpose reducing costs through component reuse.
• Operational Aspects by ISRO:
• Demonstrate technologies and gather data
o Safeguards include heat shields and
for upcoming orbital launch vehicle.
flight control surfaces.

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

o Heavier than expendable counterparts 14. RECOMBINANT PROTEINS

due to additional systems. • Context: IISc developed a new method for
o Spaceplane designed for recovery producing recombinant proteins.
post-mission. • Key Highlights:
o Use of MSG: Safer alternative to
methanol; FDA-approved.
13. HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION IN
o Alternative Activation: MSG activates a
GROUNDWATER promoter for PEPCK, aiding protein
• Context: IISc developed a three-step process to synthesis.
remove heavy metals like arsenic from o Comparison to Traditional Methods:
groundwater. Comparable yields to methanol activation.
• Collaborative Efforts: Working with NGOs for
About Recombinant Proteins
deployment in rural areas (Bhagalpur, Bihar;
• Definition: Artificially produced proteins via
Chickballapur, Karnataka).
genetic engineering.
• Allowable Limits for Arsenic and Fluoride (WHO):
• Production Process: Cells engineered to
o Arsenic: Safe limit 10 ppb, agricultural
express specific proteins.
limit 0.10 mg/l.
• Applications: Vaccines, insulin production,
o Fluoride: Provisional limit 1.0 mg/kg.
monoclonal antibodies.
• About IISc’s New Method:
Reverse Transcriptase (RT)
o Removes heavy contaminants and
• Context: Research at Columbia University
ensures sustainable disposal.
found RT's role in bacterial defense against
o Three-Step Process:
bacteriophages in Klebsiella.
1. Adsorption: Biodegradable
• Key Findings: Non-coding RNA in Klebsiella
absorbent separates arsenic.
binds to RT, enhancing defense.
2. Bioremediation: Biological
reduction of pollutants. About Reverse Transcriptase (RT)
3. Environmentally Friendly • Definition: Enzyme transcribing RNA into
Disposal: Safe removal of heavy DNA.
metals. • Discovery: Identified by Howard Temin and
David Baltimore in retrovirus studies.
Understanding Heavy Metals
• Presence: Found in various biological systems.
• Definition: Metallic elements with high
density; includes metalloids like arsenic. Significance
• Toxicity: Solubility in water complicates their • Established Genetic Flow: Demonstrated RNA
toxicity and absorption by organisms. to DNA flow, challenging the Central Dogma.
• Examples: Iron, copper, silver, gold, platinum. • Role in Evolution: Indicates critical role in
genetic evolution across life forms.
Contamination Status in India
• Arsenic Levels: 113 districts in 21 states Scope and Applications
exceed 0.01 mg/l. • Biotechnology Applications: Potential in
• Fluoride Levels: 223 districts in 23 states combating antimicrobial resistance.
exceed 1.5 mg/l, posing health risks. • New Therapeutic Strategies: May lead to
novel mechanisms in genetic evolution and
viral resistance.

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15. INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (IBD) 16. ORAL FORMULATION OF HYDROXYUREA TO

Context: A recent case of Inflammatory Bowel TREAT SICKLE CELL DISEASE
Disease (IBD) has been reported from a village in Context: The Indian Council of Medical Research
Andhra Pradesh, highlighting the need for awareness (ICMR) has called for Expressions of Interest for the
and understanding of this condition. joint development and commercialization of a low-
Overview of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): dose oral formulation of hydroxyurea aimed at
• Definition: IBD is a chronic autoimmune condition treating sickle cell disease in children.
characterized by the abnormal immune response Current Situation:
where white blood cells mistakenly attack the gut • Prevalence in India: India has the highest
cells, leading to inflammation and ulcers in the prevalence of sickle cell disease in South Asia, with
intestinal mucosa. over 20 million individuals affected.
• Age of Onset: IBD can develop at any age but About Sickle Cell Disease:
commonly presents before the age of 35. • Definition: Sickle cell anemia is a genetic blood
Symptoms: disorder affecting the production of hemoglobin, the
• Common symptoms include: protein responsible for oxygen transport in red blood
o Fever cells.
o Loose stools • Cause: Individuals with sickle cell anemia produce
o Bloody diarrhea abnormal hemoglobin that causes red blood cells to
Effects on Nutrition and Health: become rigid, sticky, and shaped like a crescent or
• Nutrient Absorption: The disease leads to impaired sickle. These abnormally shaped cells can become
absorption of both macro and micronutrients. trapped in small blood vessels, leading to blockages.
• Consequences: Patients may experience: • Symptoms: Common symptoms include:
o Weight loss o Anemia
o Reduction in muscle mass o Pain crises
o Anemia o Fatigue
o Vitamin deficiencies o Jaundice
Types of IBD: o Delayed growth
1. Ulcerative Colitis: Affects only the large bowel o Increased susceptibility to infections
(colon). Characterized by continuous • Occurrence: While most prevalent among
inflammation and ulcers. individuals of African descent, sickle cell disease can
2. Crohn’s Disease: Can affect any part of the also affect those of Hispanic, Middle Eastern, and
gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the Mediterranean descent.
anus. Involves patchy areas of inflammation • Impact: Sickle cells have a shorter lifespan than
and can extend through multiple layers of the healthy red blood cells, leading to:
bowel wall. o Chronic anemia
3. Indeterminate Colitis: Used when it is o Increased risk of infections
challenging to distinguish between ulcerative o Complications such as stroke, heart problems,
colitis and Crohn’s disease based on kidney issues, and complications during pregnancy.
symptoms and tests. • Treatment: There is currently no cure for sickle cell
anemia. However, early detection, management, and
appropriate treatment can help individuals lead
longer, healthier lives.
• Awareness Initiatives: World Sickle Cell Day is
observed on June 19 to raise awareness about the
disorder and educate the public on effective
management strategies.

