Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CSE
Topics Covered
- Health Star Rating
- Flash floods
- Green Hydrogen
- Genetic Modulation
- State of Environment Report
- Nepal’s new Citizenship Law
1 . Health star rating
Context: A new study in India has found that warning labels on food packets are most effective in helping consumers identify food Health Star Rating (HSR) format s high in sugar, saturated fat and sodium as compared to other labelling formats.
About Health Star Rating System
- FSSAI decided to adopt the “health-star rating system” for packaged foods just like the bureau of energy efficiency has for electronic appliances.
- As per the ‘Health Star’ rating system, packaged foods will display the number of stars on the front of the pack, indicating how healthy or unhealthy it is depending upon the amount of salt, sugar and fat it has.
- Health star rating was one of five types of labels that were considered, including traffic light signs, a nutrition score and warning symbols.
- The HSR format ranks a packaged food item based on salt, sugar, and fat content and the rating will be printed on the front of the package.
- The decision was based on the recommendations of a study by the IIM-Ahmedabad the regulator had commissioned in September 2021.
Key highlights of the study
- The report was published in open access journal Nutrients, and it is the first peer-reviewed paper on the subject in an Indian context.
- It found that on most parameters, the Health Star Rating (HSR) format was least effective.
- The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of different labels in helping consumers correctly identify packaged products containing excess levels of nutrients of concern such as sugar, saturated fat and sodium.
- The study found that relative to a control label, many participants were able to identify a nutrient of concern when they were presented a packet with a warning label. HSR label performed the worst with only 45% being able to recognise the three nutrients of concern
- Warning labels outperformed other labels even where secondary outcomes were concerned.
- It also performed best on outcomes such as identifying products as unhealthy and making users concerned about health consequences.
- Study found that warning labels failed to reduce intentions to purchase unhealthy packaged products
Suggested measures
- India is undergoing a demographic transition and there is dominance of non-communicable diseases and multiple morbidities such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hence we need to adopt a suitable strategy based on evidence to make consumers aware of nutrients of concern.
- It is recommended to adopt warning labels.
- There is a need to reinforce any FOPL policy with a robust and focused communications campaign to increase consumer awareness and understanding.
2 . Flash Floods
Context: As many as 46 incidents of landslips, flash floods, cloudbursts and road accidents were reported in Himachal Pradesh in the past two days. Several rivers and rivulets are in spate even as the rain relatively relented. ₹232.31 crore had been released from the State Disaster Response Fund to the affected districts.
What are flash floods, and how are they different from floods in general?
- Excessive or continuous rainfall over a period of days, or during particular seasons can lead to stagnation of water and cause flooding.
- Flash floods occur when heavy rainfall exceeds the ability of the ground to absorb it.
- They also occur when water fills normally dry creeks or streams or enough water accumulates for streams to overtop their banks, causing rapid rises of water in a short amount of time.
- They can happen within minutes of the causative rainfall, limiting the time available to warn and protect the public.
- In India, flash floods are often associated with cloudbursts – sudden, intense rainfall in a short period of time.
Areas prone to flash floods
- Himalayan states face the challenge of overflowing glacial lakes, formed due to the melting of glaciers, and their numbers have been increasing in the last few years.
- Flash flooding commonly happens more where rivers are narrow and steep, so they flow more quickly.
- They can occur in urban areas located near small rivers, since hard surfaces such as roads and concrete do not allow the water to absorb into the ground.
How common are flash floods and floods?
- According to government data from a project by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, India is the worst flood-affected country in the world after Bangladesh and accounts for one-fifth of the global death count due to floods.
- Flash floods have been commonly witnessed in cities like Chennai and Mumbai. Depression and cyclonic storms in the coastal areas of Orissa, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and others also cause flash floods.
- Further, data from the National Disaster Management Authority states that one of the reasons for flood situations occurring so frequently is that nearly 75 per cent of the total Indian rainfall is concentrated over a short monsoon season of four months (June to September). As a result, the rivers witness a heavy discharge during these months.
- Flash floods may in the future, begin to take place after wildfires that have been taking place more frequently.
