Current Affairs Chronicle: Unveiling the News of Today

 

Jallikattu 

About: 

• Jallikattu is a traditional sport that is popular in Tamil Nadu. 

• The sport involves releasing a wild bull into a crowd of people, and the participants attempt to grab the bull's hump and ride it for as long as possible or attempt to bring it under control. 

• It is celebrated in January, during the Tamil harvest festival, Pongal. 

Arguments in Favor of Practice: 

• Jallikattu is considered both a religious and cultural event in Tamil Nadu, celebrated by people regardless of their caste or creed. 

• The State government argues that instead of completely banning this centuries-old practice, it can be regulated and reformed as society progresses. 

• They believe that prohibiting Jallikattu would be seen as an attack on the culture and sentiments of the community. The government asserts that Jallikattu plays a role in conserving a valuable indigenous breed of livestock and that the event itself does not go against principles of compassion and humanity. 

Arguments in Opposition: 

• It is argued that all living beings, including animals, possess inherent liberty, as recognized by the Constitution. Jallikattu has resulted in deaths and injuries to both humans and bulls in various districts of the State.

• It has been observed that tamers often act aggressively towards the bulls, causing them extreme cruelty. 

• Critics compared Jallikattu to practices like sati and dowry, which were once considered part of culture but were abolished through legislation. 

Note: Kambala is a traditional buffalo race in paddy fields filled with slush and mud which generally takes place in coastal Karnataka (Udupi and Dakshina Kannada) from November to March. 

• The legislative intent of the Act is to “prevent the infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals”. 

• The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) was established in 1962 under Section 4 of the Act. 

• This Act provides for punishment for causing unnecessary cruelty and suffering to animals. The Act defines animals and different forms of animals. 

• Discusses different forms of cruelty, exceptions, and killing of a suffering animal in case any cruelty has been committed against it, to relieve it from further suffering. 

• Provides guidelines relating to experimentation on animals for scientific purposes. 

• The Act enshrines the provisions relating to the exhibition of performing animals, and offenses committed against the performing animals

Space Missions in 2024 

Context: 

• The year 2023 proved to be an important one for space missions, with NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission returning a sample from an asteroid and India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, and 2024 is shaping up to be another exciting year for space exploration. 

• Several new missions under NASA’s Artemis plan and Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative will target the moon. 

Space Missions Planned for 2024 Europa Clipper: 

• NASA will launch Europa Clipper, which will explore one of Jupiter’s largest moons, Europa. 

• Europa is slightly smaller than the Earth’s moon, with a surface made of ice. Beneath its icy shell, Europa likely harbors a saltwater ocean, which scientists expect contains over twice as much water as all the oceans here on Earth combined. With Europa Clipper, scientists want to investigate whether Europa’s ocean could be a suitable habitat for extraterrestrial life. 

• The mission plans to do this by flying past Europa nearly 50 times to study the moon’s icy shell, its surface’s geology, and its subsurface ocean. 

• The mission will also look for active geysers spewing out from Europa. 

Artemis II launch: 

• Artemis II, part of NASA's Artemis program, is a crewed lunar mission set to orbit the Moon, marking humanity's return since 1972. 

• The Artemis program is named after Apollo’s twin sister in Greek mythology. 

• Planned for a 10-day journey, it aims to validate systems for sustained lunar presence. 

• This pivotal mission, including the first woman and person of color, follows Artemis I's success, testing an uncrewed lunar capsule in late 2022. 

• Artemis II underscores NASA's commitment to lunar exploration, preparing for extended space habitation, and laying the groundwork for future missions to Mars. 

VIPER to Search for Water on the Moon: 

• VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover), is a robot the size of a golf cart that NASA will use to explore the moon’s south pole in late 2024. 

• This robotic mission is designed to search for volatiles, which are molecules that easily vaporize, like water and carbon dioxide, at lunar temperatures. 

• These materials could provide resources for future human exploration on the moon. 

• The VIPER robot will rely on batteries, heat pipes, and radiators throughout its 100-day mission, as it navigates everything from the extreme heat of lunar daylight – when temperatures can reach 224℉ (107 ℃) – to the moon’s frigid shadowed regions that can reach as low as -240℃. 

Lunar Trailblazer and PRIME-1 Missions: 

• NASA has recently invested in a class of small, low-cost planetary missions called SIMPLEx, which stands for Small, Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration. 

• These missions save costs by tagging along on other launches as what is called a rideshare, or secondary payload. 

• One example is the Lunar Trailblazer. Like VIPER, the Lunar Trailblazer will look for water on the moon. But while VIPER will land on the moon’s surface, studying a specific area near the south pole in detail. 

• Lunar Trailblazer will orbit the moon, measuring the temperature of the surface and mapping out the locations of water molecules across the globe. 