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17. HUMAN AFRICAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS (HAT 2. Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense:

Context: The World Health Organization (WHO) Responsible for the remaining 8% of cases.
announced that Chad has successfully eradicated the
gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis
18. H5N2 BIRD FLU
(HAT). This achievement makes Chad the first country
this year and the 51st worldwide to eliminate a Recent Development: A significant public health
neglected tropical disease (NTD). concern has arisen with the first known human case
Recent Developments: of H5N2 reported in Mexico City. The case involved a
• Validation of Elimination: Chad's elimination of the 59-year-old man who unfortunately succumbed to
gambiense form of HAT adds to the success of several the infection.
other countries that have achieved similar About H5N2:
milestones: • Classification: H5N2 is one of the subtypes of the
o Togo (2020) Avian Influenza A virus.
o Benin (2021) • Subtypes: Influenza A viruses are classified into
o Ivory Coast (2021) various subtypes based on the proteins present on
o Uganda (2022) their surfaces, specifically:
o Equatorial Guinea (2022) o Hemagglutinin (H): There are 18 different H
o Ghana (2023) variants.
• Global NTD Targets: Chad's success contributes to o Neuraminidase (N): There are 11 different N
the global target of eliminating 100 NTDs by 2030. variants.
About Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT): o H5N2 comprises one such subtype, characterized by
• Common Name: HAT is commonly referred to as its specific hemagglutinin and neuraminidase
sleeping sickness. proteins.
• Disease-Causing Agent: HAT is caused by protozoan • Functionality:
parasites of the genus Trypanosoma. o Hemagglutinin: A glycoprotein that plays a crucial
• Transmission: The disease is transmitted through role in the virus's ability to infect host cells.
the bite of infected tsetse flies. o Neuraminidase: An enzyme that facilitates the
• Symptoms: If left untreated, HAT is typically fatal. release of newly formed viruses from infected cells.
Symptoms include: Spread Factors:
o Fatigue • Transmission Dynamics: The precise causes of H5N2
o Headaches outbreaks are not fully understood; however, several
o Severe cases may lead to coma factors contribute to its spread:
Chad: o Migratory Bird Movements: Migration patterns of
• Geography: Chad is a landlocked country located in wild birds can facilitate the transmission of H5N2 to
north-central Africa, primarily consisting of semi- domestic poultry.
desert terrain. o Interactions with Domestic Poultry: Close contact
• Capital: N'Djamena between wild birds and domestic fowl can lead to
• Borders: It shares borders with Sudan, Niger, Libya, outbreaks.
and the Central African Republic. • Environmental Changes: Shifts in environmental
• Major Rivers: Chari and Logone conditions affecting bird migration routes and
• Highest Point: Mount Koussi behaviors can also influence the spread of H5N2,
Forms of HAT: There are two forms of HAT, classified similar to patterns observed with H5N1.
based on the subspecies of the parasite: Human Transmission:
1. Trypanosoma brucei gambiense: Accounts for • Rarity of Cases: Instances of human contraction of
92% of reported cases. H5N2 are uncommon. Nonetheless, the potential for
the virus to mutate could increase its transmissibility
among humans while retaining its pathogenic

