UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August 2024
Kartavya Desk Staff
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August 2024 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles
InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.
Table of Contents
GS Paper 3: (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August 2024)
• Union Budget Prioritizes Agricultural Research
Union Budget Prioritizes Agricultural Research
• FAO launches updated guidelines to tackle extreme wildfires
FAO launches updated guidelines to tackle extreme wildfires
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
• IAS officer Manish Bansal
IAS officer Manish Bansal
Facts for Prelims (FFP)
• NATS 2.0 Portal
NATS 2.0 Portal
• One DAE One Subscription
One DAE One Subscription
• Master Direction on the treatment of Wilful Defaulters and Large Defaulters
Master Direction on the treatment of Wilful Defaulters and Large Defaulters
• Kalpakkam fast breeder reactor
Kalpakkam fast breeder reactor
• Saffron
Saffron
• Sturgeon
Sturgeon
Mapping:
• China Completes Bridge Near Pangong Lake
China Completes Bridge Near Pangong Lake
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August 2024
#### GS Paper 3:
Union Budget Prioritizes Agricultural Research
Syllabus: Agriculture
Source: HT
Context: The Union Budget prioritizes agricultural research to enhance productivity and climate resilience. Funding for agriculture and allied activities rose by 8% to ₹1.52 trillion, with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare receiving a 4.5% increase from last year’s estimates.
About Agricultural education and research:
They are critical components of the development of the agriculture sector in India.
Importance of agricultural education and research in the development of the Agriculture sector
• Improved Farming Techniques: It helps farmers to adopt new technologies and techniques that can improve crop yields and reduce costs. This helps to increase productivity and profitability, leading to higher incomes for farmers.
• Better Seed Varieties: These seeds can be resistant to pests and diseases and can withstand adverse weather conditions, leading to higher crop yields.
• Increased Food Security: Agri education and research can help to increase food production by improving crop yields and introducing new crops.
• Environmental Sustainability: Agricultural education and research can help farmers adopt practices that conserve soil, water, and natural resources, leading to better environmental outcomes.
• Job Creation: The Agriculture sector is a major employer in India. Agricultural education and research can help to create new job opportunities by introducing new technologies and techniques that require skilled labour.
Challenges for effective implementation of agricultural education and research
• Under-investment in R&D: The budget for autonomous research bodies under the Ministry was cut by 2%, indicating a gap between the goal of improving agricultural research and actual funding. ICRIER research shows India’s agricultural research intensity (ARI) has fallen from 0.75% in 2008-09 to 0.4%, lower than Brazil’s 1.8% and China’s 0.6%.
• The budget for autonomous research bodies under the Ministry was cut by 2%, indicating a gap between the goal of improving agricultural research and actual funding.
• ICRIER research shows India’s agricultural research intensity (ARI) has fallen from 0.75% in 2008-09 to 0.4%, lower than Brazil’s 1.8% and China’s 0.6%.
• Impact of Climate Change: Agriculture is highly affected by climate change, impacting food security. In 2023-24, overall GDP grew by 8.2%, but agricultural GDP only grew by 1.4%, down from 4.7% the previous year, partly due to poor monsoon conditions from El Niño. Climate change is expected to cause more extreme weather, like uneven monsoons, floods, and droughts. The Economic Survey predicts wheat yields could drop by 19.3% by 2050 and 40% by 2080, worsening food insecurity and inflation. Extreme weather and supply-chain disruptions were key factors driving food inflation last year.
• Agriculture is highly affected by climate change, impacting food security. In 2023-24, overall GDP grew by 8.2%, but agricultural GDP only grew by 1.4%, down from 4.7% the previous year, partly due to poor monsoon conditions from El Niño.
• Climate change is expected to cause more extreme weather, like uneven monsoons, floods, and droughts. The Economic Survey predicts wheat yields could drop by 19.3% by 2050 and 40% by 2080, worsening food insecurity and inflation.
• Extreme weather and supply-chain disruptions were key factors driving food inflation last year.