- This is because wildfires destroy forests and other vegetation, which in turn weakens the soil and makes it less permeable for water to seep through.
Way ahead
- One way of dealing with the current situation is a comprehensive strategy of monitoring ground in hilly areas, planning development works in a way that is sensitive to the region’s ecology, and mitigation to reduce the extent of damages.
3 . Green Hydrogen
Context: Larsen & Toubro, which commissioned its first green hydrogen plant at its complex in Gujarat, is in talks with a dozen companies for setting up similar units. As part of its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments, L&T is planning to achieve water neutrality by 2035 and carbon neutrality by 2040, making green hydrogen an integral part of its clean fuel adoption policy.
What is green hydrogen?
- Green hydrogen is hydrogen gas produced through the electrolysis of water — an energy-intensive process for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen— using renewable power to achieve this.
- Hydrogen can be ‘grey’ and ‘blue’ too.
- Grey hydrogen is generated through fossil fuels such as coal and gas and currently accounts for 95% of the total production in South Asia.
- Blue hydrogen, too, is produced using electricity generated by burning fossil fuels but with technologies to prevent the carbon released in the process from entering the atmosphere.
Hydrogen as clean energy
- Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element in nature.
- As noted by the IEA, the global demand for hydrogen for use as a fuel has tripled since 1975 and reached 70 million tonnes a year in 2018.
- In addition, green hydrogen is a clean energy source that only emits water vapour and leaves no residue in the air, unlike coal and oil.
- Hydrogen has a long-standing relationship with industry. This gas has been used to fuel cars, airships and spaceships since the beginning of the 19th century.
- The decarbonisation of the world economy will give hydrogen more prominence.
- If its production costs fall by 50 % by 2030, as predicted by the World Hydrogen Council, it can surely be one of the fuels of the future.
Advantages of Green Hydrogen
- 100 % sustainable: green hydrogen does not emit polluting gases either during combustion or during production.
- Storable: hydrogen is easy to store, which allows it to be used subsequently for other purposes and at times other than immediately after its production.
- Versatile: green hydrogen can be transformed into electricity or synthetic gas and used for commercial, industrial or mobility purposes.
Disadvantages
- High cost: energy from renewable sources, which are key to generating green hydrogen through electrolysis, is more expensive to generate, which in turn makes hydrogen more expensive to obtain.
- High energy consumption: the production of hydrogen in general and green hydrogen, in particular, requires more energy than other fuels.
- Safety issues: hydrogen is a highly volatile and flammable element and extensive safety measures are therefore required to prevent leakage and explosions.
Uses of Green hydrogen
- Hydrogen as a fuel is a reality in countries like the United States, Russia, China, France and Germany. Others like Japan are going even further and aspire to become a hydrogen economy.
- Electricity and drinking water generator : These two elements are obtained by reacting hydrogen and oxygen together in a fuel cell. This process has proved very useful on space missions, for example, by providing crews with water and electricity in a sustainable manner.
- Energy storage : Compressed hydrogen tanks are capable of storing energy for long periods of time and are also easier to handle than lithium-ion batteries because they are lighter.
- Transport and mobility : Hydrogen’s great versatility allows it to be used in those consumption niches that are very difficult to decarbonise, such as heavy transport, aviation and maritime transport.
Why is India pursuing green hydrogen?
- Under the Paris Agreement (a legally binding international treaty on climate change with the goal of limiting global warming to below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels) of 2015, India is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 33-35% from the 2005 levels.
- At the 2021 Conference of Parties in Glasgow, India reiterated its commitment to move from a fossil and import-dependent economy to a net-zero economy by 2070.
- India’s average annual energy import bill is more than $100 billion and the increased consumption of fossil fuel has made the country a high carbon dioxide (CO2) emitter, accounting for nearly 7% of the global CO2 burden.
- In order to become energy independent by 2047, the government stressed the need to introduce green hydrogen as an alternative fuel that can make India the global hub and a major exporter of hydrogen.