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

severity. alcohol by volume (ABV). Examples include rum,

Health Impacts: vodka, whisky, and gin.
• Symptoms: Infection with avian influenza viruses • Hooch (Spurious Liquor):
can lead to a spectrum of health issues in humans, o Definition: Hooch refers to poor-quality alcohol or
ranging from mild to severe upper respiratory tract alcohol meant to intoxicate, often produced crudely.
illnesses. Other documented health effects include: o Production: Made by distilling locally available
o Conjunctivitis
ingredients, it may contain industrial-grade methanol
o Gastrointestinal Symptoms
to enhance potency.
o Encephalitis and Encephalopathy
• Fatalities: The infection has the potential to result What is Methanol?
in fatalities, particularly in vulnerable populations. • Chemical Formula: Methanol (CH₃OH) consists of
Diagnosis: one carbon atom, three hydrogen atoms, and one
• Molecular Techniques: The diagnosis of H5N2 is hydroxyl group.
typically conducted using Real-Time Polymerase • Production: It is synthesized by combining carbon
Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), a sensitive and specific monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of catalysts
molecular method. at high pressures and temperatures.
Treatment: • Uses: Methanol serves industrial purposes, such as
• Antiviral Medications: Treatment for H5N2 a precursor to acetic acid, formaldehyde, and as a
infection includes antiviral medications, especially solvent or antifreeze.
neuraminidase inhibitors like:
Laws and Regulations:
o Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
• Indian Penal Code (IPC): Sections 272 and 273 of the
o Zanamivir (Relenza)
IPC classify the manufacture or sale of noxious food
• These medications can shorten the duration of viral
replication and alleviate symptoms. or drink and impose penalties.
Toxicity of Methanol:
• Toxic Effects: Methanol is highly toxic, particularly
19. METHANOL POISONING to the eyes, and can lead to:
Recent Incident: A recent incident in Kallakurichi o Blindness
district, Tamil Nadu, has led to 34 deaths and severe o Death
injuries due to the consumption of spurious liquor • Symptoms of Poisoning: Initial symptoms may
contaminated with methanol. include headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting,
Context and Regulation: abdominal pain, and difficulty in breathing.
• Liquor Control in Tamil Nadu: Liquor sales are • Severe Consequences: Untreated methanol
regulated by the state, with around 5,000 licensed poisoning can result in metabolic acidosis and central
outlets. nervous system (CNS) depression, leading to death.
• The manufacture, trade, storage, and sale of Remedial Measures:
methanol require specific licenses under the 1959 • Medical Treatment: Patients with methanol
Rules. poisoning require immediate medical attention and
Understanding Alcoholic Beverages: interventions such as:
• Production Process: o Administering ethanol as an antidote
o Fermentation: All alcoholic beverages are produced o Supportive care
by fermenting sugary substances into ethanol and o Hemodialysis in severe cases
carbon dioxide. • Preventive Actions:
o Distillation: This process increases the alcohol o Government actions include increased vigilance
concentration, yielding beverages with over 38% against illicit liquor production and consumption.

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

o Public awareness campaigns to inform citizens About Plutonium-240 and its Fission:
about the dangers of spurious liquor and methanol • Neutron Capture: When a Pu-239 nucleus captures
poisoning. a neutron, it can undergo fission or transform into Pu-
240. Pu-240 is commonly found in nuclear reactors
and in fallout from nuclear weapon tests.
20. PLUTONIUM ISOTOPE: CONTEXT AND • Behavior of Pu-240: Upon capturing a neutron, Pu-
SIGNIFICANCE 240 typically transforms into Pu-241. Its fission
Recent Developments: A recent study in the United energy output is uncertain, leading to reliance on
States on the Prompt Fission Neutron Spectrum complex models for estimations.
(PFNS) is crucial for enhancing the design of India's • Production: Plutonium is produced from Uranium-
second stage in its nuclear power program. 238 in nuclear reactors. Pu-239 serves as a fissile
material for nuclear weapons, while both Pu-239 and
Understanding Prompt Fission Neutron Spectrum Pu-240 are by-products of nuclear reactor operations
(PFNS): and bomb detonations.
• Definition: PFNS refers to the neutrons emitted
immediately after a Pu-240 nucleus captures a Fission and Fusion Overview:
neutron but before it stabilizes. • Nuclear Fission:
• Previous Research: Historically, only one study o Fission occurs when a neutron collides with a large
focused on the PFNS for Pu-240 fission at 0.85 mega- atom, causing it to split into two smaller atoms,
electronvolt (MeV). The recent U.S. study employed known as fission products. This triggers a chain
higher neutron energy levels, contributing to a reaction, releasing substantial energy.
deeper understanding of neutron behavior. o Preferred Fuels: Uranium and Plutonium are
favored as fission fuels in nuclear reactors due to
Isotopes: their initiation and control ease. The energy released
• Definition: Isotopes are atoms of the same element from fission heats water into steam, which drives
with identical numbers of protons (atomic number, turbines to generate carbon-free electricity.
“Z”) but differing numbers of neutrons, resulting in • Nuclear Fusion:
varying mass numbers (“A”). For example, hydrogen o Fusion involves the collision of two atoms to form
has three isotopes: 1H, 2H, and 3H. a heavier atom, akin to the sun’s energy production.
• Significant Findings: The study revealed substantial This process generates significantly more energy than
discrepancies between predicted and measured fission.
PFNS, providing essential insights for reactor
designers and nuclear medicine practitioners. Relevance of PFNS Study to India’s Prototype Fast
Breeder Reactor (PFBR):
Experimental Findings: • Usage of PFBR: The PFBR utilizes plutonium from
• Research Location: Experiments were conducted at CANDU reactor spent fuel, which contains Pu-240.
the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE). Reprocessed spent fuel from the PFBR will also
• Methodology: Researchers exposed a pure Pu-240 contain Pu-240.
sample to neutrons ranging from 0.01 to 800 MeV. • Importance: Understanding the behavior of Pu-240
• Detection Technique: Liquid scintillators were used is crucial for enhancing reactor efficiency and safety.
to detect emitted particles, employing a small Pu-240
sample to minimize alpha particle emissions. Characteristics of Pu-240:
• Measurement Focus: The primary aim was to • Formation of Pu-239: Pu-239 forms when U-238
measure the energies of neutrons and other fission absorbs neutrons in a reactor. Over time, Pu-239
products, particularly neutron-induced fission data. captures more neutrons, gradually transforming into
Pu-240.