• The Lunar Trailblazer’s launch timing depends on the primary payload’s launch readiness.

• The PRIME-1 mission, scheduled for a mid-2024 launch, is Lunar Trailblazer’s ride. PRIME-1 will drill into the moon – it’s a test run for the kind of drill that VIPER will use. 

JAXA’s Martian Moon eXploration Mission: 

• The JAXA MMX mission concept to study Mars’ moons - Phobos and Deimos. 

• The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, has a robotic mission in development called the Martian Moon eXploration, or MMX, planned for launch around September 2024.

• The mission’s main science objective is to determine the origin of Mars’ moons. 

• Scientists aren’t sure whether Phobos and Deimos are former asteroids that Mars captured into orbit with its gravity or if they formed out of debris that was already in orbit around Mars. 

• The spacecraft will spend three years around Mars conducting science operations to observe Phobos and Deimos. MMX will also land on Phobos’ surface and collect a sample before returning to Earth. 

ESA’s Hera Mission: 

• It is a mission by the European Space Agency to return to the DidymosDimorphos asteroid system that NASA’s DART mission visited in 2022. 

• But DART didn’t just visit these asteroids, it collided with one of them to test a planetary defense technique called “kinetic impact”. 

• DART hit Dimorphos with such force that it changed its orbit. 

• The kinetic impact technique smashes something into an object to alter its path. This could prove useful if humanity ever finds a potentially hazardous object on a collision course with Earth and needs to redirect it. 

• Hera will launch in October 2024, making its way in late 2026 to Didymos and Dimorphos, where it will study the physical properties of the asteroids. 

ISRO’s Space Missions set for 2024 PSLV-C58 with XPoSat: 

• XPoSat, India's first X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite, was launched in January 2023 aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C58). 

• This mission aims to investigate the polarization of intense X-ray sources in the universe, focusing on pulsars, black hole X-ray binaries, and other celestial objects. 

NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR): 

• The NISAR, a collaborative mission between NASA and ISRO, is a dual-frequency synthetic aperture radar satellite designed for remote sensing, providing insights into various Earth systems including ecosystems, ice mass, vegetation biomass, and natural hazards 

Gaganyaan 1: 

• The Gaganyaan 1 mission is a critical step in India's Human Spaceflight Programme. 

• This test flight, involving three crew members, is a collaborative effort between ISRO and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to pave the way for Manned Space Exploration.

Mangalyaan-2 (MOM 2): 

• Mangalyaan-2, or Mars Orbiter Mission 2 (MOM 2), is ISRO's ambitious sequel to its successful Mars mission.

• This mission, aimed at studying the surface, atmosphere, and climatic conditions of Mars, will equip the orbiter spacecraft with advanced scientific instruments, including a hyperspectral camera, magnetometer, and radar. 

• MOM 2 is a testament to India's expanding prowess in planetary exploration. 

Shukrayaan-1: 

• Under the Venus Orbiter Mission, ISRO plans to launch Shukrayaan-1, a spacecraft destined to orbit Venus for five years. 

• It aims to study the atmosphere of Venus, marking India's first foray into exploring the mysteries of the second planet from the Sun.

Issue of Indians Jailed Abroad 

Context: - 

• With India having the highest diaspora of citizens the world over, more than 9,500 Indians are currently in Jails abroad. Three in every five are lodged in jails in the Middle East, and the third-largest population of prison inmates in the region is in Qatar. 

• Note: According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), more than 1.3 crore Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), over 1.8 crore Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), and as many as 3.2 crore Overseas Indians live in 210 countries. 

• Most Indian Prisoners Lodged Total Indians Jailed Abroad: 

• As many as 9,521 Indians are lodged in jails in 89 of the 210 countries where diaspora from the country is based. Middle East: 

• More than 62% are lodged in the Middle East, followed by Asia. 

• The highest number of Indian prisoners — 2,200 — are lodged in Saudi Arabia, followed by the United Arab Emirates. Qatar has 752 Indian prisoners followed by Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman. 

Asia: 

• In Asia, a little over 23% of the total 1,227 prisoners are in Nepal followed by Malaysia, Pakistan, China, Singapore, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. 

Europe: 

• In Europe, the majority of Indian prisoners are lodged in the United Kingdom (278) followed by Italy, Germany, France, and Spain. 

Monitor: 

• Indian Missions and Posts abroad closely monitor incidents of Indian nationals being jailed for alleged violation of local laws, according to the MEA’s Standard Operating Procedure. 

• As soon as information about the detention or arrest of an Indian national is received by the Mission or Post, it gets in touch with the local Foreign Office and other local authorities to get consular access to such individuals. 