- The National Hydrogen Mission was launched on August 15, 2021, with a view to cutting down carbon emissions and increasing the use of renewable sources of energy.
4 . Genetic modulation
Context: Adding the second copy of one of its own genes has boosted the yield of a Chinese rice variety by up to 40%.
About the Research
- According to the report giving a Chinese rice variety a second copy of one of its own genes has boosted its yield by up to 40%.
- Second copy of a single gene (called OsDREB1C) is added to rice, it improves photosynthesis and nitrogen use, speeds up flowering and absorbing nitrogen more efficiently — offering larger and more abundant grains. The change helps the plant absorb more fertilizer, boosts photosynthesis, and accelerates flowering, all of which could contribute to larger harvests.
- The researchers have used Gene modulation technique unike genetic engineering
What is gene modulation
- Gene modulation refers to the process of temporarily altering gene expression levels without making heritable changes to the underlying cellular DNA.
- It differs from gene therapy in that gene modulation seeks to alter the expression of an endogenous gene (perhaps through the introduction of a gene encoding a novel modulatory protein) whereas gene therapy concerns the introduction of a gene whose product aids the recipient directly.
- Modulation of gene expression can be mediated at the level of transcription by DNA-binding agents (which may be artificial transcription factors), small molecules, or synthetic oligonucleotides. It may also be mediated post-transcriptionally through RNA interference.
Genetically engineered vs genetically modified
- Genetic modification refers to a range of methods (such as selection, hybridization, and induced mutation) used to alter the genetic composition of domesticated plants and animals to achieve a desired result.
- Genetic engineering is one type of genetic modification that involves the intentional introduction of a targeted change in a plant, animal, or microbial gene sequence to achieve a specific result.
Significance for India
- It is relevant to India as it wants to continue its world position in the production of rice and marketing.
- India has exempted crops with certain kinds of genetic modifications from the regulations previously imposed on the commercialisation of all genetically modified crops.
- For example, BT cotton involves the transfer of the gene from the bacterium called Bacillus thurigiensis (BT) to be transferred to normal cotton.
- India’s Agriculture Ministry has pointed out in 2019 that they have allowed transfer of this foreign gene to normal cotton, produce the BT cotton, which is then manufactured and sold both in India and abroad.
- India will import 1.2 million tons of genetically modified (GM) soyabeans for livestock feed.
- India has some excellent rice researchers located in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab and Haryana, and genetic engineers in several laboratories across the country.
- The Ministry of Agriculture can come together with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and nutritionists from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) can support these researchers to augment India’s role as the major rice exporter in the world.
5 . State of Environment report
Context: As Himachal Pradesh experiences the fury of nature in the form of landslides, cloud bursts, flash floods, snow avalanches and droughts year after year, natural hazards have become a matter of immediate concern, the hilly region’s latest State of Environment report shows.
About the report
- The report was released by the Department of Environment, Science and Technology.
Key Highlights of the Report
- Report points out that mountain areas are highly vulnerable to natural disasters, where development over the years has compounded the problem by upsetting the ecological balance of various physical processes.
- The increased pressure on the mountain environment has contributed in some measure to environmental problems such as landslides, land subsidence, removal of vegetation and soil erosion.
- According to one estimate, about 58.36% of the land is subjected to intense soil erosion, the majority of which is in the Himalayas and Himachal Pradesh, which forms part of the Western Himalayas, is environmentally fragile and ecologically vulnerable.
- Despite continuous efforts made by the Government to cope with natural hazards through relief and rehabilitation measures, landslides and snow avalanches continue to inflict widespread harm and damage to human life as well as property.
Vulnerability of Himachal Pradesh
- Himachal Pradesh is vulnerable to 25 out of 33 types of hazards identified by the Government of India.
- The fragile ecology of the mountain State (Himachal Pradesh) coupled with large variations in physio-climatic conditions has rendered it vulnerable to the vagaries of nature.
- Moreover, the State is also confronting the emerging threats of climate change, and man and animal conflict.
- The report asserts that an attempt was made to develop a vulnerability matrix for the State as a whole.