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

• Instant Fission: Pu-240 undergoes spontaneous • Superior Elastic Modulus: These fibers exhibit
fission, emitting alpha particles, making it a remarkable stiffness, comparable to or exceeding
contaminant in weapons-grade plutonium (typically that of metals like aluminum and steel.
kept below 7% concentration). • Minimal Thermal Expansion: Carbon fibers
• Reactor-Grade Classification: Plutonium containing undergo minimal expansion or contraction with
over 19% Pu-240 is classified as reactor-grade. temperature changes, making them ideal for high-
temperature applications.
21. CARBON FIBER AND PREPREGS Pre-preg Carbon Fiber:
Context: Recently, the Vice-President of India visited • Definition: Pre-preg carbon fiber refers to
the National Aerospace Limited (NAL) facilities in unidirectional carbon fiber sheets that have been
Bengaluru, where he laid the foundation stone for the impregnated with resin prior to use. This allows for
Centre for Carbon Fiber and Prepregs. enhanced performance and ease of manufacturing in
various applications.
22. NATIONAL AEROSPACE LABORATORIES (NAL)
• About: Established in 1959 by the Council of 23. PRAGATI-2024: PHARMA RESEARCH IN
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), NAL is a AYURGYAN AND TECHNO INNOVATION
premier research organization in India focused on Context: The Central Council for Research in
aerospace research. Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) has recently launched
• Goal: NAL's primary aim is to develop civilian “PRAGATI-2024” (Pharma Research in AyurGyan And
aircraft in India, collaborating closely with Hindustan Techno Innovation) to promote research and
Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Defence Research and innovation in the field of Ayurveda.
Development Organisation (DRDO), and Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO). PRAGATI-2024:
• About:
Centre for Carbon Fiber and Prepregs: o PRAGATI-2024 aims to foster collaborative research
• Establishment: In 2003, CSIR-NAL established an initiatives between CCRAS and the Ayurvedic
integrated facility dedicated to carbon fiber and pharmaceutical industry.
prepregs, aiming to indigenize carbon fiber o The program seeks to encourage innovation and
development from polyacrylonitrile-based precursor promote growth within the Ayurveda sector.
fiber.
Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences
Carbon Fiber: (CCRAS):
• Definition: Carbon fiber is produced by heating • Overview:
carbon fibers at high temperatures in the absence of o CCRAS is an autonomous body under the Ministry
air. This process removes impurities and non-carbon of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani,
elements, resulting in a high-strength, low-weight Siddha, and Homeopathy), Government of India.
material. • Foundation:
• Dependency: Currently, India relies entirely on o Established in 1978, its primary mission is to
imports of carbon fiber from countries such as the organize, coordinate, and promote research in
U.S., France, Japan, and Germany. Ayurveda.
Properties of Carbon Fibers: Achievements of CCRAS:
• Exceptional Strength-to-Weight Ratio: Carbon • Ayurvedic Formulation Development:
fibers have tensile strengths that surpass those of o CCRAS has successfully developed various
steel while being significantly lighter. significant Ayurvedic formulations and technologies

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

that have been patented and commercialized.  Sweden

• Ayurveda Morbidity Codes:  United Kingdom
o The council has introduced morbidity codes and o Additionally, the European Space Agency (ESA)
standardized terminologies to create uniformity in signed the charter as an International Organisation.
Ayurvedic practice. • Significance:
• AYUSH Research Portal: o The charter will reinforce the commitment of these
o An extensive repository of Ayurvedic research that countries to the long-term sustainability of human
includes data on medications, case reports, and activities in Earth orbit.
clinical trials.
What is Space Debris?
• Definition:
24. TWELVE NATIONS SIGNED ZERO DEBRIS
o Space debris refers to all non-functional, artificial
CHARTER
objects in Earth orbit or those re-entering the Earth's
Context: Recently, twelve nations signed the Zero
Debris Charter at the ESA/EU Space Council, atmosphere, including fragments and elements.
committing to make space activities debris neutral by • Monitoring:
2030. o Space debris is tracked using radar and optical
detectors.
About the Zero Debris Charter:
• Objective:
o The charter aims to establish a global consensus on 25. KESSLER SYNDROME
space sustainability and promote measures to • Overview:
mitigate space debris. o Kessler Syndrome describes a scenario where one
• Overview: satellite's debris collides with another, potentially
o This initiative is a world-leading effort to achieve causing a chain reaction that could destroy all orbiting
debris neutrality in space by 2030. objects in low Earth orbit (LEO). This results in a dense
o It was unveiled during the ESA Space Summit in cloud of debris traveling at high speeds.
Seville in November 2023. • Current Situation:
• Goals: o Human-made space debris significantly exceeds the
o The charter emphasizes the need for a diverse natural meteoroid environment.
range of space entities to define ambitious and o ESA estimates over one million pieces of space
measurable space debris mitigation and remediation debris larger than one cm are currently in Earth orbit,
targets. each capable of causing catastrophic damage to
• Countries Involved: space assets.
o The nations that have pledged to adhere to the • Risks:
charter include: o If immediate action is not taken to improve space
 Austria sustainability, the exponential growth of debris poses
 Belgium an increasing risk to satellites and astronauts,
 Cyprus potentially making certain orbits unusable.
 Estonia
 Germany
 Lithuania
 Poland
 Portugal
 Romania
 Slovakia