Other Challenges:
• Lack of Infrastructure: The lack of basic infrastructure, such as roads, electricity, and water supply, in rural areas, makes it difficult for researchers to conduct field studies and for educators to reach out to farmers.
• Limited Access to Technology: Farmers often lack access to new technologies due to limited availability and affordability.
• Knowledge and Skill Gaps: The Agriculture sector is predominantly made up of smallholder farmers who often lack the knowledge and skills to adopt new farming practices and technologies.
• Limited Participation: Women and marginalized communities often face social and economic barriers that limit their participation in agricultural education and research programs.
Measures taken to promote Agricultural education and research
• Previous Budget (2023-24):
• Agriculture Accelerator Fund: The fund will be set up to encourage agri-startups by young entrepreneurs in rural areas. It will also bring in modern technologies to transform agricultural practices and increase productivity and profitability.
• In 3 years, 1 crore farmers will be supported by Natural Farming, for which 10,000 Bio Input Research Centers will be opened.
• The Indian Millets Research Centre, Hyderabad will be promoted as a Center of Excellence.
• The government of India established a full-fledged Department of Agricultural Research and Education in 1973
• Role of ICAR: ICAR manages various research programmes, such as horticultural research, soil fertility, agricultural mechanisation and pest management, aimed at improving the productivity and profitability of Indian agriculture.
• ICAR established Krishi Vigyan Kendras for the vocational training of farmers.
• It also assists farmers with access to improved technologies, efficient use of resources and technical support services.
• National Agricultural Higher Education Project: NAHEP launched by ICAR in 2017, with the objective of enhancing competitiveness while designing a market-oriented course curriculum, plans to develop 117 pilot courses to be offered by various agriculture universities.
• Digital Agriculture Mission: This has been initiated for 2021 -2025 by the government for projects based on new technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, remote sensing and GIS technology, use of drones and robots etc.
Conclusion
Agricultural education and research are crucial for the development of the agriculture sector. Therefore, it is vital to invest in agricultural education and research to support the long-term growth of the agriculture sector in India. The continued investment is critical to ensure sustainable agricultural growth and improved livelihoods for farmers in India.
Insta Links:
• Indian agriculture in the present times
FAO Launches Updated Guidelines to Tackle Extreme Wildfires
Syllabus: Disaster Management Source: FAO
Context: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has updated its Integrated Fire Management (IFM) voluntary guidelines to address wildfire risks, incorporating new strategies developed by the Global Fire Management Hub (GFMH), launched by FAO and UNEP in 2023.
Explanation:
Integrated Fire Management Voluntary Guidelines: Principles and Strategic Actions is the latest publication by FAO, updating fire management guidelines that were first published two decades ago. The new edition addresses challenges posed by the current climate crisis, emphasizing proactive strategies and preparedness.
Key Principles:
• Economic: Maximize benefits and minimize wildfire losses through an efficient IFM program.
• Environmental: Integrate climate change, vegetation, and fire regimes in planning and management.
• Equity: Consider all stakeholder perspectives, including gender, as wildfires impact them differently.
• Human Health: Implement early detection and warning systems and adapt fire danger ratings with reliable weather forecasts.
Wildfires are becoming increasingly severe due to climate change, with projections indicating a 50% rise in their frequency by the end of the century. Environmental factors such as drought, high temperatures, and strong winds are contributing to longer and more intense fire seasons. Currently, 340 to 370 million hectares of the Earth’s surface are burned by wildfires each year, threatening sustainable development, and livelihoods, and generating significant greenhouse gas emissions.
Key Features:
• Proactive Strategies: Emphasizing prevention and preparedness over-reactive responses.
• Integration of Science and Traditional Knowledge: Encouraging the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and local knowledge holders in fire management decisions.
• Gender Inclusion: Promoting diverse fire knowledge and innovative management options.
• Strategic Actions: Addressing actions before, during, and after fires to prevent wildfires and restore affected areas.