- Overall Vulnerability
- Very high vulnerable risk districts: Chamba, Kinnaur and Kullu, and parts of Kangra and Shimla, fall in the.
- High vulnerable risk districts: Kangra, Mandi, Una, Shimla, and Lahaul and Spiti.
- Moderate vulnerable r isk districts: Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Solan and Sirmour.
- A district-wise matrix was prepared by evaluating the risk severity.
- Earthquake vulnerability
- Very high vulnerability category: Districts of Kangra, Hamirpur and Mandi
- High earthquake vulnerability category: Chamba, Kullu Kinnaur, and a part of the Kangra and Shimla districts
- Moderate category: Una, Bilaspur, Sirmour and Solan
- Low vulnerable districts: Shimla, and Lahaul-Spiti
Landslide vulnerability
- High landslide vulnerability: Chamba, Kullu, Kinnaur, and parts of Kangra and Shimla districts
- Moderate landslide vulnerability: Kangra, Mandi, Bilaspur, Shimla, Sirmour, and Lahaul-Spiti districts.
- Low landslide vulnerability: Districts of Una, Hamirpur, and Solan.
Avalanche hazard vulnerability
- Very high vulnerability: Districts of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur
- Moderate vulnerable areas: Chamba, Kullu, and part of Kangra and Shimla
Flood hazard vulnerability
- High vulnerable category: Districts of Chamba, Kullu Una, and Kinnaur
- Moderate and low vulnerable category: Lahaul-Spiti, Mandi, Shimla, Kangra, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Solan, and Sirmour districts.
6 . Nepal’s new citizenship law
Context: Recently, Nepal President sent back the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2006 to the Pratinidhi Sabha (House of Representatives), the lower house of the Nepal Parliament, urging the members to reconsider the Act. Ahead of the election season, this clash between the President and the Pratinidhi Sabha has ignited a heated debate over the question of citizenship in Nepal.
What is the issue of citizenship in Nepal about?
- Nepal transitioned into a democracy beginning with the fall of the monarchy in 2006 and the subsequent election of the Maoist government in 2008.
- The emergence of the multiparty system was followed by the adoption of a constitution on September 20, 2015.
- All Nepalese citizens born before this date got naturalised citizenship.
- But their children remained without citizenship as that was to be guided by a federal law which has not yet been framed.
- This amendment Act is expected to pave the way to citizenship for many such stateless youth as well as their parents.
Issues with the Act
- The main criticism against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2006 is that it goes against established parameters of gender justice.
- A reading also reveals contradictions among various sections of the law.
- Article 11(2b): a person born to a father or a mother with Nepalese citizenship can get citizenship by descent.
- Article 11(5): a person who is born to a Nepalese mother (who has lived in the country) and an unidentified father will also get citizenship by descent.
- But this section appears humiliating for a mother as she has to declare that her husband is unidentified for the child to be eligible for citizenship. In the case of a Nepalese father, such declarations are not required.
- Article 11(7): a child born to a Nepalese mother and a father holding a foreign citizenship can get “naturalised citizenship” in accordance with the laws of Nepal appears to contradict Article 11(2b).
- It places a condition of permanent residency on the mother (and the child) which will determine the grant of citizenship for the child.
Why has the amendment been framed thus?
- There is a concern in the orthodox sections of the country that as Nepalese men, particularly from the Terai region, continue to marry women from northern India, Nepalese identity would be undermined.
- Because Nepalese men marrying Indian women issue, many women could not become citizens of Nepal as they were subjected to the infamous seven-year cooling off period before they could apply for citizenship in Nepal.
- As such women were stateless, children of such families were also often found to be without Nepalese citizenship.
- However, the new amendments have done away with the cooling off period for these stateless women. This will benefit the children of such families where the mother and children remained stateless for years. This has, however, created a division among the major political parties.
- The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) wanted to retain the cooling off period while the ruling Nepali Congress and the Maoist party supported the removal of the cooling off period.
- Despite support from the Madhesi parties, the inter-ethnic nature of the citizenship dispute has come to the surface because of the controversy triggered by the President’s rejection.