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26. INDIA’S EFFORTS TO MITIGATE SPACE DEBRIS o Altruism is characterized as the selfless act of
• Debris-Free Space Missions (DFSM) by 2030: helping others without any expectation of reward in
o The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is return. This behavior is prevalent across numerous
committed to designing all future space missions to species in nature.
be debris-free by 2030. • Examples:
• System for Safe & Sustainable Space Operations o Worker Honey Bees: They sacrifice their own
Management (IS4OM): reproductive capabilities to care for the queen and
o This initiative aims to enhance the safety and her offspring.
sustainability of space operations. o Meerkats: These animals often take on sentinel
• Space Situational Awareness Control Centre roles, alerting their clan to potential threats, thereby
(SSACC): prioritizing the safety of their group over their
o ISRO has established the SSACC to protect its high- individual safety.
value assets from potential collisions with inactive
satellites, pieces of orbiting debris, and near-Earth
28. FOG COMPUTING
asteroids.
• About: A decentralized computing structure that
extends cloud capabilities to the edge of an
27. GREEN-BEARD GENES enterprise network.
Context: Recent research has explored the intriguing • Edge and Cloud Analytics: Facilitates short-term
phenomenon of altruism across various species, analytics at the edge, while resource-intensive
particularly focusing on its genetic and behavioral analytics are handled by the cloud.
foundations. One key area of investigation centers on • Key Distinction: Unlike edge computing, which
social amoebae like Dictyostelium discoideum,
processes data closer to devices, fog computing
shedding light on the evolution of cooperative
involves intermediary nodes at the network’s edge.
behavior in nature.
• Applications: Connected Cars, Smart Cities,
Key Findings: Industrial IoT, Connected Health, AR/VR.
• Genetic Basis:
o Researchers have identified "green-beard" genes 29. SUPTECH
that enable individuals to recognize and cooperate
• About: Supervisory technology (SupTech) utilizes AI
with others carrying the same gene variant. This
and data analytics to oversee financial institutions.
mechanism fosters altruism and prevents
exploitation within groups. • Functions: Enables efficient data collection and
• Tgr Genes: analysis for compliance monitoring.
o Two specific genes, tgrB1 and tgrC1, are
instrumental in regulating altruistic behavior in
30. NEWS IN SHORTS
Dictyostelium discoideum. They facilitate cell
Hydrogen Line
recognition and cooperation among kin, enhancing
• About: A key instrument in modern astronomy for
the effectiveness of altruistic actions.
studying distant stars and searching for
• Broader Implications:
extraterrestrial intelligence.
o These discoveries contribute to a deeper
• Spin Alignment: Hydrogen atoms can be in aligned
understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying
or anti-aligned spin states, affecting energy levels.
altruism and the evolution of cooperation and
• Hydrogen Line Emission: When electrons flip spins,
sociality across various species.
they emit energy as electromagnetic radiation,
creating the characteristic 21 cm "hydrogen line."
About Altruism:
• Discovery: Identified in 1951, it transformed radio
• Definition:

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

astronomy and allows detection of cold, neutral Atlas V Rocket

hydrogen in interstellar space. • About: A reusable rocket system launched by
United Launch Alliance for various missions, including
Phenome India NASA's crewed missions.
• Update: CSIR’s ‘Phenome India’ project has • Boeing Starliner: A spacecraft designed for carrying
successfully collected 10,000 samples. astronauts, set to launch on its first crewed mission.
• Aim: Focuses on advancing precision medicine
through predictive, personalized, participatory, and Xylitol
preventive healthcare. • Study Findings: Xylitol, an artificial sweetener, may
increase the risk of blood clots and cardiovascular
PraVaHa issues.
• About: ISRO has developed PraVaHa, a CFD • Properties: Low-calorie and blood-sugar-friendly
software for aerospace vehicle aero-thermodynamic but can induce hypercoagulability leading to severe
analysis. health risks.
• Function: Simulates flows on various launch and re-
entry vehicles. Divya Drishti
• CFD Tool: Predicts aerodynamic and aerothermal • Development: Ingenious Research Solutions
loads using conservation equations. created an AI tool combining facial recognition with
gait analysis.
DigiYatra • Biometric Authentication: Enhances identification
• About: A facial-recognition check-in service for accuracy across sectors like Defence and Law
airports, potentially expanding to hotels and public Enforcement.
places. • Support: Backed by DRDO’s Technology
• Aim: Streamlines passenger processing and Development Fund to promote innovation in the
integrates digital identities for a unified travel defence sector.
experience.

Purple Rain Students Notes :

• Discovery: NASA’s MAVEN orbiter captured purple
auroras on Mars, differing from Earth's due to Mars’
lack of a magnetic field.
• Auroras: Result from solar particles interacting with
the atmosphere; on Mars, they can engulf the entire
planet.
• MAVEN Findings: Highlights significant atmospheric
loss on Mars due to solar winds.