Impact of increased heatwaves and wildfires
• Threat to life and property: it poses a direct threat to people’s lives and property as it forces people to leave their homes. For instance, heat waves in France have brought severe droughts there resulting in the water crisis.
• For instance, heat waves in France have brought severe droughts there resulting in the water crisis.
• Pollution: Various polluting gasses are released whenever there is a wildfire, like Nitrous oxide, Co2, PM 2.5 and *particulate matter lesser than 2.5 microns which could severe health issues such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases*.
• Health-related issues: The health impacts of Heat Waves typically involve dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke.
• Vicious cycle: Wildfires also burn up the carbon stored in trees and soil, releasing large amounts of smoke, methane, and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which increase overall temperatures.
• Threat to biodiversity: increased heat waves and Wildfires destroy the habitats and the intricate relationships of diverse flora and fauna leading to loss of ecosystems and biodiversity. For instance, Florida’s sea turtles are grappling with a gender imbalance made worse by climate change which has resulted in sand beaches getting hotter leading to every turtle being born as female.
• For instance, Florida’s sea turtles are grappling with a gender imbalance made worse by climate change which has resulted in sand beaches getting hotter leading to every turtle being born as female.
Various steps taken by countries to mitigate its impact:
Country | Steps Taken
USA | The US Senate passed a $430 billion bill to fight climate change and raise corporate taxes.
Japan | Initiated research for a green GDP measurement reflecting progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Germany | The European Commission approved a €3 billion scheme to support renewable energy and waste heat-based district heating programmes.
India | Approved new targets for slashing emissions and aims to meet half of its energy demands from renewable sources by 2030.
Other Steps Taken:
• Global Fire Management Hub: Launched in 2023 by FAO and UNEP, supported by countries like Canada, France, Germany, Portugal, South Korea, and the USA, it aims to unite the global fire management community.
• Funding: Nearly $5 million has been secured to enhance national capacities for integrated fire management strategies.
Measures needed
• Awareness: Improving community information and preparedness reduces vulnerability.
• Improved development planning, building standards and management of the forest-urban boundary reduces exposure.
• Early warning: Information about forest dryness is useful for early warning and preparedness for extreme fires. Similarly, mapping climate variability across many years can help predict extreme years.
• National and local measures: Pursuing ambitious global greenhouse gas mitigation alongside national and local measures to adapt to a climate-changed world, is a necessary strategy if we are to limit further increases in fire risk
• GHG mitigation: While efforts can be made to limit vulnerability, exposure and fire itself, it is clear that the contribution of climate change to fire risk would be lower if greenhouse gas emissions were curtailed.
Conclusion
Climate change is happening. This should be accepted and not politicised. International cooperation to address climate change is vital to mitigate the adverse impact. Additionally, mitigation must be complemented with climate change-related adaption since mitigation alone cannot address the adverse effects we are facing right now.
Insta Links
• Forest Fires
Practice Questions
Q1. Enumerate the causes for the rising instances of forest fires in India. What measures are needed to mitigate the adverse impacts of forest fires? (250 Words)
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August 2024 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
IAS officer Manish Bansal
Source: The Better India
Context: The Sot River, a crucial water source in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, dried up due to decades of neglect and encroachment. In 2022, IAS officer Manish Bansal took charge and initiated a comprehensive river rejuvenation project. The district administration conducted surveys, cleared illegal encroachments, and desilted the riverbed with the help of MGNREGA workers.
Within six months, the 110 km river was revived, restoring its natural flow and eliminating waterlogging. The project included planting 10,000 bamboo saplings to prevent soil erosion and constructing micro-check dams to regulate water flow.
The project to revive the Sot River exemplifies several ethical values:
• Community Collaboration: Effective teamwork between officials and locals.
• Environmental Stewardship: Commitment to restoring and preserving natural resources.
• Integrity: Addressing and removing illegal encroachments.
• Perseverance: Completing a significant environmental project in a short timeframe.