Ensure Welfare and Consular Assistance: 

• MEA officials then ascertain the facts of the case, confirm Indian nationality, and ensure the welfare of such individuals in various ways, such as extending all possible consular assistance, assistance in providing legal aid wherever needed and approaching local law enforcement agencies to complete judicial proceedings at the earliest possible. Government Steps to Provide Assistance to the Prisoners Abroad Legal Assistance: 

• Indian Missions and Posts maintain a local panel of lawyers in countries where the Indian community is based in sizable numbers. 

• No fee is charged for the facilities extended by the Embassy. 

• The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) is set up at Missions and Posts abroad to assist overseas Indian nationals in distress situations in deserving cases. 

• The support extended under ICWF includes financial assistance for legal aid as well as travel documents and air tickets during repatriation.

Repatriation of Indian Nationals: 

• The government follows up on the issue of release and repatriation of Indian nationals in foreign prisons during consular and other consultations with countries. 

Pardon and Reduction in Prison Sentences: 

• Some countries grant pardons or reduction of sentences to inmates of various nationalities from time to time but do not share the data with the countries concerned. 

• Since 2014, 4,597 Indian nationals have received pardon or reduction of their sentences by foreign governments due to efforts by the Indian Government through various channels.

Agreement(s) on Transfer of Sentenced Persons (TSP): 

• India has signed an Agreement(s) on TSP with 31 countries under which Indian prisoners lodged in foreign countries can be transferred to India to serve the remainder of their sentence and vice-versa. 

• These include Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Egypt, Estonia, France, Hong Kong, Iran, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom and Vietnam. 

• India has also signed two multilateral conventions on the transfer of sentenced persons — the Inter-American Convention on Serving Criminal Sentences Abroad and Council of Europe Convention on Transfer of Sentenced Persons — under which sentenced persons of member states and other countries which have acceded to these can seek transfer of prisoners. 

• From 2006 till January 2022, 86 prisoners were transferred under the TSP; these included 75 imprisoned Indians transferred to India and 11 foreign prisoners transferred to their respective countries.

Efficacy of Liquid Nano Urea Context – 

• two-year field experiment on the efficacy of Liquid Nano Urea by scientists from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has found a substantial decrease in rice and wheat yields when compared to conventional nitrogen (N) fertilizer application. 

• The findings emphasize the necessity for further long-term field evaluations spanning 5-7 years to ascertain nano urea's equivalence to conventional urea and its sustainability in maintaining crop yields. Key Findings about the Efficacy of Liquid Nano Urea Yield Reduction: 

• There is a significant decrease in crop yields when nano urea was used compared to conventional nitrogen fertilizers. Specifically, there was a 21.6% decrease in wheat yield and a 13% decrease in rice yield. 

Grain Nitrogen Content: 

• The application of nano urea resulted in a decline in grain nitrogen content in both rice and wheat crops. 

• There is a 17 and 11.5% decrease in grain N content of rice and wheat, respectively. 

• The lowered grain nitrogen content implies reduced protein levels in the harvested crops. 

• This is a concern in a country like India, where rice and wheat are staple foods providing protein and carbohydrates. Low protein content could impact the population's protein energy requirements. 

Cost Considerations: 

• The cost of nano urea formulation was 10 times higher than that of granular urea and will add to the cost of cultivation for farmers. 

Crop Biomass and Root Volume: 

• The application of nano urea led to a reduction in above-ground biomass and root volume. This decrease in root volume resulted in decreased root-surface area, impacting nutrient uptake processes by the roots. 

Liquid Nano Urea About: 

• It is urea in the form of a nanoparticle. It is a nutrient (liquid) to provides nitrogen to plants as an alternative to conventional urea. 

• Urea is a chemical nitrogen fertilizer, white in color, which artificially provides nitrogen, a major nutrient required by plants. 

• It is developed to replace conventional urea and it can curtail the requirement of the same by at least 50%. 

• It contains 40,000 mg/L of nitrogen in a 500 ml bottle which is equivalent to the impact of nitrogen nutrient provided by one bag of conventional urea. 

• Nano liquid urea was launched in June 2021 by the Indian Farmers and Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO). 

Developed at: 

• It has been indigenously developed at IFFCO- Nano Biotechnology Research Centre, Kalol, Gujrat in line with Atmanirbhar Bharat and Atmanirbhar Krishi. 

• India is dependent on imports to meet its urea requirements. 

Application: 

• This fertilizer is a foliar spray, meaning it should only be used once leaves arrive on the crops

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

About:

• The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG), introduced the ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana’ (PMUY) as a flagship scheme to make clean cooking fuel such as LPG available to rural and deprived households that were otherwise using traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow dung cakes etc.

• Usage of traditional cooking fuels had detrimental impacts on the health of rural women as well as on the environment.

Objectives:

• Empowering women and protecting their health.

• Reducing the number of deaths in India due to unclean cooking fuel.

• Preventing young children from a significant number of acute respiratory illnesses caused by indoor air pollution by burning fossil fuel