TRISHNA Mission
• Announcement: ISRO's TRISHNA is a joint infrared
earth observation mission with France.
• Objectives: Aims to monitor surface temperature
and water management, addressing extreme heat
issues.
• Launch: Tentative launch in 2025 with a mission
lifespan of 5 years.

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

HISTORY o A notable trident carving, associated with the Iron

Age, indicates the site's enduring relevance across
various historical periods.
1. NEOLITHIC AGE ROCK CARVINGS DISCOVERY IN
• Early Settlers:
GOA o The presence of the Dhawad community, as one of
Context: Recent discoveries in Mauxi village, located the early settlers and skilled ironsmiths, adds depth
in the Sattari taluka of Goa, have unveiled ancient to the historical narrative, despite their eventual
rock carvings along the Zarme riverbed, marking the displacement by subsequent groups.
area as a significant archaeological site.

Key Findings about the Rock Carvings 3. BIRSA MUNDA’S 124TH DEATH ANNIVERSARY
• Depictions: Context: On June 9, 2024, India commemorates the
o The carvings feature various animals, including 124th death anniversary of Birsa Munda, a revered
zebus, bulls, and antelopes, along with footprints and tribal leader and freedom fighter who passed away at
cupules (circular indentations). the young age of 25 on June 9, 1900.
o The cupules are indicative of the community's role
in discovering and utilizing historical artifacts. Early Life and Background
• Significance of Rock Etchings: • About:
o Approximately 20 rock carvings were found, o Birsa Munda was a prominent tribal leader and
employing bruising techniques alongside religious reformer from the Munda tribe of
contemporary tools recovered from the riverbed. Chotanagpur, a region now divided between
o These findings underscore the historical importance Jharkhand and Odisha.
of the site and its connection to Neolithic practices. • Birth:
o He was born on November 15, 1875, in Ulihatu, a
2. DHAWAD COMMUNITY village in the Mundari princely state of Khunti.
• About: • Condition of Tribals:
o The Dhawad community is part of the Tirole-Kunbi o Birsa grew up during a period when the Munda
group, primarily residing in Maharashtra, India. This community faced severe exploitation and
subset of the Kunbi Tirole caste is predominantly displacement due to British colonial rule, along with
agricultural, located in the Khandesh region. pressures from moneylenders and zamindars (dikus).
• Mysterious Cupules: • Death:
o A significant feature is a rock with cupules found o It is believed he died in Ranchi Jail due to an illness,
near the Puravati Temple. Initially interpreted to marking a tragic end to his short life.
represent a star constellation with 27 cupules, it was
later revealed to contain 31 cupules, sparking interest What was the Ulgulan Movement?
in their possible meanings. • The Ulgulan movement of 1899, also known as The
o The precise purpose of these cupules remains Great Tumult, was a significant uprising that
unknown, adding to the mystery of the site. employed guerrilla warfare against colonial powers to
reclaim tribal lands and rights.
Significance of the Findings • Leadership and Resistance:
• Neolithic Origins: o Birsa encouraged the tribal population to refuse to
o The Archaeological Survey of India has confirmed follow colonial laws and to stop paying rent to their
the Neolithic origins of the carvings, an era crucial for oppressors.
the domestication of cattle, marking a turning point • Influences:
in human history. o He spent most of his formative years (1886-1890) in
• Trident Carving: Chaibasa, closely observing the Sardari agitation that

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

sought to address the grievances of the tribal Students Notes :

communities.
• Birsa emerged as a unifying figure, galvanizing the
Munda people to unite against oppression and fight
for their rights.
Religious Reform Movement
• Founding of Birsait:
o In the late 19th century, Birsa founded a new
religious movement known as Mundaism, Kisangism,
or the Birsait Sect.
• Spiritual Leadership:
o As the leader of the Birsait faith, he gained a God-
like status among his followers, earning titles like
‘Bhagwan’ (God) and ‘Dharti ka Abba’ (father of the
earth).
• Objectives:
o This movement aimed to revive traditional Munda
customs and beliefs, fostering a sense of unity among
the Munda people to resist their oppressors
effectively.

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• Sources : The Hindu, Indian Express, Times
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INDIAN SOCIETY 43rd.