• Public Service: Prioritizing the well-being of the community and future generations.
• Innovation: Implementing creative solutions like desilting and micro check dams.
• Responsibility: Ensuring sustainable practices for long-term benefits
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August 2024 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
NATS 2.0 Portal
Source: NDTV
Context: The Union Education Minister launched the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) 2.0 Portal.
• The portal aims to enhance the skilling and employability of youth in various sectors like IT, manufacturing, and automobiles.
• It will help apprentices register and apply for opportunities, while establishments can manage vacancies and contracts.
About NATS 2.0 Portal:
• The NATS 2.0 portal, developed by the Ministry of Education with AICTE support, manages the entire apprenticeship lifecycle.
• This initiative supports the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s goals of integrating vocational and general education.
One DAE One Subscription
- •Source: Economic Times*
Context: The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) launched the ‘One DAE One Subscription’ (ODOS).
• This initiative unites DAE and its 60 subunits under a single umbrella, providing access to national and international research papers and scientific journals.
• The ODOS will allow DAE scientists, engineers, students, and researchers to access a broader range of knowledge and publish in open-access journals.
• This initiative aims to make knowledge more accessible and will eventually merge with the larger ‘One Nation One Subscription’ (ONOS) initiative.
The agreements include perpetual rights to journals and cover Article Processing Charges (APC) for publishing in open-access journals.
Master Direction on the treatment of Wilful Defaulters and Large Defaulters
- •Source: Business Standard*
Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a Master Direction on the treatment of Wilful Defaulters and Large Defaulters.
• Under this directive, banks and NBFCs must scrutinize all non-performing asset accounts with outstanding amounts of Rs 25 lakh and above for wilful default.
• All RBI-regulated entities must report credit information of large defaulters, including both suit-filed and non-suit-filed accounts classified as doubtful or loss, to credit information companies (CICs) monthly.
A “wilful defaulter” is defined as a borrower or guarantor with a wilful default of Rs 25 lakh and above, while a “large defaulter” has an outstanding amount of Rs 1 crore and above, either suit-filed or classified as doubtful or loss.
Kalpakkam fast breeder reactor
Source: The New Indian Express
Context: The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has approved the ‘First Approach to Criticality’ for India’s first 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.
• This approval involves loading fuel into the reactor core and initiating ‘Low Power Physics Experiments’.
Saffron
Source: Business Line
Context: Kashmir’s saffron crop, a highly prized spice, is severely affected by prolonged dry spells and climate change.
The saffron spice, known as kong in Kashmiri, zaffran in Urdu, and kesar in Hindi, is extracted from the stigma of the saffron flower (Crocus sativus L).
Highly valued, Kashmiri kesar sells for around Rs 3 lakhs per kilogram. Obtaining just one gram of kesar requires about 160-180 flowers, making its production labour-intensive.
Sturgeon
- •Source: DTE*
Context: A WWF report reveals that poaching and trafficking are critically endangering four sturgeon species in the Lower Danube, a key stronghold in south-eastern Europe.
• Sturgeons are exploited for caviar and meat, leading to global population declines.
The most frequently poached species is the Endangered sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus), followed by
Protection Status:
• IUCN Red list:Two sturgeon species are already extinct in the Danube, and the remaining four are listed as Threatened by the IUCN.
• CITES: Appendix-II.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August 2024 Mapping:
China Completes Bridge Near Pangong Lake
Source: Financial Express
Context: China has constructed a 400-meter bridge near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, facilitating rapid movement of Chinese troops between the North and South banks of Pangong Lake.
This bridge, situated in territory held by China since 1958, reduces travel distance by 50-100 kilometres. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that this area has been under illegal occupation by China for about 60 years.
About Pangong Lake:
It is an endorheic lake spanning eastern Ladakh and West Tibet situated at an elevation of 4,225 m. It is 134 km long and divided into five sub lakes, called Pangong Tso, Tso Nyak, Rum Tso and Nyak Tso
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 1 August 2024 [PDF]
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