• Bottom Rankers:
o Sudan was ranked last (146th) on the index, while
1. GLOBAL GENDER GAP INDEX
Pakistan slipped three places to 145th.
Context: India has recently fallen two positions in the
World Economic Forum's (WEF) Global Gender Gap
Index, now ranking at 129th place. 2. REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN THE NEW LOK
SABHA
About the Global Gender Gap Index Context: The 18th Lok Sabha will comprise 74 women
• Purpose: Members of Parliament (MPs), representing 13.63%
o The Global Gender Gap Index benchmarks the of the elected strength of the Lower House. This is a
current state and progress of gender parity across decrease from 78 women MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha.
various countries.
• History: Women Profile in the 18th Lok Sabha
o It is the longest-standing index, tracking gender • Candidate Profile:
gaps since its inception in 2006. o In the 2024 elections, 10% of the 8,360 candidates
• Publisher: were women, totaling 797 female candidates.
o The index is published by the World Economic o This marks the first instance where the proportion
Forum (WEF). of women candidates reached 10%.
• Scoring System: • Representation Over the Years:
o Scores are measured on a 0-100 scale, indicating the o First Lok Sabha (1952): Women comprised only
percentage of the gender gap that has been closed, 4.41% of the strength of the Lower House.
with higher scores reflecting greater gender parity. o Lowest Representation: In the 1971 Lok Sabha, the
• Analysis: representation of women dropped to just 3.51%.
o The index examines a subset of 101 countries that o Peak Representation: The highest recorded
have been consistently included in every edition since representation was 14.36% during the 17th Lok Sabha
2006. in 2019.
• International Comparison:
Findings Related to India o In South Africa, women constitute 46% of MPs.
• Current Status: o In the UK, the representation is 35%.
o In 2024, India has closed 64.1% of its gender gap but o In the US, women hold 29% of the parliamentary
has regressed from 127th place to 129th. seats.
• Reasons for Rank Lowering:
o The decline in rank is attributed to slight decreases
in ‘Educational Attainment’ and ‘Political 3. CHILD NUTRITION REPORT 2024
Empowerment’, while ‘Economic Participation and Context: Recently, UNICEF released the “Child
Opportunity’ saw a minor improvement. Nutrition Report 2024,” titled “Child Food Poverty:
Nutrition Deprivation in Early Childhood.”
Global Rankings
• Top Rankers: Key Findings of the Child Nutrition Report 2024
o Iceland retained its top position, followed by • High Food Poverty:
Finland, Norway, New Zealand, and Sweden in the o Globally, one in four children are experiencing
top five. severe child food poverty in early childhood. This
o The majority of the top ten most gender-equal translates to approximately 181 million children
countries are located in Europe, with Ireland and under the age of 5 years living in such conditions.
Spain re-entering the top ten this year. • Major Drivers of Severe Child Food Poverty:
o The U.K. was ranked 14th, while the USA stood at o Poor Food Environments: Many children are

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

surrounded by food environments that do not • Causes of Premature Male Death:

promote healthy nutrition. o The research identifies cancer, heart disease, and
o Poor Feeding Practices: Inadequate and ineffective road injuries as primary contributors to premature
feeding practices in early childhood contribute to male deaths.
malnutrition. o Lifestyle-related comorbidities also play a
o Household Income Poverty: Families facing significant role.
economic hardships are unable to provide sufficient • Women’s Health Challenges:
and nutritious food for their children. o In 2021, the Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY)
o Failing Systems: The existing food, health, and rates for females were over a third higher than for
social protection systems are inadequate in ensuring males (1,265 vs. 787 DALYs per 100,000). In South
children’s rights to good food and nutrition. Asia, this gap was even more pronounced, exceeding
o Conflicts and Shocks: 50% (1,292 vs. 598 DALYs per 100,000).
 Global food and nutrition crises, along with • Rise of Mental Health Cases Among Women:
localized conflicts and climate-related shocks, are o The health loss attributed to depressive disorders
worsening the situation, particularly in fragile was over a third higher among females than males,
countries. with rates of 1,019 vs. 671 DALYs per 100,000
globally.

4. WOMEN OFTEN OUTLIVE MEN BUT IN POORER

HEALTH: LANCET STUDY 5. DIGITAL HEALTH INCENTIVE SCHEME (DHIS)
Context: A recent analysis by Lancet Public Health Context: The Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS),
highlights significant gender disparities in health initiated by the central government, has been
outcomes, revealing that while women generally extended for an additional year, now running until
outlive men, they often do so in poorer health. June 30, 2025. It was originally launched on January
1, 2023.
Key Highlights of the Report
• Gender Disparities in Disease Burden: More on the Scheme
o In 2021, men accounted for a substantial burden • Objective:
from 13 out of the top 20 causes of disease, including o The DHIS aims to digitize patients’ health records
COVID-19, road injuries, and various cardiovascular, and link them with the Ayushman Bharat Digital
respiratory, and liver diseases. Health Account (ABHA ID).
o These conditions significantly contributed to o It promotes digital health transactions in India and
premature deaths among men. incentivizes healthcare providers to adopt digital
• Global Trends in Women’s Health: health solutions.
o In contrast, women predominantly faced non-life- • Launched by:
threatening conditions, such as musculoskeletal o The scheme is spearheaded by the National Health
issues, mental health disorders, and headache Authority (NHA).
disorders. • Incentive Structure:
• COVID-19 Impact: o The scheme incentivizes hospitals, clinics, nursing
o COVID-19 was the leading cause of health loss homes, diagnostic labs, and pharmacies by providing
globally in 2021, with men experiencing a 45% higher ₹20 for each additional record digitized beyond a
health loss from the virus compared to women. threshold of 100 transactions per month.
• Gender Disparity in Ischaemic Heart Disease: o Both public and private healthcare institutions, as
o Ischaemic heart disease ranked second regarding well as Digital Solution Companies (DSCs), can
the absolute difference in health loss between participate, with the potential to earn incentives of
genders, with males suffering 45% higher health loss up to ₹4 crores.
than females.

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6. AYUSHMAN BHARAT DIGITAL HEALTH ACCOUNT Students Notes :

(ABHA ID)
• Definition:
o The ABHA ID is a unique 14-digit identification
number that allows individuals to store and share
their medical records digitally, akin to an Aadhaar ID.
• Functionality:
o This ID integrates with the digital infrastructure of
hospitals, enabling secure storage, access, and
sharing of healthcare records, including doctor’s
prescriptions and diagnostic test results.

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• Month-wise Video Lectures + Study
material + 10 Mock Tests.
• 1 Year Complete Current Affairs with 2
Years Validity.
• Emphasis on Linking Current Affairs with
Static Syllabus.
• Sources : The Hindu, Indian Express, Times
of India , AIR, Rajya Sabha, PIB, Down To
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WORLD & INDIAN GEOGRAPHY o Recent Usage: Only Sikkim and

Himachal Pradesh accessed NDRF in FY
2023-24.
1. EARTH'S INNER CORE IS SLOWING DOWN
• Context: A study in Nature reveals Earth's inner
core has slowed since 2010, potentially affecting 2. BAYESIAN CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORK
day length. (BCNN)
• Key Findings: • Context: INCOIS developed BCNN, a tool for
o Research Team: Conducted by University predicting El Niño and La Niña phases.
of Southern California, using seismic data • Overview:
and historical nuclear tests. o Predictive Functionality: Can forecast
o Reason: Linked to outer core dynamics climate patterns up to 15 months in
affecting the magnetic field. advance using oceanic and atmospheric
• Implications: data.
o Impact on Magnetic Field: Inner core's • Operational Details:
rotation is crucial for generating the o Prediction Mechanism: Based on the Niño
magnetic field, which protects against 3.4 index, crucial for understanding ENSO
solar radiation. dynamics.
o Potential Consequences: Changes could
alter Earth's magnetic properties and
affect climate and weather. 3. MOUNT IBU
Not a Notified Disaster • Context: Recent eruption of Mount Ibu in
• Context: There are calls to classify heatwaves Indonesia highlights ongoing volcanic activity.
as a Notified Disaster under the Disaster • About Mount Ibu:
Management Act, 2005, amid extreme heat in o Type: Active stratovolcano.
India. o Volcanic Activity: Indonesia, part of the
• Current Situation: Pacific "Ring of Fire," has 127 active
o Temperature Trends: Increase of 10- volcanoes.
22 above-normal heatwave days • Features of Stratovolcanoes:
reported in northern, eastern, and o Distinct Shape: Conical shape from layers
central India. of volcanic material.
o Significance: Notified status would o Varied Slopes: Steep slopes, summit
allow states to use State Disaster craters, and calderas.
Response Funds for heatwave-related o Composition: Alternating layers of lava,
relief. ash, and tephra.
• About Notified Disasters: • Geographical Location: Above subduction zones;
o Definition: A disaster causing prevalent in the Pacific "Ring of Fire."
significant loss of life, property, or • Examples: Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia.
environmental damage.
o Current Categories: 12 disasters listed,
4. CAMPI FLEGREI
including cyclones, drought, and
• Context: A magnitude 4.4 earthquake near Campi
earthquakes.
Flegrei, Italy, signals increased seismic activity.
• Funding Mechanism:
• About Campi Flegrei:
o Disaster Response Funds: States
o Location: Volcanic region near Naples.
access National Disaster Response
o Characteristics: Composed of multiple
Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster
volcanic centers within a large caldera.
Response Fund (SDRF).

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DELHI UPSC SECRETS JUNE 2024 CURRENT AFFAIRS

o Formation: Formed by a significant • Role in Earth's History: Crucial in the Great

eruption 39,000 years ago. Oxygenation Event, which enriched Earth's
o Concerns: Bradyseism indicates surface atmosphere with oxygen.
shifts due to underground magma
changes. Great Oxygenation Event
Reason Behind Abundance of Volcanoes in • Overview: Approximately 2.4 billion years
Italy ago, cyanobacteria emitted oxygen, leading to
• Tectonic Setting: Italy's volcanoes are due to a significant atmospheric shift.
the African Plate subducting beneath the Significance of Stromatolites
Eurasian Plate. • Insights into Early Life: Evidence of ancient
microbial communities.
• Environmental Reconstruction: Help
5. STROMATOLITES
understand past climates and ocean
• Context: Discovery of living stromatolites on
chemistry.
Sheybarah Island, Saudi Arabia.
• Astrobiological Relevance: Inform searches
• What are Stromatolites?:
for life on other planets.
o Definition: Layered limestone structures
Stromatolite Deposits in India
formed by cyanobacteria.
• Locations:
o Origins: Prevalent during the Precambrian
o Vindhyan Supergroup: Rich in
era.
stromatolites, some dating back 2.5
o Formation: Cyanobacteria trap sediment,
billion years.
creating layered structures.
o Bhima Basin: Various stromatolite
o Habitat: Abundant in Shark Bay, Australia,
formations.
due to high salt concentrations.
o Other Sites: Found in Rajasthan,
Chhattisgarh, and the Himalayas
Students Notes :

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